Silent Wi-Fi Bandits: How to Curb Background Apps From Draining Your Connection
Are you experiencing sluggishness on your Windows PC despite having a high-speed internet connection? If you’ve already attempted to change DNS providers and apply various speed optimization techniques without success, you might not be alone. I found that certain background applications and processes can significantly impact performance. Here’s how you can identify these issues on your machine and resolve them effectively.
This guide will utilize Windows 11’s built-in tools. However, if you’re open to third-party applications, I’ve included a suggestion for a free, open-source network monitoring tool at the end that can restrict specific apps’ internet access.
Identify Applications Utilizing Your Internet
Understanding Bandwidth Usage
Before you can prevent background applications from consuming your bandwidth, you must first determine which ones are doing so.
While the Task Manager provides real-time network usage data per application, it doesn’t show cumulative data over time. For instance, an application could have used significant data overnight but may appear idle when you check. Therefore, a comprehensive overview is necessary.
To find this data, navigate to Settings -> Network & internet -> Advanced network settings -> Data usage. This section displays all applications along with their data consumption over the last 30 days, ranked from highest to lowest.
Your web browser will likely be the top consumer, followed by other applications you frequently use. However, keep an eye out for rarely used apps that are nevertheless consuming a lot of data — these might be responsible for the slowdown.
Restrict Background App Activity
Not All Applications Need Background Activity
If you have identified problematic applications, the first step is to restrict their background activity. Go to Settings -> Apps -> Installed Apps, locate the app in question, click the three-dot menu next to it, and choose either “Advanced options” or “Modify.”
Scroll down to find “Background app permissions” and set it to “Never.” This prevents the app from running in the background, which not only relieves the load on your CPU and RAM but also conserves bandwidth by stopping routine updates.
Keep in mind that this method applies mainly to apps installed through the Microsoft Store or those that come pre-installed with Windows. Apps installed through other means won’t allow you to modify these settings in the same way.
An alternative is to use Portmaster, a free and open-source firewall that can block internet access for specific applications, achieving similar results.
Manage Windows Update Optimization
Negotiate, Don’t Stop Updates
If you look at your data usage statistics, you might notice that “System and Windows Update” is consuming a large portion of your data—in my case, 93GB out of 205GB for the month. Clearly, Windows is using a lot of data for updates, but it’s crucial to keep your system updated. The goal is to control the manner and timing of these updates.
If you’re on a metered connection, go to Settings -> Network & internet, select your Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection, and enable the “Metered connection” option. This tells Windows to limit data consumption, prioritizing necessary security updates while delaying larger feature updates.
If needed, you can also “Pause Updates” for up to five weeks, allowing you to temporarily halt updates until you access a network with fewer restrictions.
Even if you have an unlimited data plan, optimizing for bandwidth remains essential. You don’t want Windows to download large updates while you’re using bandwidth for important tasks. You can adjust the limits on background downloads to ensure they don’t consume too much bandwidth at once.
Go to Settings -> Windows Update -> Advanced options -> Delivery optimization where you can set caps on the bandwidth used for updates, either as a specific Mbps rate or a percentage of your measured bandwidth. I personally keep it at a maximum of 30%.
Utilize Portmaster for Enhanced Control
Gain Insight and Control Over Internet Access
If the built-in settings don’t suffice, consider using Portmaster for a more in-depth look at your network activity. This open-source firewall allows you to see all applications connecting to the internet and their specific servers.
Besides monitoring, Portmaster enables you to block apps’ internet access entirely or restrict connections to certain servers. This grants you more control over your applications, allowing you to essentially operate them offline. Additionally, you can apply filter lists to block known ads and trackers, further optimizing your network and improving overall speed.
Note that Portmaster is recommended based on personal use and efficacy, and not as a paid sponsorship.
