What does uPnP really do for me ?

[Al Dykes]

I just read a light-weight description of uPnP and can't see what it
does for me. All my machines get their IP setup from a dhcp server, I
don't use ICS. Is it ever required for workgroup or domain access ?

Why don't I uninstall it ?

 

[Ken Wickes [MSFT]]

The most common use of UPnP is for applications to automatically request
port opening in a home router or ICS host. Nothing to do with DHCP,
workgroup or domain access.

Of course there isn't any easy way to uninstall it.

 

[Guest]

It also alows trojans and spyware to poke holes in your firewall, which is bad. Any firewall that supports it should have a way for you to turn it off.

 

[Rob Elder, MVP-Networking]

Disable the service. Not necessary in most environments.

It also alows trojans and spyware to poke holes in your firewall, which is

bad. Any firewall that supports it should have a way for you to turn it
off.