Do I Really Need UPnP Enabled in my Router? What Does it Do?

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I recently discovered a setting in my router for enabling or disabling UPnP, but there isn’t enough information in the router manual to explain which way it should be set for the devices on my network. The router log has multiple entries like the one below, since UPnP is enabled as the default setting:

UPnP renew entry 255.255.255.255 166.128.91.145:59493 192.168.0.102:59493 UDP timeout:-1 ‘Teredo’

I’m connecting two Win 7 Home Premium laptops and a network printer to the router via WiFi. The laptops are connecting at 11n speed while the printer is using 11g. I also have an NAS connected to the router via an Ethernet cable. I occasionally connect my Kindle via WiFi 11g. My Internet modem is a cellular data card.

I’ve considered disabling the UPnP just to see what would happen, but I though I should first ask if any one on the Forum could explain this feature. Without UPnP will Homegroup stop working? Or will something worse happen?

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Explanation of UPnP.

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Thanks for the prompt reply, Ted. Unfortunately, the link you provided goes to an answer that has been deleted. I had looked up UPnP on Wikipedia before I posted my question, but it didn’t really give me the information I needed. Can you give me a brief explanation that will help me decide if I really need UPnP enabled with my setup?

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Although Ted’s specific link didn’t work, it led me to other articles about UPnP on Yahoo and elsewhere on the web. As I now understand UPnP, it’s primary function is to bypass NAT and automatically open ports for P2P applications like gaming and Windows Live Messenger. I don’t do games, VOIP, Skype, or use Windows Live Messenger. So UPnP appears to present more of a security risk to me than an advantage.

However, I still don’t understand if UPnP is providing necessary functionality on my internal LAN. It was always my assumption that Windows 7 was managing the LAN by providing device discovery, file and print sharing, etc. If that’s the case, can anyone suggest a reason why I shouldn’t disable UPnP?

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If you have a networked printer you may need to leave PPnp enabled. The link worked for me. I had to click once , then refresh and it came in.

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Enabling Upnp on your LAN should not pose a problem. It can make device discovery easier. Unless you need it you should disable it outside the LAN.

Joe

--Joe

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Joe,

The configuration you suggest is exactly what I would like. However, my router only has a check box to enable/disable UPnP. Are there other settings to enable UPnP just on the LAN side?

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It depends on the router. Some allow you to enable functionality with a LAN and not on the internet. You’ll need to check the router configuration documentation closely. In case the router does not allow that level of detail settings and you aren’t sure if you need it or not I’d just disable it.

Joe

--Joe

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I did as you suggested, Joe, and disabled UPnP completely. So far the only change I’ve seen is the router no longer is displayed when you click on Network from Start. The remaining network devices (laptop, printer, NAS) are still there as before. When I do a Network Map from the Network and Sharing Center, it’s the same as before with all devices shown, including the router. My router log now has very few entries. Before disabling UPnP, it was constantly displaying entries like those in my original post. Unless something unexpectedly stops working, I plan to leave the UPnP disabled.

Thanks everyone for your comments.

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