While using Windows 10, you may want to set data limits if your Internet Service Provider (ISP) offers capped subscription plans, and you have a limited amount of Internet data to use each month. With data limit set in your PC, you can ensure that your Internet consumption does not exceed the amount of bandwidth assigned to you by your ISP.
However, unlike mobile operating systems from the other vendors, Windows 10 Fall Creators Update (1709) allows you to set upload and download data limit only for Windows updates.
Setting data limit in Windows 10 is a two-step process:
Step 01: Enable Metered Connection
Turn on the Set as metered connection switch under the Metered connection section. This ensures that the data limit that you set becomes effective. If this switch is not enabled, the configured data limit remains ineffective, and your bandwidth consumption may exceed, thus costing you additional money while using a capped Internet connection.
Step 02: Set Data Limit
After you have configured your Windows 10 PC for metered network, here’s how you can set data limit:
Check the Monthly upload limit box, and move the slider to the left. Set to the maximum point by default, i.e. 500GB, when you move the slider to the left, the monthly limit decreases. As the upload consumption reaches the specified limit in a month, your PC stops sending the updates to the other PCs over the Internet.
However, unlike mobile operating systems from the other vendors, Windows 10 Fall Creators Update (1709) allows you to set upload and download data limit only for Windows updates.
Setting data limit in Windows 10 is a two-step process:
Step 01: Enable Metered Connection
- ■Get to your Internet type window
Go to Start > Settings > Network & Internet and click Wi-Fi (or Ethernet) from the Network & Internet list in the left. This takes you to your active Internet type window. Wi-Fi is selected for this demonstration.
■Get to your network window
Click your network name from the right pane. This takes you to another window named after the name of your currently active network. From this window you can manage settings such as configuring if your PC should connect to it automatically when in range, make the connection public or private as needed, etc.
■Enable Metered Connection
Turn on the Set as metered connection switch under the Metered connection section. This ensures that the data limit that you set becomes effective. If this switch is not enabled, the configured data limit remains ineffective, and your bandwidth consumption may exceed, thus costing you additional money while using a capped Internet connection.
Step 02: Set Data Limit
After you have configured your Windows 10 PC for metered network, here’s how you can set data limit:
- ■Get back to the Windows Settings window
Click the Settings icon from the top-left corner. This takes you back to the Windows Settings window. Since the data limit can be set from a different window, getting back here is essential.
■Get to the Delivery Optimization window
Click the Update & Security tile, click Advanced options from the Update settings section of the Windows Update window, and click Delivery Optimization from the Pause Updates section of the Advanced options window. This takes you to the Delivery Optimization window. This window lets you configure how your PC distributes the downloaded updates to the other PCs within your local area network and outside via the Internet.
Note: If you’ve turned on the Set as metered connection switch as explained in Step 01, your PC won’t send the updates to the other computers over the Internet.
■Get to the Advanced options window
Click Advanced options from the Delivery Optimization window. This takes you to the Advanced options window. This window has various options to let you granularly control how your computer manages the updates, and to help you monitor the upload and download usage on your PC.
■Set download limit
Check the Limit how much bandwidth is used for downloading updates in the background box from the Download settings section, and move the slider to the left or right. By checking the box, you define the Internet bandwidth consumption limit in percentage. By default, the slider is set to 45% which means that only 45% of the total Internet bandwidth can be used to download Windows updates. Moving the slider to the left or right decreases or increases the limit respectively.
Note: The minimum percentage that you can set to download updates is 5%. You cannot completely disable the updates.
■Set upload limit
Check the Limit how much bandwidth is used for uploading updates to other PCs on the Internet box from the Upload settings section, and move the slider to the left or right. By checking the box, you define the Internet bandwidth your PC may consume to send the updates to the other computers over the Internet. By default 50% of the bandwidth can be used to send the updates, and moving the slider to the left or right decreases or increases the bandwidth consumption respectively.
■Set monthly upload limit
Check the Monthly upload limit box, and move the slider to the left. Set to the maximum point by default, i.e. 500GB, when you move the slider to the left, the monthly limit decreases. As the upload consumption reaches the specified limit in a month, your PC stops sending the updates to the other PCs over the Internet.
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