How to Allow or Block DLNA Devices in Windows 11

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This article provides instructions on how to selectively allow or block DLNA devices’ access to shared media in Windows 11. To do this, users can navigate to the “Media streaming options” via the Control Panel app. Once DLNA media streaming is enabled, users can allow or block specific devices. Security protocols are noted; the feature…

This article describes steps to allow or block a DLNA device’s access to your shared media in Windows 11.

DLNA media streaming in Windows allows you can browse, search and play the media on your Windows computer using a UPnP or DLNA-enabled device such as a phone, TV, or game console.

We previously showed you how to turn on or off DLNA media streaming in Windows 11. When DLNA is off or disabled, Windows will not receive media from other computers and DLNA-supported devices.

If security is a concern and you don’t want to stream or allow specific devices to access your shared media in Windows 11, you can selectively block or allow DNLA devices. Likewise, you don’t need to disable DLNA media streaming in Windows 11.

How to block or allow media sharing from DLNA devices in Windows 11

As mentioned above, you can selectively allow or block specific DLNA devices in Windows 11 instead of completely disabling the feature.

Below is how to do that when using Windows 11.

First, open the Control Panel app.

When the Control Panel app opens, navigate to the path described below.

Control Panel -> Network and Internet -> Network and Sharing Center -> Media streaming options

In the Media streaming option settings pane in the Control Panel app, click the button that says “Turn on media streaming,” as highlighted below, to enable DLNA media streaming.

Your network profile and firewall settings will be modified when media streaming is turned on. So, you should only use media streaming on a trusted network such as your home and work.

The default media streaming settings will stream by default all content ratings from your MusicPictures, Recorded TV, and Videos folders.

Block or allow devices

Now that DLNA media streaming is enabled go down the list and selectively allow or Block device(s).

  • The Allow All button will allow all devices access to your shared media.
  • The Block All button blocks all devices’ access to your shared media, and will turn on media streaming
  • If you can’t block or allow all devices, then go down the list and selectively uncheck the Allowed box to block a device’s access to your shared media.

That should do it! You can close the Control Panel app.

Conclusion:

This post showed you how to block or allow DLNA devices access to your shared media in Windows 11. Please use the comment form below if you find any errors above or have something to add.

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