DLNA Media Server

DLNA Media Server

The DLNA Media server enables sharing media files with UPnP/DLNA-compatible devices on your network, including smart TVs, gaming consoles, and media player applications.

Overview

DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) creates a unified media sharing ecosystem. UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) provides the discovery and control protocols underlying DLNA functionality. MikroTik’s implementation serves as a Digital Media Server (DMS), making media files available to compatible devices on your network.

Key Components

Component	Description
Media Server (DMS)	Stores and serves media content (MikroTik router)
Control Point	Discovers and controls devices
Renderer	Plays content on display devices

Capabilities

• Stream photos, videos, and music to DLNA-compatible devices
• Automatic device discovery via UPnP
• IP-based and hostname-based access control
• Multiple media server instances with different content
• Works with common DLNA clients (smart TVs, consoles, mobile apps)

Supported Devices

DLNA media server works with:

• Smart TVs (Samsung, LG, Sony, Philips, etc.)
• Gaming consoles (PlayStation, Xbox)
• Set-top boxes
• Mobile devices with DLNA apps (BubbleUPnP, VLC, etc.)
• Kodi and other DLNA-compatible software

Caution

DLNA media server is not supported on SMIPS devices.

Requirements

Hardware Requirements

Requirement	Details
Storage	External USB drive, SATA, or NVMe storage
Interface	At least one Ethernet interface
RouterOS	v6.x or later with system package

Storage Setup

Media files must be stored on external storage:

# Check available disks and their numbers
/disk/print

# Format disk by number (use number from /disk/print output)
/disk/format-drive numbers=0

# Verify the disk is available and note its mount point (for example, `usb1`)
/disk/print

Media Server Properties

Sub-menu: /ip media

Property	Type	Description	Default
allowed-hostname	string	Hostname access restriction	empty
allowed-ip	IP/IPv6	IP address access restriction	empty
friendly-name	string	Server name on network	empty
interface	string	Network interface to serve	empty
path	string	Media directory path	empty
disabled	yes/no	Disable media server	no

Property Details

friendly-name: The name displayed to DLNA clients on the network. If not set, defaults to “RouterOS”.

interface: The network interface where the media server will listen. Specify an actual interface name (e.g., ether2, bridge1). If using a bridge interface, create it first with /interface/bridge/add name=bridge1.

path: Path to the media directory on connected storage (e.g., usb1/media).

allowed-ip: Restrict access to a specific IP address (single host only — CIDR ranges are not supported). Use multiple server entries with different allowed-ip values to permit multiple individual hosts.

allowed-hostname: Restrict access to specific device hostnames (requires reverse DNS).

Configuration Examples

Basic Setup

Create a basic media server on a LAN interface:

# Create media server on ether2 (replace with your LAN interface name)
/ip/media/add friendly-name="MikroTik Media" interface=ether2 path=usb1/media

Verify the configuration:

/ip/media/print

Example output:

[admin@MikroTik] /ip/media> print
Flags: X - DISABLED
 0    path="usb1/media" interface=ether2 friendly-name="MikroTik Media"
      allowed-ip=0.0.0.0 allowed-hostname="" status="Running"

Multiple Media Servers

Create separate media servers for different content or users:

# Main media library
/ip/media/add friendly-name="Family Media" interface=ether2 path=usb1/media

# Separate server for kids content
/ip/media/add friendly-name="Kids Media" interface=ether2 path=usb1/kids

# Restricted server (single IP only — CIDR ranges not supported)
/ip/media/add friendly-name="Adults Media" interface=ether2 path=usb1/adults allowed-ip=192.168.1.100

Access Control by IP

Restrict media access to specific IP addresses:

# Only allow a specific IP (single host — CIDR ranges are not supported)
/ip/media/add friendly-name="Restricted" interface=ether2 path=usb1/restricted allowed-ip=192.168.1.100

# To permit multiple hosts, add separate entries per IP
/ip/media/add friendly-name="Living Room" interface=ether2 path=usb1/livingroom allowed-ip=192.168.1.101
/ip/media/add friendly-name="Living Room" interface=ether2 path=usb1/livingroom allowed-ip=192.168.1.102

Access Control by Hostname

Restrict access by device hostname:

# Allow specific hostname
/ip/media/add friendly-name="TV Room" interface=ether2 path=usb1/tv allowed-hostname=LivingRoomTV

