Windows XP receives
data packets while connected
Windows XP can take up to 1KB per second bandwidth while connected to the Internet, receiving unknown, useless data

Posted March 24, 2003
6:00 p.m. EST

By Mark Davenport
© SecureLab.com

Have you ever noticed the two computer icons that flash while you're connected? One icon flashes registering outbound network traffic, while the other does the same for inbound traffic. Well, after noticing an unusual incoming connection on a Windows XP machine, (up to 1kB per second) I decided to investigate the matter further.

(Note: 1KByte per second is about 20% of a typical 50k dial-up connection. Although not an issue with a broadband connection, it's a very big issue for a dial-up connection!)

First, a look at what the issue is, and what it looks like. The problem, about 1 kilobyte per second of inbound traffic to a Windows XP machine. Inbound traffic is normally not a concern, particularly if it's just a few hundred bytes per minute. But in this case, I had a consistent loss of bandwidth that continued for as long as the connection was active. Without going into all the failed attempts to solve this mystery, (believe me, I tried "everything") I went to the web to find a solution to this issue. Instead of finding the answer, I found a whole lot of other people having the same trouble, with no answers.

So, to cut to the chase, the answer (that worked for me) is to shut off the SSDP Discovery Service. This service enables the discovery of UPnP devices on a home network.
UPnP = Universal Plug and Play. Note that disabling this service my cause some devices on your home network to not function. If this is the case, just reverse the process listed below:

To shut off the SSDP Discovery Service:
You may need to be logged in as an administrator.
> CONTROL PANEL
> ADMINISTRATIVE TOOLS ICON
> SERVICES
> right click SSDP DISCOVERY SERVICE
> click PROPERTIES
> Under general tab, change STARTUP TYPE to DISABLED
> Click OK

That should do it. Let me know if this doesn't work for you and I'll research the matter further.