A similar model has also been adopted for the Windows 11 operating system. This causes a lot of network traffic and bandwidth consumption for Microsoft servers. This is where the Windows feature called “Delivery Optimization” comes into play, also known as Peer-to-Peer (P2P) updates, which proves to be beneficial for Microsoft, but costs the end-user their internet bandwidth, resulting in slow internet speeds. You can disable this feature on your Windows 11/10 computer to save network bandwidth and increase internet speed.
What is Delivery Optimization
Both Windows 10 and Windows 11 come with a feature called “Delivery Optimization.” When attempting to install an update for a Microsoft product, the Delivery Optimization feature first searches for similar updates available on your neighboring devices, such as other computers on your network. If the same update is found, it downloads the update from the peer computer rather than downloading it from Microsoft’s server directly. The Delivery Optimization feature will have the same effect on the PC downloading the update – since it will e downloading the update from either source – the peering PC who will be uploading the update package will consume more network bandwidth unknowingly. Delivery Optimization can be configured in 2 settings:
Devices on my local network: Where updates are only searched on other computers on the same network.Devices on the internet and my local network: Where updates are searched on other computers on your network as well as on the neighboring networks on the internet.
By default, Delivery Optimization is enabled in Windows with permission to only search the local network for Microsoft updates. Thankfully, Microsoft has given you the option to disable and manage Delivery Optimization to prevent the updates from choking your network bandwidth. Continue reading to learn how to do it.
How to Disable Delivery Optimization in Windows
Perform the following steps to disable Delivery Optimization: This will now prevent Windows from downloading updates from non-Microsoft sources, which includes the peering computers on your network.
In Windows 11:Settings app » Windows Update » Advanced Options » Delivery OptimizationIn Windows 10:Settings app » Update & Security » Advanced Options » Delivery Optimization
If you want to keep Delivery Optimization enabled, then we suggest that you keep it on the default settings which are limited to only your network. This will keep the downloading fast within your network and not affect your internet bandwidth. To do so, keep the slider in front of “Allow downloads from other PCs” in the On position and select the “Devices on my local network” radio button under it.Allow downloads from local devices only
How to Limit Windows Update Bandwidth using Delivery Optimization
If you are not in favor of entirely disabling the peer-to-peer updates feature, you can also control it so that it does not choke up your entire bandwidth. You can also monitor your bandwidth consumption by the Delivery Optimization feature on the Activity Monitor Settings page. Here, you can get a graphical representation of the consumed bandwidth from uploading and downloading updates.
In Windows 11:Settings app » Windows Update » Advanced Options » Delivery Optimization » Advanced OptionsIn Windows 10:Settings app » Update & Security » Advanced Options » Delivery Optimization » Advanced options
The “Activity monitor” Settings page can be found at the following location:
In Windows 11:Settings app » Windows Update » Advanced Options » Delivery Optimization » Activity MonitorIn Windows 10:Settings app » Update & Security » Advanced Options » Delivery Optimization » Activity Monitor
Closing Words
If you are experiencing issues with your internet speeds, we recommend that you disable P2P updates at least temporarily. Background updates can often consume significant amounts of bandwidth, thus hindering internet browsing and other downloads. Other than that, as per Microsoft, you do not need to worry about your privacy protection as Delivery Optimization does not send any of your personal data. However, if you are still skeptical about your privacy concerns, then you have another reason to turn off Delivery Optimization. To learn more about what types of updates are downloaded by Delivery Optimization, refer to this Microsoft guide post. Also see:
How To Set Up Metered Connection In Windows 112 Ways to Limit Reservable Bandwidth in Windows 10How To Optimize PC Startup To Speed Up Windows Boot Time19 Ways to Increase Internet Download Speed in WindowsHow To Limit Windows Update Bandwidth Usage During Specific Hours
