ISO/IEC 29341-8-18:2008

Overview

ISO/IEC 29341-8-18:2008-part of the ISO/IEC 29341 UPnP Device Architecture series-specifies the Internet Gateway Device (IGD) Control Protocol for the Wide Area Network Internet Protocol Connection Service (WAN IP Connection). The standard enables a UPnP control point to configure and control IP connections on the WAN interface of a UPnP-compliant Internet gateway. It is intended for pervasive peer-to-peer connectivity across homes, small businesses and unmanaged networks and aligns with the broader UPnP architecture for easy, standards-based device interoperability.

Key topics and requirements

• Service model and definitions
  • Formal ServiceType, state variables and allowed value lists for WAN connections.
  • Detailed modeling of variables such as ConnectionType, ConnectionStatus, ExternalIPAddress, NATEnabled, PortMappingNumberOfEntries, and related attributes.
• Actions and control operations
  • Action set to manage connections and NAT/port mapping, including SetConnectionType, GetStatusInfo, RequestConnection, RequestTermination, AddPortMapping, DeletePortMapping, GetExternalIPAddress, and related API semantics.
• Eventing and moderation
  • Event model and event throttling/moderation rules so control points receive updates about state changes.
• XML service description
  • Machine-readable service description (SCPD) for service discovery and automatic integration by control points.
• Theory of operation and test
  • Operational scenarios (connection initiation/termination, VPN considerations, non-UPnP clients) and conformance test guidance.

Practical applications and users

Who uses this standard:

• Router and gateway manufacturers - implement WAN IP Connection service in firmware to support UPnP control points.
• Firmware and embedded systems developers - integrate standardized APIs for NAT handling and port mapping.
• Application developers and home automation integrators - enable applications to open/close ports, query external IP addresses and manage connection states programmatically.
• Network engineers and test labs - validate device interoperability, NAT behavior, and UPnP compliance. Practical uses include automated port forwarding, remote device provisioning, UPnP-enabled NAT traversal for gaming/VoIP, and simplified remote access setup for IoT and smart-home devices.

Related standards

• Part of the ISO/IEC 29341 (UPnP Device Architecture) series that defines the broader UPnP architecture and individual device/service specifications.
• Complementary to other UPnP IGD service parts that cover NAT traversal and device discovery.

Keywords: UPnP, Internet Gateway Device, WAN IP Connection, WANIPConnection, port mapping, NAT, UPnP control point, ISO/IEC 29341, gateway control protocol.