SSDP Discovery Service

Description:

The Simple Service Discovery Protocol (SSDP) enables detection of Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) devices on your home network. This service listens for UPnP connections at TCP port 5000 and UDP port 1900.
UPnP devices can for example be printers or Internet Gateway Devices (IGD) like routers, firewalls or computers running Internet Connection Sharing. When contact have been made to an UPnP device, then it is possible for the UPnP device to respond what it can be used for.

Note if using Internet Connection Sharing then this service should be started on the server and the clients (If WinXP) as it will provides the ability to see the Gateway icon on the clients.

Note even if having disabled this service, then SSDP traffic might still occur. This can be caused by applications like MSN Messenger. To disable SSDP completely, one also have to set this registry key:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \Software \Microsoft \DirectPlayNATHelp \DPNHUPnP]
UPnPMode = 2

More Info MS KB317843

More Info MS KB315056
More Info MS KB821371
More Info MS KB821980 (How to uninstall gateway discovery)

Recommended State:

• Disabled, unless working with networked Universal Plug and Play devices or using Internet Connection Sharing.

Default State:

• Manual.

Process Name:

• Win7 - svchost.exe -k LocalServiceAndNoImpersonation (SSDPSRV)
• WinXP/Vista - svchost.exe -k LocalService (SSDPSRV)

Supports:

• Universal Plug and Play Device Host
• Internet Connection Sharing (Unofficially)
• Windows Media Center Extender Service (Vista+)

Depends:

• None