diff --git a/src/util/UpnpPunch.py b/src/util/UpnpPunch.py
index 1e47d6a3..b2a163ae 100644
--- a/src/util/UpnpPunch.py
+++ b/src/util/UpnpPunch.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import httplib
 import logging
 from urlparse import urlparse
 from xml.dom.minidom import parseString
+from xml.parsers.expat import ExpatError
 
 from gevent import socket
 
@@ -82,7 +83,7 @@ def _retrieve_igd_profile(url):
     Retrieve the device's UPnP profile.
     """
     try:
-        return urllib2.urlopen(url.geturl(), timeout=5).read()
+        return urllib2.urlopen(url.geturl(), timeout=5).read().decode('utf-8')
     except socket.error:
         raise IGDError('IGD profile query timed out')
 
@@ -100,7 +101,11 @@ def _parse_igd_profile(profile_xml):
     WANIPConnection or WANPPPConnection and return
     the 'controlURL' and the service xml schema.
     """
-    dom = parseString(profile_xml)
+    try:
+        dom = parseString(profile_xml)
+    except ExpatError as e:
+        raise IGDError(
+            'Unable to parse IGD reply: {0} \n\n\n {1}'.format(profile_xml, e))
 
     service_types = dom.getElementsByTagName('serviceType')
     for service in service_types:
@@ -268,7 +273,7 @@ def _send_requests(messages, location, upnp_schema, control_path):
     raise UpnpError('Sending requests using UPnP failed.')
 
 
-def _orchestrate_soap_request(ip, port, msg_fn, desc=None, protos=['TCP', 'UDP']):
+def _orchestrate_soap_request(ip, port, msg_fn, desc=None, protos=("TCP", "UDP")):
     logging.debug("Trying using local ip: %s" % ip)
     idg_data = _collect_idg_data(ip)
 
@@ -284,7 +289,7 @@ def _communicate_with_igd(port=15441,
                           desc="UpnpPunch",
                           retries=3,
                           fn=_create_open_message,
-                          protos=["TCP", "UDP"]):
+                          protos=("TCP", "UDP")):
     """
     Manage sending a message generated by 'fn'.
     """
@@ -310,7 +315,7 @@ def _communicate_with_igd(port=15441,
                 port, retries))
 
 
-def ask_to_open_port(port=15441, desc="UpnpPunch", retries=3, protos=["TCP", "UDP"]):
+def ask_to_open_port(port=15441, desc="UpnpPunch", retries=3, protos=("TCP", "UDP")):
     logging.debug("Trying to open port %d." % port)
     _communicate_with_igd(port=port,
                           desc=desc,
@@ -319,7 +324,7 @@ def ask_to_open_port(port=15441, desc="UpnpPunch", retries=3, protos=["TCP", "UD
                           protos=protos)
 
 
-def ask_to_close_port(port=15441, desc="UpnpPunch", retries=3, protos=["TCP", "UDP"]):
+def ask_to_close_port(port=15441, desc="UpnpPunch", retries=3, protos=("TCP", "UDP")):
     logging.debug("Trying to close port %d." % port)
     # retries=1 because multiple successes cause 500 response and failure
     _communicate_with_igd(port=port,