> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.ndi.video/all/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.ndi.video/all/getting-started/white-paper/discovery-and-registration.md).

# Discovery & Registration

### Zero configuration in AV signal distribution <a href="#toc144291436" id="toc144291436"></a>

One of the biggest issues in AV distribution in the IP[^1] world is that equipment is not identifiable by its physical connection. In networking, every connected device needs to have a unique address so another device, hardware, and applications can reach it.&#x20;

However, the network physical connection is dynamic and not related at all to the equipment address. For that reason, in a large network with hundreds (or thousands) of devices with addresses, it becomes difficult to find and interconnect equipment. NDI offers two different options for a zero-configuration discovery and registration: **mDNS** and **Discovery Service**.

[^1]: IP (Internet Protocol) is the communications protocol for the Internet, many wide area networks (WANs) and most local area networks (LANs) that define the rules, formats, and address scheme for exchanging datagrams or packets between a source computer or device and a destination computer or device.


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