NETGEAR UPnP on or off
Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) helps various network devices such as computers and internet appliances to access the network and seamlessly connect to other devices as expected. UPnP devices automatically discover services from any other registered universal plug and play devices on the network.
Nearly all routers from NETGEAR feature a service that is turned on by default. This is service is known as the Universal Plug and play, what we are calling the UPnP, which allows devices and various applications inside your network to automatically open network ports in your router so that they can be more accessible from the internet. It is true that the UPnP feature makes it much easier to set up and configure IoT (Internet of Things) devices, such as webcams, doorbells, and light bulbs. Also, if you use applications such as peer-to-peer connections, real-time communications such as remote assistance or instant messaging, and multiplayer gaming apps, then you would need to enable UPnP for a better and more immersive experience. While UPnP has its perks, it makes your network more vulnerable to cyber-attacks and other online threats.
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So, what is UPnP, what are its benefits, and should I enable it?
Before talking about what UPnP is, it would be important to go over how port forwarding works. Generally, port forwarding is used to establish a direct connection between a server or your home device and a remote device. A good example would be connecting your laptop to the CCTV camera in your home to keep watch of the environment when you are away. Or connecting your light bulbs to your phone so that you can control power usage and saving.
All your network devices, including your router play a part in creating the Local Area Network (LAN). So, everything else outside this LAN is considered part of the Wide Area Network (WAN) and cannot get into your network unless you let them in through port forwarding. So, where does UPnP come in?
As mentioned earlier, UPnP is simply a protocol that allows other devices and apps on your network to open and close various ports automatically so that they can connect with each other. UPnP is useful for gaming, remote home surveillance, online video streaming, and using digital home assistants and Internet of Things devices.
Is UPnP safe for your network?
No, it is not. At first, UPnP was designed to work at the LAN level, which at the time meant that only devices within your home network could connect and communicate to each other. However, with time, different router manufacturers, such as NETGEAR started enabling UPnP on all their routers. This in turn meant that your network and devices became more discoverable in the Wide Area Network.
Unfortunately, because there isn’t any authorization procedure with UPnP, different hackers are able to access your network. Sometimes the hackers use gaming requests or online streaming prompts to get to your network, and when they get access to your network they automatically get remote access to all the devices that have been connected to your network. Once they do this, they can steal any sensitive information from your devices and can install malware on your devices.
How to enable or disable Universal Plug and Play
The following steps show you how to enable and disable UPnP on the different NETGEAR routers. We have decided to outline the steps in a table so that it can be easier to follow through.
Steps |
What to do |
Anticipated Action |
Step One |
Launch a web browser from your mobile device or computer that is connected to your routers network and type in https://routerlogin.net
|
Once the log in window opens, enter your admin username and password.
(Note that the username and password are case-sensitive) |
Step Two |
Once the BASIC home page is displayed,
Click on ‘ADVANCED’> Advanced Setup> UPnP |
Once you do this, the UPnP page should be displayed on your screen. At this point, you should select the ‘Turn UPnP on’ box. |
Step Three |
Once you select the ‘Turn UPnP on’ option, you will get another check box written ‘Apply’ |
Clicking this button immediately tells you that your router needs to restart. Click ‘OK’ and in a few minutes you should be back up and running. |
When going over this process, you will notice that the UPnP checkbox is already selected. If at all the Turn UPnP On check box is cleared, then your NETGEAR router prevents any network devices from controlling router resources, including port forwarding.
When it comes to the apply button, once you click it, you should come across the UPnP Portmap table that immediately displays the IP address of each and every UPnP network/ internet device that is accessing the router and every internal and external port that was opened by any of the devices. Also, the table should indicate the type of port that is open and should tell you whether the same port is still active for each IP address after you select the button. Keep refreshing until all ports are closed.
What will happen to my network once I turn off the UPnP feature on my NETGEAR router?
Once you turn off the UPnP feature on your NETGEAR router, it automatically ignores all the incoming requests from other devices and servers in the Wide Area Network (WAN) so you will have to start setting up all your devices manually. At this point, you will not have any open ports on your local area network.
When it comes to gaming, you will still be able to connect all your devices on your network and other online games, however, the process may be quite the hassle. It entails manually setting up the port forwarding rules for every single connection on your network. Even though it seems time-consuming, it is perhaps the best way to protect your network and your devices.
Conclusion
While enabling UPnP is good for gaming and online video streaming, the costs greatly outweigh the benefits. For this reason, you are better off disabling UPnP for security reasons.
FAQs
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Is UPnP good for gaming?
Yes, it is. In fact, it makes the gaming experience a lot easier to go by.
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Is the UPnP feature better on or off?
Kindly keep it off for the safety of your network.