Devices that are Plug and Play are those that function with a computer system right away after being attached. This concept's expansion, known as UPnP, extends Plug and Play products to include networking hardware. Network methods are used by Universal Plug and Play to join and communicate with a broad variety of devices.

Both conventional (such as Ethernet and Firewire) and cellular (such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth) links can be used to join UPnP devices. A product can interact with other UPnP products in a network as long as it supports UPnP. A distinct IP address is given to each linked device by the DHCP networking algorithm, which is usually used to establish links.

UPnP can be used to set up suitable audio and video (AV) devices in addition to networks, as well as other devices. A set of protocols called UPnP AV, which is built on UPnP, enables the network linking of audio and video components. This makes it possible to transfer live data and video assets between platforms. A video that is kept on a hard drive in the bedroom, for instance, could be viewed on the TV in the living room. A MediaServer is the name for the primary manager of a UPnP AV network. It can be operated from a Macintosh, Windows, or Linux computer or from a piece of hardware created especially to handle the network.

The majority of UPnP devices support zero-configuration setup, making it easy to connect them to a network and start using them right away. Although the UPnP networking terminology can be a little daunting, starting up a UPnP network is supposed to be simple? and that is a word that everyone can understand.