How to identify device friendly name via UPnP/API call?
I'm working on a couple of different tools that integrate with the Nanoleaf API(s). One of the things I've noticed is that even though I've set names for all of my devices in the Nanoleaf mobile app, I can only find the factory default name (model name + last 2 bytes of MAC - e.g. “Shapes 4473”).
Both the REST API responses and SSDP NOTIFY messages (in header “nl-devicename”) show this name
From the Nanoleaf documentation, I see the following note for nl-devicename on the SSDP NOTIFY:
Could be updated by an iOS user using WAC.
This brings up a few questions:
- What is WAC? Publicly available documentation suggests it's an Apple pairing technology, but it's unclear how those names are actually set in practice/how the updated name is communicated over the air.
- Is there a different mechanism to read the user-configured friendly name of the device?
- If the answer above is “no”, can we get something like one of the following?
- nl-devicename / analogous mDNS properties updated to match user-configured device display name in the Nanoleaf app
- TCP80 /device_info REST endpoint extended with device display name
- LocalAPI method for reading the display name (preferably without requiring authentication)
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Official comment
The “user-friendly name” isn’t actually stored on or accessible from the device itself. Support for renaming was added to meet HomeKit certification requirements, but providing a way for users to change it depends on Apple’s interface, which is not currently available.
As a result, the device name defaults to the unique identifier printed on the controller. This is intentional, as the device name is used to set the service instance name on mDNS. Allowing it to be freely changed could lead to naming conflicts between devices, which may cause connectivity or discovery issues.
By keeping the controller’s predefined unique name, it ensures reliable mDNS operation. This may also explain why Apple has not enabled a user-facing option for renaming, despite requiring OEMs to support the capability.
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WAC, being a black box of Apple's proprietary protocol, is still too cumbersome. Does Nanoleaf really not consider adding a displayName field directly to the local REST API? treeshateyou partydrinkcalculator
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Identifying a device friendly name through UPnP or API calls can sometimes vary depending on the device manufacturer and how the service exposes metadata. In many cases, checking the device description XML or specific UPnP properties can help retrieve the correct friendly name. Developers often test these networking features alongside tools and apps running the latest version for better compatibility and performance.
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Having access to the user-defined device name through the API would make integrations, dashboards, and automation tools much easier to manage, especially for users with multiple Nanoleaf devices. Hopefully this can be considered for a future update 101games.
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Hey there, I stumbled into the same issue: Users are used to name their devices - AND find their devices by their user-defined name. If you feel that there should be a unique name, make that a e.g. “uniqueName” field, and store the user defined name in the name field.
Regarding mDNS discovery: Any app that would not use the device ID and instead use the device name for unique identification would be considered bad coding.
When you change behavior in this case, inform developers about it in advance. A properly developed app should not stumble about this in any way.0 -
I don't usually install APK files immediately, especially when I'm not familiar with the source. While checking the ok win apk details, I wanted to know what the setup involves and whether there were any requirements I should be aware of first. Taking a few minutes to check those points feels like a better approach than installing something blindly and dealing with unexpected issues afterward.
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I agree that having the user-configured friendly name available through the API would be very useful, especially for people managing multiple devices. It would make device identification much easier than relying on the factory name and MAC address. Hopefully Nanoleaf can expose this through the LocalAPI in a future update
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This is a really interesting API limitation. Having the friendly name available through the REST API or SSDP would make device discovery much easier, especially when working with multiple Nanoleaf devices of the same model. The factory-generated name is useful for identification, but it doesn't reflect how users organize their devices in the app. A read-only field in
/device_infofor the user-configured display name would be a practical solution. It’s similar to how services such as Business Rocket organize business information in a way that makes specific records easier to identify and work with.0
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