Sort of like carbon credits, eh? Take something you didn't create, commoditize it, unitize it, regulate it, and demand others pay for it. Yep tha sounds like the goverment.
Posted on 08/22/2015 2:30:01 AM PDT by Swordmaker
Data caps on internet bandwidth might make some users think twice about downloading patches, which often include security updates.
For some Windows 10 users, the problems keep coming.
Just shy of a month since Windows 10 was released to millions of users through a staggered upgrade, many have found they've run out of bandwidth already. That's because their internet provider sets the amount its customers can download in a monthly billing cycle.
In many parts of the US, the "cap" is in the low hundreds of gigabytes, like for AT&T and Comcast customers, as well as those using mid-sized providers.
But many smaller ISPs -- including those providing users in remote areas and in countries where internet access is not as available-- have data caps that can be significantly lower.
Though Windows 10 was free to download, updating the operating system is costing some dearly, reports The Sydney Morning Herald. Some have blamed the way the new operating system downloads and installs updates. Prior to Windows 10, users could choose whether or not to install updates, depending on where they were in their billing cycle. But for many who breezed through the setup process, updates install in the background, often without user interaction.
Other reports that have trickled in also blame Windows 10's forced updates.
In the past three weeks since its launch, there have been three cumulative updates available for Windows 10. According to sister-site TechRepublic, some installations -- including drivers -- could use about 5 GB of bandwidth for a typical 64-bit installation.
Based on a snapshot analysis of some data caps on one Reddit thread, that could amount to anything from one-quarter to one-third of a user's monthly data.
Windows 10 doesn't make it easy for you to secure your privacy, but it can be done.
Some have added that Windows 10's internet-based system services use up significant amounts of data -- such as the Cortana voice assistant, search, telemetry and diagnostic services, and sharing updates with others (which can be turned off).
Things have changed in the past few years, thanks to the rise in internet streaming services and more interactive (and bandwidth hungry) gaming consoles. But many internet providers have yet to catch up, or don't have the capacity to offer faster services or more bandwidth.
Internet service caps vary wildly by state, region, and country. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have "unlimited" data. Even many Americans are in a region where broadband internet isn't available, relying on mobile broadband and satellite internet -- often at a significantly greater cost for a lesser overall service.
In any case, for heavier bandwidth users, Windows updates are likely going to look paltry in size compared to a single hour of streaming high-definition content from Netflix.
However, turning off updates may not be the best solution. Updates often come with software improvements and bug fixes, but also security patches. Not installing security patches can put a user's data at risk if they are susceptible to hacking and data theft.
The sad part is that these caps are, in many cases, a business decision rather than a technical one, according to Ars Technica.
While many have pointed to Windows for churning up data, it seems that blame may be mislaid.
"This isn't the fault of the operating system," said one Reddit user. "This is the fault of the ISP."
Sort of like carbon credits, eh? Take something you didn't create, commoditize it, unitize it, regulate it, and demand others pay for it. Yep tha sounds like the goverment.
Someone get that freeper a horn of meade! we have songs of Valhalla and glory to sing! ;)
who would pay for a capped DSL plan?
ROFL
I stream full HD movies all day every day on up to 6 devices at a time through At&T DSL which is unlimited.
On the internet, when something is free there is an alternative business model in place. In other words, the company is making its money from something other than simple fee-for-goods to you, the customer.
Microsoft is a for-profit company, and its Windows 10 is free.
Think about that.
XP and 7 were excellent operating systems. Just keep them on the market, and market them for home or for those with basic computer knowledge.
You need to get out more often. Get some sun...talk to other humans.
Vitamin D!
We are a family of six.
We often are streaming multiple movies at once to various devices around the house. We have 4 computers, 6 tablets, 4 phones, and 2 TV’s
Figured as much. Just funnin’ with ya. =;^)
Word
You can download an ISO and burn it to a CD or DVD and then you “permanently” have the source media.
“Providers need to get with it.”
LOL! Controlling bandwidth is how providers make money now. They aren’t going to give it away for free. I’m on an unlimited data plan and the provider has been trying for the last 18 months to get me to switch to a limited plan. They have offered me hundreds of dollars in rebates and free services, plus free computers, tablets, and phones if I would switch. They wouldn’t be doing that if they couldn’t make it up several times over.
