How to identify what is downloading in the background

Started by Gene

I have a licensed copy of Networx 6.2.3 65-bit. Periodically I will notice large bandwidth usage coming from Host Process for Windows Services, which I know handles most of the background updates, patches and other downloads for apps on my Win 10 PC.

Is there an upgrade to Networx or another tool you have that can show in more detail just what apps are using Host Process for Windows Services to do all this downloading without my consent and using up my limited bandwidth?

Thanks!
SoftPerfect Support forum - Ann avatar image
Ann

Re: How to identify what is downloading in the background   20 December 2021, 11:37

We have the NetGenius tool, which can show specific applications and their connections in real-time and allow you to set a usage cap on them. It is offered as a free 30-day trial, so you can check easily it out and decide whether it helps with what yo wish to achieve.

NetGenius will not show what apps are using the Host Process for downloading, but it will show where they are downloading from, which might suggest what apps are those. Please turn off the "Ignore LAN Traffic" option in NetWorx before testing NetGenius, as these two might conflict with each other depending on your system settings.

On a related note, if you have not already done so, you can mark your connection as metered in Windows settings. In that case, Windows will only permit important downloads like security patches and deny everything else.
Thanks for the info!
I had it set on metered, but took it off when I was in a hotel a few months ago so I could use their wifi to do all my updates, and forgot to turn it back on!

Sometimes you can find a solution faster if you try the forum search, have a look at the knowledge base, or check the software user manual to see if your question has already been answered.

Our forum rules are simple:

  • Be polite.
  • Do not spam.
  • Write in English. If possible, check your spelling and grammar.

Author:

Subject

A brief and informative title for your message, approximately 4–8 words:

     

Spam prevention: please enter the following code in the input field below.

 **    **  ********  **     **  **    **  ********  
  **  **   **        **     **   **  **   **     ** 
   ****    **        **     **    ****    **     ** 
    **     ******    **     **     **     **     ** 
    **     **         **   **      **     **     ** 
    **     **          ** **       **     **     ** 
    **     ********     ***        **     ********  

Message: