From 24df1a7024d61abac75d15f7e2c5a8cf4fc330c5 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Tommaso Bailetti Date: Tue, 12 May 2026 09:54:52 +0200 Subject: [PATCH] docs: added avahi documentation --- avahi.rst | 40 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ index.rst | 1 + 2 files changed, 41 insertions(+) create mode 100644 avahi.rst diff --git a/avahi.rst b/avahi.rst new file mode 100644 index 00000000..7cb4a5f7 --- /dev/null +++ b/avahi.rst @@ -0,0 +1,40 @@ +.. _avahi-section: + +======================= +Avahi (mDNS reflector) +======================= + +Multicast DNS (mDNS) allows devices to discover services on a local network without a centralized DNS server, using multicast traffic within the ``.local`` domain. +A typical use case is IoT network segmentation: when IoT devices live in a dedicated network, control devices like smartphones and PCs rely on mDNS for discovery. +However, mDNS traffic does not cross network boundaries, so an mDNS reflector such as Avahi is required to bridge the gap and allow service discovery across network segments. + +On NethSecurity, the ``avahi-nodbus-daemon`` package is available in the official repositories but is not installed by default. + +.. note:: + Starting from version 8.7.2, extra packages are automatically reinstalled after system upgrade. + For earlier versions and for additional information, refer to this documentation: :ref:`restore_extra_packages-section`. + +Installation +============ + +Install the package with:: + + opkg update + opkg install avahi-nodbus-daemon + +Configuration +============= + +By default, the mDNS reflector functionality is disabled. To enable it: + +1. Edit the Avahi daemon configuration file: :: + + vi /etc/avahi/avahi-daemon.conf + +2. Find the line ``enable-reflector=no`` and change it to ``enable-reflector=yes`` + +3. Restart the Avahi daemon to apply the changes: :: + + /etc/init.d/avahi-daemon restart + +After enabling the reflector, mDNS traffic will be reflected across network interfaces, allowing service discovery to work between different network segments. diff --git a/index.rst b/index.rst index b4f38f57..69440ea8 100644 --- a/index.rst +++ b/index.rst @@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ NethSecurity administrator manual :maxdepth: 2 :caption: Advanced (CLI) + avahi ddns dns_over_http smtp