Bingo. I am a simple user and do not to be a Microsoft lab rat
> Windows 10 doesn’t make it easy for you to secure your privacy, but it can be done.
I don’t believe that for a picosecond.
Stay away from Windows 10 at least until they have all the major kinks worked out, which is going to be a year at the minimum.
Interesting experience doing this. I upgraded my laptop to Win10 to see if I'd like it. Looked good.
Then I decided to swap the laptop harddrive for an SSD. Did a clean install of Win10 from a CD. The install wouldn't accept the prior License key. I skipped that part and proceeded to the privacy settings. I tightened them up and it took me back to the license key. Dead loop. So, I tried allowing the default privacy settings and behold, it allowed the installation.
When you add another user, it requires their email address. The whole OS appears to be written by NSA to spy on us. Since the default spy setting allows them to know what I type, I'm curious where the key logger program is.
MS has focused way too much attention on the ones who want large scale changes in their OS every release and has gotten far away from a functional and easy to use OS. W/10 is more of the same with MS assuming more control over a persons own data and computer use choices.
If AT&T's system can not handle the load most of the USA is screwed. Why? Because of the simple fact 90% of data no matter what the companies name is providing is dependent upon AT&T's carrier grid capabilities. Yes even Cable.
AT&T Caps to help lessen strain on their nearly saturated grid. Upgrades in AT&T take years sometimes a decade or more. AT&T since the split has only done minimal upgrades. They are too busy rebuilding what Judge Greene destroyed. Remember years ago Fiber Optics was going to fix it all? Well it only happened in very limited venues. DSL unless on fiber optics is a within three miles from the central office service. Cable feeds through AT&T as does cell phone carriers. MS needs to back off and let technology catch up. So does a lot of IT departments. They make their websites inaccessible to a lot of consumers simply by the massive bandwidth it takes to access the sites. Yes a lot of people have high speed service but a lot are on usage Caps also and a lot lower ones at that.
ProtectOurFreedom is adding what I should have included to explain fully, FES0844. That pretty much covers what this article is trying to say.
Yes, there is, but it is not the solution for everyone and you still need to download the updates at sometime, it only delays them.
Enable Metered Connection to Delay Windows 10 UpdatesEric Ravenscraft Filed to: WINDOWS 10 8/11/15 4:30am Enable Metered Connection to Delay Windows 10 Updates
With Windows 10, system updates will now occur regularly in the background. Like Gmail or Facebook, these updates will be automatic and mandatory. If you want to try to delay these updates, enable the “Metered connection” option in Settings.
Generally speaking, automatic updates are a pretty good idea. Security updates can happen quickly without much user interaction, and it keeps everyone on the same version of the software. However, sometimes updates can bring new bugs, or the sheer size of the updates can blow through a data cap (if you have one). If you would rather have more of a say in this process, you can enable “Metered connection.”
Windows 10 comes with a feature that allows you to specify that your internet connection is capped, throttled, or handicapped in some way. You may be tethering to your phone, on a public Wi-Fi network, or just have a crappy data cap on your home network. By enabling “Metered connection,” Microsoft will respect that by waiting to force a download. To turn it on, follow these steps:
- Search in the start menu for “Change Wi-Fi settings”
- Click Advanced Options.
- Enable the toggle under “Metered connection.”
The one major downside to this method is that it only works if your computer is connected via Wi-Fi. For some reason, Windows 10 doesn’t allow you to specify that your connection is metered when connected via ethernet (despite the fact that many home internet connections have data caps).
However, this should help many typical users. Guiding Tech has a few more suggestions on how to delay updates at the source link below. How to Delay and Block Mandatory Software Updates in Windows 10
Note the sentence I've emphasized in the article above. . . it won't work on computers hooked up by ethernet. That's a bad choice on Microsoft's part. Many users in the boondocks with desktops are hooked up be that means to maximize their speed from a satellite connection.
Windows 10 includes a new peer-to-peer download feature for updates and Windows Store apps. By default, Windows will automatically use your PC’s Internet connection to upload updates, hiding the option to disable this five clicks deep in the operating system. Disable sharing with the internet to conserve your bandwidth. Keep “in my network” if you have multiple w10 machines. Here’s how:
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