Apps eating all bandwidth: how to limit traffic for other applications?

Introduction

You start a video call, but the video freezes, the audio cuts out, and meanwhile someone turns on YouTube or torrents — and everything hangs? The problem is that other applications or devices are consuming all the internet bandwidth. The solution — limit their speed or prioritize video calls.

How to identify what's consuming bandwidth

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc → Task Manager opens.
  2. Go to the Performance → Network tab.
  3. Click Details → Network — you'll see a list of processes and their traffic.

Typical bandwidth hogs:

  • Windows and application updates;
  • Cloud services (Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox);
  • Torrent clients (uTorrent, qBittorrent);
  • Streaming video (YouTube, Netflix, Twitch);
  • Games and launchers (Steam, Epic Games Launcher).

Ways to limit application bandwidth

1. Through built-in Windows 10/11 settings

  1. Open Settings → Network & Internet → Data usage.
  2. Click View usage per app.
  3. Identify which programs are consuming the most traffic.
  4. For system updates you can set a limit:
    • Settings → Windows Update → Advanced options → Delivery Optimization.
    • Set download speed limit (for example, 50%).

2. Using third-party software

If you need precise traffic control, use utilities:

  • NetLimiter — precise control of download and upload for each process.
  • GlassWire — monitoring + limiting + visual statistics.
  • cFosSpeed — traffic prioritization by application (Zoom, Teams, OBS).

For example, in NetLimiter you can set: 

Zoom.exe — 5 Mbps Upload, high priority
uTorrent.exe — 0.5 Mbps Upload, low priority

3. Setting up priorities on the router (QoS)

  1. Access your router's control panel (192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1).
  2. Open the QoS (Quality of Service) section.
  3. Enable prioritization for:
    • Zoom / Teams / Skype;
    • your device (by MAC address);
    • or the Ethernet port your computer is connected to.
  4. Save settings and restart the router.

4. For macOS

On Mac you can use TripMode — an app that blocks internet access for selected programs, saving traffic and improving video call stability.

Tips for traffic distribution

  • During calls — close everything that downloads data.
  • Check updates and pause them.
  • Use wired connection for priority tasks.
  • Don't stream video from multiple devices simultaneously.

Conclusion

Summary: if Zoom or Teams are lagging, the problem is often not the speed, but other applications "consuming" your internet. Limit them — and video calls will become stable and smooth.

Check your connection quality right now on DoCam.io.