Option to download updates only on WiFi connection

[hazmat06]

Download settings to include option to only download updates on WiFi connection. This would reduce the need to manage i.e. stop downloads when mobile. The setting could break out into further options to manage mobile download settings.

[Black Blade]

Well i am not sure Steam can know if you are on mobile or Wifi.. at least if its not mark so on Windows it self

[hazmat06]

I got the idea from Android phones which have the option to download on Wifi only, thus avoiding excessive mobile data usage for non-urgent activities.

[hazmat06]

My $9 game has now cost me $35 in download credit because Steam keeps restarting the download every time i restart my computer. I have to tell it to stop downloading every time I log into steam. GAAAAAA rubbish.

[Quint the Alligator Snapper]

Steam should not be restarting a download; it should have saved download progress. This appears to be a bug.

[hazmat06]

Sorry, I meant 'resume' download. It is a new purchase. When it starts, I go to download manager to stop the download. Then I restart my computer or steam and the download starts again in the background. I thought I had STOPPED it in the download manager, obviiously it doesn't remember unless you go to 'don't automatically update'. At the moment this must be selected for each application. I have 60+ apps in my list. Do I have to go through every single one??

My suggestions then are

- global "manually update applications" setting
- global "only download on wifi" setting
- notification in the taskbar/tray would also be helpful to indicate hey you have downloads going.

any of these would be helpful.

[Quint the Alligator Snapper]

Regarding the tray icon, I believe it does currently change when you are downloading (or synching with Steam Cloud). It shows a few dots on the top when there is a data transfer active.

[hazmat06]

true. showing in tray now.

[Black Blade]

Originally posted by hazmat06:

I got the idea from Android phones which have the option to download on Wifi only, thus avoiding excessive mobile data usage for non-urgent activities.

That nice but a PC is not a mobile, a PC dose not know if you connect it to the Internet with Wifi or with mobile, a mobile can, so the idea may be good but i do not think its something that can be made on PC really

[Quint the Alligator Snapper]

Well, a PC can identify the wireless network or connection type being used, and can tell the difference between "Johnny's Mobile Hotspot" or USB-tethered connection and "My Home Wifi" or something.

[aiusepsi]

Regarding Steam downloads resetting: I have a hypothesis that it happens when there's been an update to the game in question while you're downloading.

When you restart Steam, it detects the mismatch between the version it's in the process of updating to and the current live version, thinks it's a corruption, and flushes the download status. Bit hard to test because you have to catch it in the act, as it were.

[Black Blade]

Originally posted by Quint T. Firefly:

Well, a PC can identify the wireless network or connection type being used, and can tell the difference between "Johnny's Mobile Hotspot" or USB-tethered connection and "My Home Wifi" or something.

Well not sure how it works by you
I use my mobile from time to time (windows 8.1) and it dose not know to different them, i can mark a Wifi as a mobile for the Windows but i am not sure how it will effect and if Steam can even read that..
But on the USB-tethered it seem to think its a local, and not mobile at all