diff --git a/src/netanim/examples/wireless-animation.cc b/src/netanim/examples/wireless-animation.cc
index d8bbd9312..98279235b 100644
--- a/src/netanim/examples/wireless-animation.cc
+++ b/src/netanim/examples/wireless-animation.cc
@@ -151,6 +151,9 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
 
   Ipv4GlobalRoutingHelper::PopulateRoutingTables ();
   Simulator::Stop (Seconds (15.0));
+  AnimationInterface::SetNodeDescription (wifiApNode, "AP");
+  AnimationInterface::SetNodeDescription (wifiStaNodes, "STA");
+  AnimationInterface::SetNodeDescription (csmaNodes, "CSMA");
   AnimationInterface anim ("wireless-animation.xml");
   anim.EnablePacketMetadata (true);
   Simulator::Run ();
diff --git a/src/netanim/model/animation-interface.cc b/src/netanim/model/animation-interface.cc
index 76632fbd2..d6a3551c8 100644
--- a/src/netanim/model/animation-interface.cc
+++ b/src/netanim/model/animation-interface.cc
@@ -54,11 +54,14 @@
 
 NS_LOG_COMPONENT_DEFINE ("AnimationInterface");
 
-#define PURGE_INTERVAL 5
-static bool initialized = false;
+
 
 namespace ns3 {
 
+#define PURGE_INTERVAL 5
+static bool initialized = false;
+std::map <uint32_t, std::string> AnimationInterface::nodeDescriptions;
+
 AnimationInterface::AnimationInterface ()
   : m_fHandle (STDOUT_FILENO), m_xml (false), mobilitypollinterval (Seconds(0.25)),
     usingSockets (false), mport (0), outputfilename (""),
@@ -249,7 +252,7 @@ Vector AnimationInterface::UpdatePosition (Ptr <Node> n)
     }
   else
    {
-     NS_LOG_UNCOND ( "WARNING:Node:" << n->GetId () << " Does not have a mobility model. Use SetConstantPosition if it is stationary");
+     NS_LOG_UNCOND ( "AnimationInterface WARNING:Node:" << n->GetId () << " Does not have a mobility model. Use SetConstantPosition if it is stationary");
      Vector deterministicVector (100,100,0);
      Vector randomVector (UniformVariable (0, topo_maxX-topo_minX).GetValue (), UniformVariable (0, topo_maxY-topo_minY).GetValue (), 0);
      if (randomPosition)
@@ -1025,6 +1028,7 @@ void AnimationInterface::CsmaPhyTxEndTrace (std::string context, Ptr<const Packe
       NS_LOG_WARN ("CsmaPhyTxEndTrace: unknown Uid"); 
       AnimPacketInfo pktinfo (ndev, Simulator::Now (), Simulator::Now (), UpdatePosition (n));
       AddPendingCsmaPacket (AnimUid, pktinfo);
+      NS_LOG_WARN ("Unknown Uid, but adding Csma Packet anyway");
     }
   // TODO: NS_ASSERT (CsmaPacketIsPending (AnimUid) == true);
   AnimPacketInfo& pktInfo = pendingCsmaPackets[AnimUid];
@@ -1251,6 +1255,22 @@ void AnimationInterface::SetConstantPosition (Ptr <Node> n, double x, double y,
 
 }
 
+void AnimationInterface::SetNodeDescription (Ptr <Node> n, std::string descr) 
+{
+  NS_ASSERT (n);
+  nodeDescriptions[n->GetId ()] = descr;
+}
+
+void AnimationInterface::SetNodeDescription (NodeContainer nc, std::string descr)
+{
+  for (uint32_t i = 0; i < nc.GetN (); ++i)
+    {
+      Ptr <Node> n = nc.Get (i);
+      NS_ASSERT (n);
+      nodeDescriptions[n->GetId ()] = descr;
+    }
+}
+
 
 // XML Private Helpers
 
@@ -1273,8 +1293,16 @@ std::string AnimationInterface::GetXMLOpen_topology (double minX,double minY,dou
 std::string AnimationInterface::GetXMLOpenClose_node (uint32_t lp,uint32_t id,double locX,double locY)
 {
   std::ostringstream oss;
-  oss <<"<node lp = \"" << lp << "\" id = \"" << id << "\"" << " locX = \"" 
-      << locX << "\" " << "locY = \"" << locY << "\" />\n";
+  oss <<"<node id = \"" << id << "\""; 
+  if (nodeDescriptions.find (id) != nodeDescriptions.end ())
+    {
+      oss << " descr=\""<< nodeDescriptions[id] << "\"";
+    }
+  else
+    {
+      oss << " descr=\"\"";
+    }
+  oss << " locX = \"" << locX << "\" " << "locY = \"" << locY << "\" />\n";
   return oss.str ();
 }
 std::string AnimationInterface::GetXMLOpenClose_link (uint32_t fromLp,uint32_t fromId, uint32_t toLp, uint32_t toId)
@@ -1306,7 +1334,7 @@ std::string AnimationInterface::GetXMLOpen_wpacket (uint32_t fromLp,uint32_t fro
   oss << "<wpacket fromId=\"" << fromId
       << "\" fbTx=\"" << fbTx
       << "\" lbTx=\"" << lbTx
-      << "\" range= \"" << range << "\">" << std::endl;
+      << "\" range=\"" << range << "\">" << std::endl;
   return oss.str ();
 
 }
diff --git a/src/netanim/model/animation-interface.h b/src/netanim/model/animation-interface.h
index b2c475adf..4a3ffb923 100644
--- a/src/netanim/model/animation-interface.h
+++ b/src/netanim/model/animation-interface.h
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 #include <map>
 #include "ns3/ptr.h"
 #include "ns3/net-device.h"
+#include "ns3/node-container.h"
 #include "ns3/nstime.h"
 #include "ns3/log.h"
 #include "ns3/node-list.h"
@@ -228,6 +229,22 @@ public:
    */
   static void SetConstantPosition (Ptr <Node> n, double x, double y, double z=0);
 
+  /**
+   * \brief Helper function to set a brief description for a given node
+   * \param n Ptr to the node
+   * \param descr A string to briefly describe the node
+   *
+   */
+  static void SetNodeDescription (Ptr <Node> n, std::string descr);
+
+  /**
+   * \brief Helper function to set a brief description for nodes in a Node Container
+   * \param nc NodeContainer containing the nodes
+   * \param descr A string to briefly describe the nodes
+   *
+   */
+  static void SetNodeDescription (NodeContainer nc, std::string descr);
+
   /**
    * \brief Is AnimationInterface started
    * \returns true if AnimationInterface was started
@@ -251,6 +268,8 @@ public:
    */
   void EnablePacketMetadata (bool enable);
 
+
+
 private:
 #ifndef WIN32
   int m_fHandle;  // File handle for output (-1 if none)
@@ -373,6 +392,8 @@ private:
   std::vector<std::string> GetElementsFromContext (std::string context);
   Ptr <NetDevice> GetNetDeviceFromContext (std::string context);
 
+  static std::map <uint32_t, std::string> nodeDescriptions;
+
   // XML helpers
   std::string GetPreamble (void);
   // Topology element dimensions