Designing HTIP: Home Network Topology Identifying Protocol

This paper introduces the design and functions of HTIP (Home network Topology Identifying Protocol), which can identify the home network topology and check the connectivity to end devices and/or network devices. Applications can utilize this information to perform the rapid, high-resolution fault localization needed if network services are not provided properly. The HTIP-manager agent collects the device and link information required for identifying the network´s topology. In HTIP, end devices send device information via UDA while network devices send both device and link information via LLDP. HTIP is light weight, so any low performance device can implement it. We have already standardized HTIP in Japan, and are currently standardizing it in ITU-T.