If you are able to make the wifi speaker visible to your wifi router, and you have enabled UPnP in your router,
No.
UPnP is automatic detection over the network just like Plug&Play in case of USB.
If you enable UPnP on a router, the router (most of the time a Linux box) will act as a UPnP server.
You don't need this to make e.g. a phone running BubbleUPnP to see the Speakers (if they are UPnP enabled)
Only if you allow port forwarding, using UPnP over the Internet to acces your music, you create a security risk as each and everybody can connect to your audio (and using exploits probably a bit more).
IMHO
Install a good UPnP server on the PC like https://minimserver.com/
Install some software on your phone like BubbleUPnP
Use Musicbee to maintain your collection
or
Get a decent USB DAC
Connect this to the speakers
Use Musicbee
or
try Bluetooth
It is lossy compression but not bad at all
Musicbee can output to BT
Hi Vincent,
I'm using Bluetooth currently and the speakers are aptX HD.
I'm not using my phone to play music, only my PC. And my music in maintained using manual file directory structures I don't trust programs to do that using meta). I jsut create a directory for each artists, and then sub-directories under that for albums, names in my own template, such as :
ArtistName (e.g., MelvinTaylor
--Album (e.g., BluesOnTheRun)
---Tracks (e.g., SweetBlues.FLAC
Where each of those entries is a directory
I just wanted to see if the WiFi option had any use other than using a proprietary app on a cell phone. I don't listen to music on my phone. I have everything piped though my PC running Windows 10. And I assume we are only talking bout the Ethernet connection here, and not getting Windows to identify the speakers thorough WiFi?
I've used "smart" lights before where you connect the phone app to your 2.4Ghz WiFi connection, and then the phone app and "smart" light pair and connect. But, that requires software that locks you into that software's environment. It's not like a software that is for general use, that can pass the WiFi device to the Windows Environment and make it available for whatever software you want to use. I guess a god name for it would be a "WiFi Device Bridge."
I'm assuming the WiFi aspect of the speakers working is with some sort of software that includes a network stack of some sort (With Android apps, it's built in, I think, meaning that using WiFi hardware with an Android app is common procedure.)?
No.
You don't need this to make e.g. a phone running BubbleUPnP to see the Speakers (if they are UPnP enabled)
You are adding useful information though.
(except for the suggestions to buy another dac or use bluetooth, which is completely besides what the OP is asking for here)
Correct, and I don't use a phone to do any sort of computing or playing of music, and if I do, I just connect using BT. To me, phones are still in the "toy" category. They have their uses, for sure, but they don't offer the options and freedom I want. So, I only use a phone for things other than txt and calling in situations where it is necessary -- e.g., I'm working on my main rig's hardware and want music , then I'll connect my phone to my Amp using BT and yadda yadda.