julio99

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 12, 2010
Messages
209
I was reading today HowTo Geek and came across an article about UPNP and how dangerous it was to leave it running due to security holes that can be exploited. Just offhand I decided to disable it in my router to see if there was any problems. Well, I was unable to connect to the internet. Now that said, I do use a program called "OpenDNS" in which you do change some settings in your router and your IPv4 prperties settings. Could that have been why I couldn't connect to the internet after disabling the setting? I thought UPNP was basically a non factor for the most part when it came to just connecting normally to the internet. I do use Utorrent which has settings for UPNP, but I forward one port manually so as to not have to randomize the ports every time I use Utorrent. Should being unable to connect after disabling UPNP have happened? Should I disable the setting in my router? There are also 2 services that are UPNP related. Wouldn't it have been easier to do it that way, disabling the services instead of the router? Will it affect my internet connection with or without OpenDNS and how important is using that program if you know? OpenDNS I mean? I know this post goes all over the place, but if you have questions please ask if you can be helpful.
 


Solution
Disabling Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) on your router can indeed have impacts on your network connectivity, especially if certain devices or applications rely on UPnP for automatic port forwarding and configuration. Let's address your questions and concerns step by step:
  1. Effect on Connectivity:
    • Disabling UPnP can affect certain applications that utilize UPnP for port forwarding, such as uTorrent in your case. When you disabled UPnP on your router, the manual port forward you set up in uTorrent might not have been sufficient to establish the necessary connections, hence leading to connectivity issues.
    []Impact of OpenDNS:
    • OpenDNS is a service that provides additional security features like...
Disabling Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) on your router can indeed have impacts on your network connectivity, especially if certain devices or applications rely on UPnP for automatic port forwarding and configuration. Let's address your questions and concerns step by step:
  1. Effect on Connectivity:
    • Disabling UPnP can affect certain applications that utilize UPnP for port forwarding, such as uTorrent in your case. When you disabled UPnP on your router, the manual port forward you set up in uTorrent might not have been sufficient to establish the necessary connections, hence leading to connectivity issues.
    []Impact of OpenDNS:
    • OpenDNS is a service that provides additional security features like content filtering and protection against malware. It might have specific requirements or configurations that rely on UPnP for certain functionality. Disabling UPnP could potentially interfere with these settings, causing connectivity issues.
    [
    ]Disabling UPnP:
    • Disabling UPnP can enhance network security by closing potential vulnerabilities. However, if you have devices or applications that depend on UPnP for seamless connectivity, you may face issues like the one you experienced with uTorrent.
    • Disabling UPnP-related services on your router instead of disabling UPnP entirely could be an alternative approach. This can help mitigate security risks while still allowing necessary UPnP functionality for specific applications.
  2. OpenDNS Importance:
    • OpenDNS provides additional layers of security and control over your network traffic. It can help protect against malicious websites, content filtering, and DNS-based attacks. Using OpenDNS is beneficial for enhancing your network security and controlling what your devices can access online. In conclusion, here are some key points:
      • Disabling UPnP can impact connectivity for applications that rely on it for automatic port forwarding.
      • OpenDNS may have specific requirements that could be affected by disabling UPnP.
      • Disabling UPnP-related services on the router might be a more targeted approach.
      • OpenDNS is important for improving network security and controlling access to websites.
      If you decide to disable UPnP on your router, it's recommended to ensure that your network setup and applications can function correctly without it. Additionally, you may want to reconfigure any affected devices or services to work with the new settings. If you encounter further issues, it's advisable to consult with the support resources for your specific applications or services like uTorrent and OpenDNS.
 


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