# Multiple hostnames (comma-separated)
/ip/media/add friendly-name="Bedroom" interface=ether2 path=usb1/bedroom allowed-hostname=BR_TV,BR_PHONE

Media Server Management

Common Management Commands

# List all configured media servers
/ip/media/print

# View detailed configuration
/ip/media/print detail

# Disable a media server
/ip/media/set 0 disabled=yes

# Enable a media server
/ip/media/set 0 disabled=no

# Change friendly name
/ip/media/set 0 friendly-name="New Name"

# Update media path
/ip/media/set 0 path=usb1/newmedia

# Remove a media server
/ip/media/remove 0

Monitoring

Check media server status:

# View active media servers
/ip/media/print

# Check system resources when streaming
/system/resource/print

Directory Structure

Organize your media files following DLNA conventions:

usb1/
└── media/
    ├── Videos/
    │   ├── Movies/
    │   └── TV/
    ├── Music/
    │   ├── Artists/
    │   └── Albums/
    └── Pictures/
        └── Photos/

Supported Formats

DLNA supports various media formats:

Media Type	Common Formats
Video	AVI, MKV, MP4, MOV, WMV
Audio	MP3, WAV, FLAC, AAC, OGG
Images	JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMP

Tip

DLNA clients vary in format support. Test playback with your specific devices. VLC and modern smart TVs typically support most common formats.

Network Configuration

Firewall Considerations

Ensure UPnP and DLNA traffic is allowed on your LAN:

# Allow UPnP discovery (optional - usually handled automatically)
/ip/firewall/filter/add chain=input protocol=udp port=1900 action=accept comment="UPnP SSDP"

# Allow multicast for device discovery
/ip/firewall/filter/add chain=input protocol=udp dst-address=239.255.255.250 action=accept comment="UPnP multicast"

Interface Selection

The interface parameter controls where the media server advertises:

# Serve on a bridge interface (create it first if it doesn't exist)
/interface/bridge/add name=bridge1
/ip/media/add interface=bridge1 path=usb1/media friendly-name="Main Media"

# Serve on specific VLAN
/ip/media/add interface=vlan100 path=usb1/media friendly-name="Guest Media"

# Serve on specific ethernet port
/ip/media/add interface=ether2 path=usb1/media friendly-name="Office Media"

Troubleshooting

Media Server Not Visible

Issue	Solution
Not visible on network	Verify interface binding and firewall rules
Storage not available	Check /disk print output
Path incorrect	Verify directory exists on storage
SMIPS device	DLNA not supported on SMIPS

Playback Issues

Issue	Solution
Video won’t play	Check format compatibility with client
Audio stuttering	Check network bandwidth, try wired connection
Images not loading	Verify file permissions and format

Debug Commands

# Check media server configuration
/ip/media/print detail

# Verify storage is available
/disk/print

# Check available disk space
/system/resource/print

# View logs for errors
/log print where topic~"media"

Security Considerations

Consider these security implications when enabling DLNA:

• DLNA has no authentication - any device on the network can access
• Media files are accessible to all LAN devices by default
• UPnP discovery can expose device information

Best Practices

1. Use access restrictions: Limit by IP or hostname when possible
2. Separate media networks: Use VLANs to isolate media traffic
3. Limit content exposure: Create separate servers for sensitive content
4. Disable when not in use: Turn off if not needed
5. Monitor access: Check which devices connect to media server

Access Control Example

# Create restricted media server (one entry per allowed IP — CIDR not supported)
/ip/media/add friendly-name="Secure Media" interface=ether2 path=usb1/secure allowed-ip=192.168.1.50
/ip/media/add friendly-name="Secure Media" interface=ether2 path=usb1/secure allowed-ip=192.168.1.100

# Create open media server for general use
/ip/media/add friendly-name="Public Media" interface=ether2 path=usb1/public

Comparison with SMB

DLNA and SMB serve different purposes:

Feature	DLNA	SMB
Use Case	Media streaming	File sharing
Authentication	None	Username/password
Device Support	Smart TVs, consoles	Computers, NAS
Protocol	UPnP/DLNA	SMB/CIFS
Best For	Media playback	File management

For comprehensive file sharing alongside DLNA, consider also configuring SMB.

Related Features

• SMB: Windows-compatible file sharing
• Container: Run media server containers
• Wake on LAN: Wake media devices remotely
• UPnP: Universal Plug and Play settings