What is UPnP?

UPnP stands for Universal Plug and Play. This is an extension of an existing technology called PnP (Plug and Play) that first became popular when the Microsoft Windows 95 Operating System supported it. Other technologies such as USB (Universal Serial Bus) have adopted a similar approach.

It is much easier to add peripherals like webcams and printers to a system that supports plug and play. Devices and their drivers can be set up automatically, allowing the device to be connected with minimum fuss. It can also make devices hot swappable, meaning they can be connected and disconnected without restarting the computer system.

UPnP extends this functionality to the entire network, enabling other UPnP devices to be discovered and controlled.

The organisation behind UPnP is known as the UPnP Forum. It is a group of companies and individuals who wish to create a standard way to allow devices to configure themselves. The main contributor to UPnP is Microsoft, who supplied the architecture which the specifications are built around.