Windows 10 Chewing Through Broadband Usage Caps Tuesday Aug 18 2015 12:24 EDT While users on more "generous" American caps of 150 to 300 GB might not run into problems with Windows 10 and its forced updates, the Sydney Morning Herald notes that some worldwide consumer groups are alarmed by how quickly the auto-updates gobble up broadband usage allotments. In areas where transit and bandwidth costs are at a premium and caps are lower, the installation and updating of Windows 10 can come with a very expensive price tag: quote:
Bluesky, the monopoly telco in the Cook Islands, charges $NZ49 ($43) a month for 3.5GB of data on its broadband service, plus 4 cents per megabyte thereafter. The service is mainly delivered by satellite through a partnership with 03b Networks. By comparison, Telstra, Australia's largest telco, charges $35 a month for a 4GB data cap 4G mobile broadband plan, and an excess data charge of only 1 cent per megabyte. Telstra's basic plan on a faster fixed-line broadband service is $75 per month, but includes 100GB of data.
Of course this isn't entirely Microsoft's fault. Especially since these updates can be suspended until you're in range of an unmetered connection: quote:
Users can tweak their Windows 10 system settings by enabling a "metered connection" by searching for "Change Wi-Fi settings" in the start menu, clicking on "Advanced Options" and enabling "Metered connection". This lets Windows 10 know the Wi-Fi connection you're on is capped, so instead of forcing a software update onto your PC or tablet, it will notify you first. You can then choose to delay the upgrade until you are on an uncapped connection, or until you've rolled over into a fresh month of data.
As we've previously noted, Microsoft's "Windows Update Delivery Optimization" also uses your bandwidth to help deliver P2P updates to other users, though this too can be disabled according to the Windows Update Delivery Optimization FAQ. |
12 recommendations |
"generous"?150 - 300 GB is generous?
WTF? | |  RMH
@verizon.net
7 recommendations |
RMH
Anon
2015-Aug-18 12:39 pm
only 1 cent per megabyte!Only!!! I am running through 2tb/mo, that would be just about 2mil cents. What a bargain that is. | | silbaco
Premium Member
join:2009-08-03
USA
1 edit
6 recommendations |
silbaco
Premium Member
2015-Aug-18 3:09 pm
O3B/SatelliteLet's be honest. Satellite internet is a joke. Always has been. Always will be. Next generation satellite after next generation satellite. Each promising better service than the last. But the caps have remained fairly static for more than a decade. The only thing that has increased is the price.
Windows 10 might suck for those users. But that's not Microsoft's problem. | |  maartenaElmo
Premium Member
join:2002-05-10
Orange, CA
5 recommendations |
maartena
Premium Member
2015-Aug-18 1:46 pm
Disable in setupAlthough I believe the bandwidth sharing and P2P delivery of updates is generally a good thing (and I have it enabled), I do believe that the metered connection settings should be incorporated in the setup. It is something you can easily forget while doing the install, and before you know it the next ISP bill is $300 because you forgot to enable metered connections.
Also, these days it is fairly easy for Microsoft to have a large database of DNS names, and to have an option built in Windows that says: "We detected that your connection MAY be a metered connection. Would you like to enable the setting for metered connections to prevent unwanted charges?" With an option to checkmark: "don't remind me about this connection again" in case it is not. | |
|
