Automated Network Device Certification Tool

Offentlig prosjektsammendrag

ISPs place network devices in customer homes in order to provide their services. For the use of these devices, the customer usually pays a monthly fee, while the devices remain owned by the ISP. When a customer experiences issues with their Internet service, the ISP may choose to replace the device, and the old device will be returned to the ISP. Devices are also returned if the customer terminates their subscription. In later years, this subscription model has also become popular for mesh Wi-Fi networks consisting of multiple devices in each customer home. This means that ISPs often have a significant amount of returned devices that may or may not be fit for reuse, and they rarely have the resources and skill set needed to assess reusability themselves. This project will develop an automated tool for testing and certifying network devices in compliance with industry standards. Our automated tool tests both hardware and software functionalities of network devices in compliance with industry standards. In hardware testing, our tool will perform a hardware component health check and test functionality such as nominal and effective capacity. In software testing, our tool will test configuration and software functionalities of network devices using machine learning and artificial intelligence. The project will provide an affordable solution that encourages the reuse of network devices. This will contribute to reducing electronic waste (e-waste) and improving sustainability by extending the lifecycle of network devices. This will also reduce the pressure for producing new devices and accordingly reduce the demand for raw materials. The affordability, efficiency and performance of our solution will be major competitiveness factors for our automated network device testing tool.