How to enable UPnP in Windows XP

A fairly large number of users have several computers. To open them all access to the Internet, they usually use a router that "distributes" the Internet from one account and IP addresses to all home devices (tablets, laptops, stationary PCs, smart phones, and so on). As a rule, the real IP-address is only at the router, but here there is a snag. There is simply no access to the ports of internal computers. This is necessary if you need to access for some reason, for example, documents on a remote machine. In the classical version, the FTP service is configured on the remote machine, and portrouting (or port forwarding) is configured in the router . But today there is a standard that allows you to dispense with the intricacies of setting up each individual service on the router, you only need to know how to enable UPnP (but only if the UPnP support is provided in the router and server part of the application).

In most routers, this feature is disabled by default, so the question of how to enable uPnP is vital for the home network administrator. For example, in D-Link network devices (meaning expensive models, since uPnP is only supported on them), you can connect this function by selecting Advanced. The administration panel of the router can be found at the gateway address ( ipconfig / all command in the console) and access it using a normal browser (having previously figured out the password from the default router).

After connecting this function to the NAT device, you should activate it on all client machines that require services from the outside. The easiest way to verify this is through a graphical interface. We will focus primarily on the operating system Windows XP, as it is still widespread. Open the "network environment". On the left, select "Show icons for UPnP network devices". After that, you need to allow the embedded firewall to open the appropriate ports. Then make sure that the services are working. In the ideal case, it's likely that you'll enable UPnP in this way. After this operation is completed, you need to reboot, and the list of network connections will be added to the group "Internet Gateway", as well as the icon "Connect to the Internet." In addition, the "Network Neighborhood" can display the name of the router (depends on the settings of the PC). If there are no signs of these changes, then check whether there is a "Universal PnP device node" in the list of services and "SSDP Discovery Service".

It should be noted that these services may or may not be activated. Then try the following - press the Win button (located between Ctrl and Alt) + R. Type cmd in the interface that opens. Then in the running console, you should try registering the UPnP service library with regsvr32 upnpui.dll. After this operation, try to start the services again. If it still does not work, then use the specialized utility UPnP Test Program, which will tell you at what stage the services crashed. Alternatively, you can use another program, the UPnP Test Program, that is more useful for the not very sophisticated in the intricacies of fine-tuning the user's system. Its main functions are the automated launch of all necessary services for UPnP operation and port mapping on the device providing NAT.

But if there are no system files, the UPnP Test Program is unlikely to help. To restore them, you must manually reinstall Windows components - Gateway device discovery and management client and UPnP user interface. At the same time, make sure that the built-in firewall is turned on, turn off the service. These are great ways to learn how to configure UPnP. After completing these procedures, be sure to restart the PC. So you learned how to enable UPnP.

After successful start of services it is necessary to open the necessary ports. It is most convenient to enable UPnP support in client programs (provided in Skype, StrongDC and so on, instructions on how to enable UPnP are contained in the help files of these programs), but you can configure work for the required services manually, if the program does not provide such support . To do this, in the properties of the Internet connection (which is displayed after UPnP is turned on), you need to add rules (external and internal ports, TCP connection type, UDP, or both with two different rules) using the Add button.