Do you use UPNP?

[dmarook]

Hello,

I have been using a router for home networking for about a year now. This is my first router and my first experience in home networking. Initially when I set it up, I had disabled the UPNP because I had read about a few security concerns after I googled to find out what UPNP did. But most of the articles were pretty old, may be from 2003/2004. But I have been noticing that most routers provide that option and a lot of software utilises this for port forwarding/mapping. My question to the regulars in the forum are:

1) Is it safe to use it?
2) Can it be triggered from the WAN side of the network?
3) If a port is opened by a program/game, does it close automatically when I quit the program?
4) Other than saving the labour of manual port forwarding, has it got any other usefulness?
5) Are there any utilities which will warn me about which ports are open in the router and which program has opened it?

Thanks in advance for any response.

Regards

DMarook

I switch it on only when im running an anticheat scanner for a game server

[Druchii]

I've had it on all my life, never had a problem... my ip is.... (nah not that silly )

I doubt its such a security risk as most new routers come with it switched on as default

[deadite66]

its been said that future malware/trojans could open up ports and act as a server but then a software firewall and antivirus should pick that up anyway imo.