Features

Created on July 26, 2022


The Reference Design Kit for Broadband(RDK-B) is a standard open source software stack which sits below the applications/services layer and provides a common interface to SoC’s acting as a universal SoC adapter that allows portability across hardware platforms.  The RDK-B stack provides complex broadband and management functions such as Home Networking, WiFi, and Device Management. Even though almost all present RDK-B deployments are over DOCSIS gateways, its modular design makes RDK-B an ideal choice for a host of different devices like WiFi extenders, voice gateways or IoT platforms. 

RDK-B comes with some of the added advantages due to a highly modular architecture which allows the developers to have the provisions for dynamic service discovery, common data model, multiple management interfaces like SNMP, TR069, WebUI. Some of the added advantages of RDK-B are :

  • Easy Integration 
  • Portable
  • Extensible
  • Secure
  • Reduced Cost of Maintenance
  • WAN types

The RDK Broadband Feature List is categorized by the below functions, Enhancements and new features are developed and contributed asynchronously by members of the RDK Community.

CategoryFeatureFeatureDependency(If any)

Home Networking

CameraCamera Onboarding (discovery via UPnP)Device dependency
GRESoft Generic Routing Encapsulation
HNAPHNAP Support (for Home Security)
IoTZigBee ReadyDevice dependency

Bluetooth LE Ready

Bluetooth LE App Manager (For Tile Detection and Ring)New items

Zilker SDKNew items
IPIPv4/IPv6
IP ConfigurationStatic IP Provisioning (DSLite based)

RIPv2.

Routing Information Protocol (RIP): RDK-B uses RIP as the routing mechanism. RIP is a  distance-vector routing protocols which employ the hop count as a routing metric. RIP prevents routing loops by implementing a limit on the number of hops allowed in a path from source to destination.



Subnet Mask Configurability ReadyDevice dependency
LANDSCP marking for first northbound packets

Ability to Disable LAN DHCP

New CcspEthAgent component to manage Ethernet interface and clients
WANNew EthWan component to enable wan side connection through Ethernet port

WAN mode auto detectDevice dependency

WAN ManagerNew items, Device dependency
Wi-Fi Home Network QOSHome Network Quality of Service
Wi-Fi Active Band Steering

Configuration of Transmission Rates for the 2.4 and 5 GHz Bands

Create telemetry markers for WiFi vAP (SSID) up percentages

Dual Band support on XH SSID

Lost+Found SSID – Automatic WiFi Onboarding

Plume supportDevice dependency

Private Wi-Fi 

Public Wi-Fi

Split Configuration – Band steering (POC)Device dependency

Wi-Fi ATM/DCS/DFS ReadyDevice dependency

Content









WiFiWi-Fi Spectrum Analysis ReadyDevice dependency, Cloud dependency

Wi-Fi TelemetryCloud dependency

HAL for easyconnect and passpointNew items
Device ProfileDOCSIS 3.0 Support

DOCSIS 3.1 SupportDevice dependency

EPONDevice dependency

DSLNew items, Device dependency

GPONNew items, Device dependency
Video Video over Wi-Fi (client required)

VidiPath

Device Management



AdmistrationLocal Admin Pages

Feature Control (Remotely enable/ disable individual features on devices without new code deployment)

Cloud dependency

Cloud Management (WebPA & TR-181 based)Cloud dependency

MeshAgent – Adaption layer between WiFi extender and cloud based management services 
Boot Up & System timeAdditional Boot Up information

Synchronize System Time with NTP Server
BuildYocto 3.1 Dunfell on Raspberry Pi Reference PlatformChanged items
DownloadHTTP Code Download

XCONF Code Download & Device Management (client)Cloud dependency

XCONF ServerCloud dependency
ImplementationConverge RDK Video and RDK Broadband Messaging Bus

Support for Cujo Rabid Framework for Parental Control

Rabid Framework for Finger Printing
Initialization & ResetBoot Time Optimization
KernelLinux 5.4.72Device dependency, Changed items
Linux Containers Initial container implementation

Linux Container for lighttpd
MonitoringTR-069/TR-181

SNMP

SNMPv3 Migration

Alias Manager – Exposing Custom DML for MSO specific namesNew items

SNMP Security Hardening

RDK TelemetryCloud dependency

WebPACloud dependency

TR-181 Object TelemetryCloud dependency

Broadband Profiling (SpeedTest to Gateway device)
Platform EnhancementRead factory CM MAC (WAN MAC for non CM device) from hardware. Device dependency
PowerBattery Backup ReadyDevice dependency
RFCConfigurable RFC Check-in immediately
SecurityDevice-agnostic platform hooks for CEDM Phase 1

Intrusion Detection

Remove Tr69 sharedKey stored in the clearDevice dependency

Update credential encryption/decryption utility to avoid platform specific prebuilt images

Update dnsmasq to version 2.78 or above
Self HealingResource Monitoring

Need to limit the Ping failure based erouter Reset recovery mechanismDevice dependency
TelemetryWHiX – Create telemetry markers for channel noise floor

Supports the ability to configure a “Unique Identification Telemetry Tag” to be used in the telemetry report

Create telemetry markers for Maximum TX_RATE, RX_RATE per client

User Specific Features

WEBUI

Easy monitoring and control of the device using the WebUI. Enable, disable and modify various modes like Bridge mode,  WiFi SSID and so on directly from WebUI. Factory Reset the device



SNMP

Respond to Get requests from SNMP Management System. Retrieve data from other RDK software components



TR069

Register device to Auto-Configuration Server (ACS) using Inform notification. Periodically send device information to ACS using Inform notification. Allow ACS to configure periodic Inform interval. Retrieve device diagnostics/parameters using GetParameterValues() method. Set device parameters using SetParameterValues() method. Factory reset using FactoryReset method. Device reboot using Reboot method.



