When most of what you do on a PC requires the internet, speed matters. How quickly a page loads, how smoothly video plays, and how your favorite apps run, all of it relies on a good connection. So when my 200 Mbps connection started feeling more like 20 Mbps, I decided to dig into a few default Windows settings. As it turns out, some of them were holding my connection back.
Features like Delivery Optimization, automatic app updates, default DNS server and even the metered connection feature were slowing things down in the background. Once I adjusted them, the difference was immediately noticeable.
Turn off Delivery Optimization
The hidden setting that gives away your speed
Delivery Optimization is a Windows feature that allows your system to share update files with other PCs over the internet or your local internet. It works both ways, meaning your PC can also download updates from others. This reduces the load on Microsoft’s servers and can speed up updates overall.
But as you can imagine, Delivery Optimization can consume a lot of bandwidth in the background, sometimes when you least expect it. If you don’t want that, it’s easy to put a stop to it. Head to Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Delivery Optimization and turn off Allow downloads from other PCs.
Disable automatic app updates
Don’t let them update whenever they want
Automatic app updates sound convenient, and most of the time, they are. But those background downloads can sometimes make your internet feel slow at the worst possible moment. This can be especially problematic when you’re streaming in 4K, on a video call, or gaming online.
To turn them off, open the Microsoft Store, click the profile icon at the top, and choose Store settings. From there, turn off App updates toggle. For programs you’ve installed outside the Microsoft Store, you’ll usually find similar options in their own settings menu.
Of course, you shouldn’t ignore app updates completely. But this way, you’ll be able to install them at a time at your convenience.
Turn off metered connection
When “saving data” costs you speed
Metered connection is a handy feature for anyone on a limited internet plan or using a mobile hotspot. Depending on your connection type, Windows may sometimes enable it. And when it does, the system tries to reduce the internet usage by skipping certain system updates, pausing automatic app updates, and stopping offline file sync.
But this feature can keep your apps from using the internet freely, which isn’t ideal. Also, if you’ve got unlimited data connection, you don’t need this feature anyway. To turn it off, head to Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi or Ethernet. Select your connection and turn off the Metered connection toggle. It’s a small setting, but it certainly makes a difference.
Switch to a better DNS server
It matters more than you think
Most people never think about DNS, but it plays a critical role every time you visit a website. In simple terms, a DNS server translates website names into IP addresses, so your browser can load them.
By default, Windows uses the DNS provided by your ISP, which isn’t always the fastest or the most reliable option. But switching to a better DNS server like Google DNS or Cloudflare can speed things up. It’s also great for privacy, as it prevents your ISP from logging or analyzing your browsing habits.
Once you’ve picked the DNS you want to use, setting it up is easy. Head to Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi or Ethernet, select your connection, and click Edit next to DNS server assignment. Choose the Manual option and turn on the IPv4 toggle. Now, fill in the primary and secondary DNS entries. For instance, if you want to use Google DNS, you could type 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 in the Preferred DNS and Alternate DNS and hit Save.
Router vs. Computer DNS Settings: Here’s What Was Faster
Comparing DNS at the router versus PC level led to real improvements in my network’s speed and performance.
Stop apps from draining your bandwidth in the background
The silent bandwidth thieves
By default, Windows allows every app to run in the background and use the internet. This is usually not a problem, but if only one or two apps start behaving like data hogs, your connection can feel sluggish.
The best way to avoid this is to identify which apps are using the most data and rein them in. Head to Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings > Data usage to view internet usage of apps on your PC. If you see anything unusual, like OneDrive consuming too much data, you can pause syncing or set a bandwidth limit so it stops overwhelming your connection.
For apps that don’t allow fine control over their data usage, you can simply stop them from running in the background. Head to Settings > Apps > Installed apps, click the three-dot icon next to the app, and choose Advanced options. Finally, set Background app permissions to Never.
Changing the above settings should make a difference in your internet speeds. They certainly did for me. But if not, you can always reset network settings and start over. Sometimes a clean slate is all it takes to get things working as they should.
