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Dealing with UPnP problems

This page assumes you have set up your BitTorrent port and that it has passed internal testing but it has failed external testing or the BitTorrent client is reporting a UPnP problem.

Solving UPnP problems

If, when you start the BitTorrent client, you see the message "Unable to get mappings from your Internet gateway. You might need to forward the BitTorrent port manually.", the client has been unable to connect to your router.

There are several reasons why this message might appear:

• UPnP might not be enabled on your PC:
  • In Windows XP: check the 'Show icons for UPnP devices' box under Network tasks
  • In Windows Vista: Go to the 'Network and sharing center' and activate 'Network discovery'
• Your router might not support UPnP (but most do)
• UPnP might be disabled in your router (you'll need to check its manual to find out how to activate it)
• You might be encountering a known problem in the Microsoft UPnPNAT library. This bug appears for no apparent reason and then goes away. Try closing the BitTorrent client and restarting it. If you have run the client successfully before, you are almost certainly seeing the bug. You can get around the problem this way:
  • Use the green Tuning button in the client to select 'No' against 'Remove UPnP connection at the end'
  • Keep trying to run the client from time to time until it succeeds - this will have set up your router
  • From this point on, if you see the error message, use the green Tuning button to select 'No' against 'Use Universal Plug 'n Play', restart the client (it will use the connection you opened last time), use the green button to select 'Yes' against 'Use Universal Plug 'n Play' (so you make sure the router stays set up correctly).
  Alternatively use the following procedure to by-pass the need to use UPnP in the BitTorrent client.

If you encounter a UPnP error you can find out more by activating the option 'Keep a log of all activity' available via the green Tuning button and the blue 'More settings' button. When you start the client, it will log all UPnP activity to a file called UPnP.log in the BitTorrents folder (usually found as a subfolder to your 'My documents' folder). If you need help understanding the log, send us a copy.

By-passing UPnP problems

There are two ways to do that:

1. Set up the connection manually. The Port Forward web site is an excellent resource for setting up connections through your router. It provides step-by-step instructions for many routers. If you don't see your router there, you'll need to try to follow instructions in your user manual. The Port Forward web site provides help with this too.
2. Use a utility program to set up your UPnP connection. These usually use a more direct method for addressing routers that might work better than the BitTorrent client's method. The Port Forward web site provides a set up utility that you will have to pay for. I haven't tested it, but it comes from a good place. A free utility I have tested is the free UPnP Port Works. You need to be comfortable with batch files to use it but the plus side is that you can create a batch file that sets up your router. If you add it to your Startup folder it will check your setup automatically every time you start Windows. I've also found Port Works to be a useful diagnostic tool.