Steam downloads block other internet access

[Tadango]

I have 2 PC's with Steam and both have the issue that the entire internet connection becomes unusable when Steam is downloading. Here are some details:
- Everything is wired with Gigabit ethernet
- Ethernet speed reaches 1Gbit/s from PC to PC or PC to Nas ect. Ethernet is working perfectly
- Internet connection is 300Mbit/s using coax modem
- Steam happily downloads at 300Mbit/s steady
- Other download services (Torrent, NZB's ect) reach the same or slightly higher speeds without interfering with conference calls or radio streams

So this leads me to the conclusion that somehow the Steam Downloads use some very high priority which causes issues for other connections. Even limiting the download to 200 or 250Mbit/s causes this issue. Limiting to 100Mbit/s seems to work but this is causing much longer download times.

So, is there some priority setting that can be tuned? I really love Steam but every time a game or update is downloaded (kids) my conference call get's interrupted and i yell telling them to lower the speed, which is remove later and the next day the issue is there again. This apparently is a common issue but i have not seen a solution for this.

[Iceira]

Again not a steam issue or missing QoS or reduce steam for not take all DL speed
see DL steam section with limitations on bandwide.

im sure alot of people was use to slow local lan in the past , things have change and even 1GB years ago was a huge improvement , but ppl forget you can write faster so you actual pull so most out of the line and leave nothing to others.
and it dont make it better if pc play router or share connections though it

again its your local issue and how you have made the options.

ask yourself if you have 2 pc that can go 1gb how will you controll traffic then all can go 1gb then other pc dont use the line, that not the problem untill he do and things just dont give 50% to each, browser has always take all or give me all what you got thats why QoS was made ,and ip-phones with voice get chopped up in sounds if you dont have it, so things has change
"conference calls or radio streams" thats ip traffic issue,
atleast you know now. and be happy someone blaim yourself for it, instead of give you every faulty finding in your head about it. ( sense when have newest driver and optimized pc not been a advantage im sure we dont have to tell ppl such anymore )

so whatever you going to do with lack of bandwide or take other management or reduce steam DL or force limitation on it thats your choise.

feel free to ask own ISP , they are master as such or should i said should be, but that dont mean they give advice or have such service, even that has a cost nothing is free in the world not all isp might want to deal with people own CPE issue some have support to wallplug only and it end there.

gl with it.
atleast you got something to chew on now.
in short explanation own local issue in traffic and someone never explan you the things how things work, cant say its your faulth, but who else is it that controll it.

do not delete post, this is a help to all other steam user that might have same issue. you actual help rest of the world if they read this post later.

[Iceira]

and who know maybe a QoS app is for free someday that can management this even better , so things change , but it still depend on what is running and how much it has to keep reduce or increase depend on how many pc that on the local lan and if they even use network. its not that simple or free now, afaik.

you can find 100 or 1000 of steam post with turn off QoS, thats a NO go in your case
"conference calls or radio streams" again thats IP traffic management required

[Tadango]

So why does EVERY other download work fine, even tests that use up all bandwith that is available? This is a QoS / priority issue with Steam only. I use MANY networking tools and systems and this is the first and only software that act like this. Something is different with the way Steam downloads and i am requesting this to be fixed. It feels like they are trying to get the best download speeds possible by using systems that cause an issue for other steams by being to aggressive. This is very not a lack of bandwith because limiting steam to 200Mbit's causes issues to, and that clearly shows an issue with the Steam download and not with bandwith.

Btw, there is no QoS enabled here ;)

[Iceira]

steam works diffrently , it use cpu and disk writes even your AV scan sametime to unpack things
if pc is busy you can hurt other task. again other task and part of QoS

again, you end up with no one will explan yuo things anymore , talk with own ISP, noone want to explan how pc works anymore or network

lets be rough what education do you have here. ( alot easy to say talk with your ISP have a nice day, alot lesser argument from steam users. ) or contact steam support.

and as i said there is 100 if not 1000 of post with this, im not sure many know
"conference calls or radio streams" but again thats not our problem.

