Windows uses 20% of your bandwidth Here's how to Get it back:

Microsoft reserve 20% of your available bandwidth for their own purposes (suspect for updates and interrogating your machine etc..)

Here's how to get it back:

Click Start > Run > type "gpedit.msc" This opens the group policy editor. Then go to:
Local Computer Policy > Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Network > QOS Packet Scheduler > Limit Reservable Bandwidth.

Double click on Limit Reservable bandwidth. It will say it is not configured, but the truth is under the 'Explain' tab :

"By default, the Packet Scheduler limits the system to 20 percent of the bandwidth of a connection, but you can use this setting to override the default."

So the trick is to ENABLE reservable bandwidth, then set it to ZERO. This will allow the system to reserve nothing, rather than the default 20%.

I tried that and get the message:
Windows can not find gpedit.msc - I am running VISTA HE on a Toshiba A215 with an AMD athlon(64bit) dual core processor tk-55. What am I missing?

I just found another way to do it, try this:

Go to Control Panel -> Network Connections
-> Right-click on your Dial-up or ADSL connection -> Properties
-> Networking
-> Uninstall QoS Packet Scheduler

Hey Guys,
This would appear to be a myth, the 20% reserved bandwidth is available to any program requesting priority access. This "reserved" bandwidth is still available to other programs unless the requesting program is sending data. You can check it out here.
http://tinyurl.com/38mu9


Dave

Hi - for whatever reason, seemed to be good for about 5% increase on my system
- i just reduced to 10% rather than 0%.
I test using the same download file from a consistantly fast site.
regards

Let me try..:)
Thanks for the guide.

I have not tried it. Let me also try it and will send back my feedback.

commented: Don't make absolutely useless posts just to get your sig link posted. -3

I tried that and get the message:
Windows can not find gpedit.msc - I am running VISTA HE on a Toshiba A215 with an AMD athlon(64bit) dual core processor tk-55. What am I missing?

You dont get group policy support on the home editions, as they cant join a domain, so it would be kind of redundant to have the group policy editor snapin.

Go to services under admin tools and simply disable the QOS service.

You dont get group policy support on the home editions, as they cant join a domain, so it would be kind of redundant to have the group policy editor snapin.

d'Oh!

Go to services under admin tools and simply disable the QOS service.

Looked there but did not find QOS - dug around a bit I vaguely remember seeing it under XP but I can't find it under Vista.

Try removing the protocol from the network connection properties then

Yeah! I did that - thanks. Will see if that helps

it made a 20-30% difference in the download speed IE was reporting.

d'Oh!

Looked there but did not find QOS - dug around a bit I vaguely remember seeing it under XP but I can't find it under Vista.

What version of vista are you using ?

how come it cannot find the file?

cool simple,easy steps i loved it doing.
nyc.
tnx

lol !!! five years later , just recieved an email regarding this discussion , but must admit that I had forgotten this tweak
Now using Windows 7 but managed to find the " limit reservable bandwidth " control and set default ( blank = 20%) to 10%
Which did seem to wake up youtube viewing and rendering web page elements using my rather patchy mobile wireless internet service from a degraded reception region.
Did note some suggesting setting to zero reserve , but I personally consider unwise as apps uploading that usually use reserved bandwith would rudely intrude upon more ordered user initiated browser tasks and so create disruptions - this is purely speculation upon my part

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