Logging

Generate logs for all the components and processes. Configuration of logging level per component. Print formatted data to stdout and redirected to a local log file. Aggregate logs locally on device. Extract logs to server for analysis.


MSO Specific Features

Dynamic DNS 

Support for automatically updating a name server in the Domain Name System (DNS). Allows maximum of 4 host names.



Routing

Provides support for Routing Information Protocol using which MSO can monitor the routing information for the packets being interfaced from the device.



HS Port Forwarding

Supports port forwarding feature for home security network



Xconf Firmware upgrade

Single entity for managing firmware on set-top. Provides set-top which firmware version, from where to download, and how (protocol) to download.Web interface for server side rule administration

Key Highlights: Users can set download protocol-HTTPs as preferred method. Ability to decouple downloads from reboot. Ability to schedule firmware checks (During boot-up/Later), Configurable based on time zones, quiet times. Ability to redirect to secure download end points. Supports-Upgrade of Primary firmware, Remote Control, Disaster recovery images, Warehouse upgrades

Service & Scripts:

Service Name : /lib/systemd/system/swupdate.service

Helper Script : /lib/rdk/swupdate_utility.sh

Main Script : /lib/rdk/deviceInitiatedFWDnld.sh



RDK Feature Control

Operational limitations that lead to RFC: The only way to disable a new feature in the field was to rollback to the older firmware. Lack of options to do a feature deployment in a subset of devices. Lack of options to deliver dynamic configurations to the box

Using RFC: Enables quicker roll out of features. Enables a secure channel for delivering runtime configurations to the device.Ability to control when the feature needs to be enabled/disabled ? Disable now/ Disable during reboot



RDK Telemetry

Telemetry is required to have more timely data about device health and status.

With telemetry:-Data is more real-time. Metrics are available through configurable SLA policies: Critical matrix in real-time, Lower priority metrics in pre-scheduled interval. Real time metrics use terse key/value pairs.

The log and telemetry upload process is controlled through dcm-log service



WEBPA

WEBPA protocol provides this functionality of read/write access to device management parameters in an efficient manner as compared to TR-69 or SNMP.



Captive Portal

Feature of Smart Internet.Account/Device activation: devices has to be first “activated” on the account and network. On fresh boot up and factory reset, Captive Portal prompts to change the default SSID network name and password

Allows user to personalize their WiFi SSIDs. This Step needs to be completed to connect to the internet.

TR181 parameter for captive portal: Device.DeviceInfo.X_RDKCENTRAL-COM_CaptivePortalEnable


Broadband Services










Business Router Feature

Offers carrier grade Internet to Small and Medium Businesses (SMB) residing within the Service Provider footprint.

As part of this support is provided for: WiFi – 5 GHz with 4×4 and 2.4 GHz with 2×2.Voice support with 8 FXS ports. 8 Gigabit Ethernet ports – ports 1 – 4 support 1Gbps individually while port 5-8 support shared capacity of 1 Gbps. Power over Ethernet (PoE) on ethernet port 8. functionalities like content filtering, bridge mode, various levels of firewall, and remote access to control the router.


WiFi

WiFi connectivity over both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. WPS support for WiFi connectivity. Easy monitoring of WiFi credentials though UI. WiFi Air Time Management feature helps the user to assign weight and prioritize the bandwidth allocation based on SSID. WiFi Spectrum Analyzer feature provides the real time metrics for the WiFi radio spectrum. Band Steering feature helps the device to smartly switch the connected devices between 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency band. WiFi Range Extender support. Prefer Private Mode when enabled prioritizes the private SSID over hotspot while at home.


Hotspot

Ability to access the service provider network outside the home WiFi range.



Passpoint

 Protocol that helps users discover and authenticate to Wi-Fi hotspots to access the internet. Passpoint is based on Hotspot2.0 technology


Home Security – HNAP


MoCA

Supports MoCA 2.0 for WiFi extenders. Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA) supports networking over coaxial cable.


WiFi Protected Setup: (WPS)


MeshAgent


Ethwan


EPON Agent


Middleware Features

eMTA

RDK-B supports embedded Multimedia Terminal Adapter (MTA stack itself not included as part of RDK-B – provided by OEM). Various OEM’s can use their own MTA modules in collaboration with RDK-B middle ware. RDK-B provides various monitoring metrics and a data model parameters to enable and monitor the MTA module provided by the OEM.


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