[Tadango]

Originally posted by Iceira W10:

steam works diffrently , it use cpu and disk writes even your AV scan sametime to unpack things
if pc is busy you can hurt other task. again other task and part of QoS

READ again. If another PC on the network is downloading using Steam at 200Mbit/s MY PC's conference call get's interrupted severely. If that Same PC is downloading anything also at 300Mbit/s everything is fine. This happens with conference calls, citrix sessions, radio streams and everything else. That can and should be fixed in Steam.

[Iceira]

Originally posted by Tadango:

Originally posted by Iceira W10:

steam works diffrently , it use cpu and disk writes even your AV scan sametime to unpack things
if pc is busy you can hurt other task. again other task and part of QoS

READ again. If another PC on the network is downloading using Steam at 200Mbit/s MY PC's conference call get's interrupted severely. If that Same PC is downloading anything also at 300Mbit/s everything is fine. This happens with conference calls, citrix sessions, radio streams and everything else. That can ans should be fixed in Steam.

fine contact steam support then. ( this is a user forum, not support )

[Tadango]

I know that, but don't act like this is normal and it cannot be solved. Don't try and stop a discussion because you don't think it is an issue.

Btw, if turning of QoS helps then this supports my statement that Steam Downloads are using a high priority flag which is a very bad thing.

[Iceira]

Originally posted by Tadango:

I know that, but don't act like this is normal and it cannot be solved. Don't try and stop a discussion because you don't think it is an issue.

Btw, if turning of QoS helps then this supports my statement that Steam Downloads are using a high priority flag which is a very bad thing.

network work that way. again talk with own ISP maybe they will explan how things work

diffrent ISP with diffrent technologic maybe, afaik only privat company use citrix server, most ISP dont use that at all. so its simple maybe a that local connection you do and its clear to all you dont know how things work with ip voice or QoS that use it so voice dont get chopped up.

[Tadango]

Citrix is used to connect from home to the company network, like a RDP session over the internet but different.

And i am an IT speciallist but my speciality is not Networks. I understand QoS and the different modes. That however is irrelevant but stop suggesting i don't know how stuff works and stop telling me to talk to my ISP because that is no helpful at all. This is not an ISP issue

[Ettanin]

Steam downloads from multiple CDN servers at the same time. The network is designed to saturate even the biggest connections beyond 1 GBit/s. Routers with bad or no QOS management will suffer.

Limit your download bandwidth in the Steam settings if that causes trouble.

[Tadango]

Originally posted by Ettanin:

Steam downloads from multiple CDN servers at the same time. The network is designed to saturate even the biggest connections beyond 1 GBit/s. Routers with bad or no QOS management will suffer.

Limit your download bandwidth in the Steam settings if that causes trouble.

Limiting to 1/3th of my available bandwith is working fine but that is a poor solution. Other comparible systems, like torrents, peak at high download speeds without issues.

[Tuka]

This is a known problem that existed since ages. It is a steam only issue. Limiting the bandwidth in steam is annoying, especially when you want to get the best speeds whenever possible. But without a heavy download limitation, it cloggs most of the internet bandwidth.
The worst part is that steam somehow seems to ignore all QoS features set on the router. Regardless of what settings I use, regardless of what router I use, steam somehow has the higher priority for it's downloades. Not even the TV box from our (and other) providers can download the TV broadcast, when steam isn't limited.

[Iceira]

Talk with own company that use Citrix someone from network department, if you have such, they can test such, dont think steam will do anything on the subject.

Citrix runs things diffrently and that might be the problem here.

thin client can have its issue then its server do the job, ( depend on setup i think, but you already know that part you just forgot network is part of that problem ) you might have a 10mbit line into own company server and that all what you get , seen such from old days then other had 100mbit ( it could be citrix server related issue and to its client.) and that why i doubt steam will help on a citrix issue. )

citrix server that need to proof this is a steam issue and then they might hear on them.
ask citrix support even.

[Tadango]

Citrix setup is fine, it just is a Steam issue. It is not about bandwidth but about the amount of connections. I use a different modem now with more memory and better CPU and it can handle the steam download a bit better. No other service has this issue, just Steam. I don't think Valve will ever fix this but i might need to fix this myself with limiting the amount of connection to the Steam CDN.

[bazi]

why not just prioritize citrix higher? just mark the application as AF21 - steam can do what it wants but it won't interfere with your session. same goes for Teams - see the source ports and recommended values here: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/qos-in-teams-clients