mdnscheckup

mdnscheckup is a Python utility designed to check if MDNS (Multicast DNS) is functioning correctly on Windows 11 systems and attempt to troubleshoot common issues. Windows 11 is known for occasionally failing to list MDNS devices, and the reasons behind this are unclear. This utility helps diagnose and potentially resolve these issues.

The mdnscheckup module also includes a submodule called ipv6checkup, which checks whether IPv6 is enabled on network adapters. Some users have reported that disabling IPv6 resolves MDNS issues, while others with IPv6 enabled do not experience any problems.

Features

• MDNS Troubleshooting: Diagnose MDNS functionality on Windows 11.
• IPv6 Check: Determine if IPv6 is enabled on network adapters, as it may affect MDNS performance.

Installation

To install mdnscheckup, you'll need Python 3.7 or higher. You can install the required dependencies using `pip`:

Windows

pip install -r requirements.txt

Linux/macOS/other

pip install -r requirements-dev.txt

Usage

To run the MDNS check and IPv6 check, install the mdnscheckup Python package then execute the main script:

python3 -m mdnscheckup

or if not installed, run the script directly from the repo:

python3 mdnscheckup/mdnscheckup.py

This will run both the MDNS diagnostic and the IPv6 check, providing insights into potential issues.

Example Output

Ethernet: IPv6 enabled: True
Wi-Fi: IPv6 enabled: False
MDNS Status: Devices listed: False
Devices: ['_printer._tcp.local.']

How It Works

1. ipv6checkup: Uses the ipv6checkup submodule to determine if IPv6 is enabled on each network adapter.
   • This may not affect mdns on some system configurations.
2. mdnscheckup: Checks whether MDNS is functioning by attempting to list devices on the network.
   • NOTE: Even if "MDNS Status: Devices listed: False", there may not be a problem. Ensure you are connected to the same network as your device(s) before running the test to get an accurate test.
   • Windows Firewall can block this, potentially.
     • Click allow for public or private, whichever you have told it to use to designate your network. Ideally, allow both, since the public-private distinction is arbitrary and you may change it later and not realize the repercussions.
3. Combined Report: Provides a summary of the MDNS status and IPv6 configuration.

Key Files

• mdnscheckup.py: The main script that performs the MDNS diagnostic.
• ipv6checkup.py: The submodule that checks IPv6 status.
• README.rst: This file, providing documentation and usage instructions.

Development

Development Dependencies

If you'd like to contribute to mdnscheckup, clone the repository and install the development dependencies:

git clone https://github.com/Hierosoft/mdnscheckup.git
cd mdnscheckup
pip install -r requirements-dev.txt

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please open an issue or submit a pull request on GitHub.

Tasks

• tests using `pytest`:

pytest

• Requires "Development Dependencies" steps.

License

mdnscheckup is licensed under the MIT License. See the license.txt file for more details.

Acknowledgments

• ifaddr for adapter enumeration.
• pywin32 for Windows API access.

Contact

For any questions or feedback, feel free to reach out via the issues page on GitHub.