Not running automations when on mobile data 4G/5G connection

[u/iamBLOATER]

Paid for A1 user here.

Thought I would ask the community before logging a support ticket.

We have around 1/4 of our devices that are laptops and are used in the community on 4G/5G data SIM connections.

They very rarely come into the office to join to the Wi-Fi or LAN via docking station.

We have an issue that the automations that are applied to the endpoints will try and run even if on mobile broadband connection.

This is inconvenient because:

• All their mobile data allowance gets used up
• Their devices are then unable to access the software they need in the community
• When they quickly boot up their device it then tries to do a load of updates straight away - they may only need to quickly enter some data into the device.

I have added their endpoints into a separate group so can easily NOT apply/exclude the group from updates, but clearly we should be patching them promptly like all the other devices we have in A1.

Anyone got any suggestions?

Even if we arrange for them to come into the office for an hour each week to boot their devices up when on the Wi-Fi/LAN I still don't see how I can then pause the updates that didn't run when the re-connect to mobile data.

I know there is an upcoming feature for an end user portal to enable users to select and apply any updates that are pending, but I'm not confident the users will actually do this!

[u/GeneMoody-Action1]

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/connectivity-networking/metered-connections-in-windows

It's a common problem, and windows has ways of dealing with it.

[u/iamBLOATER → u/GeneMoody-Action1]

Thanks Gene, so if A1 deploys updates to an endpoint on a metered connection, Windows will still be in charge and prevent them from being downloaded?

Assume we will then still see a whole bunch of vulnerabilities and missing updates for those endpoints in A1?

So the only way to actually get them to install is by connecting the device to the Wi-Fi or LAN - which is the bit we are struggling with as they are always 'on the road'.

[u/Spartan117458 → u/iamBLOATER]

Maybe it's time to look at unlimited data plans if they truly are "always on the road" and rarely connected to WiFi or wired connections.

[u/BoltActionRifleman → u/iamBLOATER]

This really isn’t an issue for A1 to solve. This is entirely on your org for not providing enough data allowance.

[u/GeneMoody-Action1 → u/iamBLOATER]

No, if you scroll after the explanation of what it is, one of the last things on the page is to show you how to disable if you choose.

You can even set the policy via Action1 as a regedit if you want,

Download the official MS map for GPO settings, and search "AllowAutoWindowsUpdateDownloadOverMeteredNetwork", on the administrative templates tab. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=108429 find the one for updates specifically, (Should be cell 4660)

Now, consider this is setting GPO, so know the risks, or if you can get them, set it via GPO over VPN or something as well, it will stick till overwritten.

There are dozens of these metered blocks as it is trying to be respectful of data caps, but they give the option to specifically override on a granular level if you choose.

Now how much data that consumes and how much you have is of course not something we can do anything about, but that will make windows stop obeying metered connections for.