Netgear Switch Discovery Protocol

In the world of Netgear Switch Discovery Protocol, there are an infinite number of aspects and approaches to address. Whether in everyday life, in the workplace, or in society in general, Netgear Switch Discovery Protocol has a significant impact on our lives. From its origins to its evolution today, Netgear Switch Discovery Protocol has been the object of study, debate and reflection. In this article, we will explore different perspectives on Netgear Switch Discovery Protocol, analyzing its importance, implications and influence in various contexts. Through a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach, we will shed light on this topic to foster a more complete and enriching understanding of Netgear Switch Discovery Protocol.

NTDS (Netgear Switch Discovery Protocol)
Communication protocol
PurposeNetgear level 2 switch management
Port(s)63321, 63322, 63323, 63324
Internet protocol suite
Application layer
Transport layer
Internet layer
Link layer

Netgear Switch Discovery Protocol (NSDP) is a management protocol for several network device families, designed by Netgear.

Message structure

Common message header

Offset Length Meaning
0x0000 1 Proto version – always 0x01
0x0001 1 Operation code: may be 0x01 – read request, 0x02 – read response, 0x03 – write request, 0x04 – write response
0x0002 2 Operation result
0x0004 4 Unknown
0x0008 6 host MAC-address
0x000e 6 network device MAC-address (value 00:00:00:00:00:00 is used as multicast address, request will be proceeded by all devices, which would receive it)
0x0014 2 Unknown
0x0016 2 Sequence number (value increments with every next request)
0x0018 4 Protocol signature NSDP
0x001С 4 Unknown
0x0020 N Message body – the sequence of TLV records
0x0020 + N 4 End of message marker 0xFFFF0000

Message body record structure

Message body records are type–length–value (TLV) structures. Type field may be one of following values in the table(list in incomplete):

Type Meaning
0x0001 Device model
0x0003 Device given name
0x0004 Device MAC-address
0x0005 Device system location
0x0006 Device current IP-address (may be unsupported by certain devices)
0x0007 Device IP-network mask (may be unsupported by certain devices)
0x0008 Router IP-address (may be unsupported by certain devices)
0x000a administration password
0x000b DHCP Mode (Refresh DHCP = 2, DHCP = 1, Static = 0)
0x000d Device Firmware version slot 1 (may be unsupported by certain devices)
0x000e Device Firmware version slot 2 (may be unsupported by certain devices)
0x000f Next active firmware slot after reboot (01 = 1, 02 = 2, may be unsupported by certain devices)
0x0c00 Speed/link status of ports
0x1000 Port Traffic Statistic
0x2800 Get VLAN info
0x2c00 Delete VLAN (write only)

Protocol flow examples

Network devices discovery (MAC-address an device model discovery): 

   Host with MAC=XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX from UDP-port 63321 or 63323 sending packet to broadcast IP-address 255.255.255.255 and UDP-port 63322 or 63324
   Header    @0x00000000 0x01 0x01 0x000000000000 0xXXXXXXXXXXXX 0x000000000000 0x0000 0x0001 0x4E534450 0x00000000
   Body      @0x00000020 0x0001 0x0000 0x0004 0x0000
   Marker    @0x00000028 0xFFFF0000

   EACH Device responds with message like
   Header    @0x00000000 0x01 0x02 0x000000000000 0xXXXXXXXXXXXX 0xYYYYYYYYYYYY 0x0000 0x0001 0x4E534450 0x00000000
   Body      @0x00000020 0x0001 0x0028 0x47 0x53 0x31 0x30 0x35 0x45 0x20*0x22 0x0004 0x0006 0xYYYYYYYYYYYY
   Marker    @0x00000058 0xFFFF0000

Device support for protocol

  • GS105E ProSAFE Plus
  • GS108E ProSAFE Plus
  • GS724T
  • GS748T
  • FS116E (IP-network description and Firmware version TLVs are not supported)
  • FS726TP (uses 63323 and 63324 UDP-ports for interconnection)

Devices firmware update

Device firmware update is made with TFTP protocol, but you need to send NSDP request to turn on TFTP-server first.

See also

References