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To control how Windows devices download updates and apps with Intune, create a Windows 10 and later device configuration profile using the current Settings Catalog format, configure Delivery Optimization settings, and assign the profile to the intended devices. The main decision is whether devices may share eligible content with peers or download only from the original HTTP source or Microsoft Connected Cache.
Create and assign a Delivery Optimization policy
- In the Intune admin center, create a device configuration profile for Windows 10 and later.
- For a new profile, use the current Settings Catalog format and add the relevant Delivery Optimization settings. Microsoft changed the profile format in April 2025; existing profiles in the older format remain available, but Microsoft says new versions of that old profile cannot be created. See Microsoft Intune’s Delivery Optimization settings guidance.
- Configure the download mode and the cache, bandwidth, and peer-related settings that fit your environment. Check each setting’s description in the admin center; Microsoft notes that the catalog profile provides setting details there.
- Assign the profile to the Windows device groups that should receive it, then verify deployment and resulting behavior on representative devices.
Exact catalog labels and available settings can change. Use the current tenant interface and the linked Delivery Optimization reference for setting behavior rather than relying on an older template’s navigation or labels.
Choose whether devices can share downloads
Download Mode determines which sources are available in addition to Microsoft download servers. The mode is a policy choice about peer eligibility, not a guarantee that a particular download will come from a peer.
| Mode | Peer-to-peer behavior | What to consider |
|---|---|---|
| 0 — HTTP Only | Disables peer-to-peer caching. | Downloads can still use HTTP from the original content source or a Microsoft Connected Cache server. Choose this when you do not want peer sharing. |
| 1 — LAN | Enables sharing among clients on the same network, identified by clients reaching the internet through the same public IP. | Can allow nearby clients to reuse content, but assess the intended network boundary and possible upload traffic before enabling it. |
| 2 — LAN (Microsoft recommendation when using peer-to-peer) | Microsoft’s setup guidance recommends mode 1 or 2 when peer-to-peer is wanted. | The cited setup guidance does not establish that mode 2 is best for every topology. Review its exact behavior and scope in the current reference before selecting it. |
Microsoft describes LAN (mode 1) as the default operating mode in its reference. For the choice between allowing peers and not allowing them, its setup guidance recommends mode 1 or 2 for peer-to-peer and mode 0 when peer-to-peer is not wanted. Read the configuration guidance alongside the mode reference; do not assume that a LAN setting creates the right boundary for every office, campus, VPN, or remote-work arrangement.
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Set cache behavior for the content and devices
Cache age and size
Cache settings balance local disk use against the chance that another device can reuse content already downloaded. Microsoft’s basic recommendation gives a maximum cache age of seven days (604800 seconds). That is a recommendation, not a universal requirement; decide how long content is likely to be useful to other devices and how much disk space the endpoints can spare.
Minimum file size for peer caching
Minimum file size determines which downloads are eligible to be cached for peer sharing. Microsoft’s basic guidance uses 1 MB for a peer group larger than 100 devices. Its Education example instead uses 5 MB, illustrating why a sample value should not be copied without considering device count, content patterns, and cache overhead.
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Peer eligibility and scope
Peer selection is a separate decision from enabling peer mode. Depending on the available policy settings, group selection, peer restrictions, VPN behavior, and minimum disk or RAM thresholds can affect which clients may share and when a device falls back to HTTP. Check the exact options and semantics in the current catalog and the policy reference. Microsoft’s Education sample uses subnet-restricted peer selection and minimum disk and RAM thresholds; these are scenario-specific controls, not universal defaults.
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Delivery Optimization has controls for both download and upload bandwidth. Set them with the actual network constraints in mind: peer sharing can reduce repeat downloads from an external source, but it can also make clients upload content to other clients. Consider foreground and background downloads separately when those controls are available in your catalog.
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Microsoft’s older Intune reference says the legacy absolute maximum download and upload bandwidth settings are deprecated in favor of foreground and background download bandwidth settings available in the Settings Catalog. Because labels can change, verify the current setting names and descriptions in the tenant rather than following an old absolute-maximum setting path.
For improving peer-to-peer efficiency, Microsoft gives an example combining a 500 KB/s minimum background QoS value with HTTP fallback delays of 60 seconds for background downloads and 30 seconds for foreground downloads. These are example policy values from Microsoft’s setup guidance, not guaranteed optimal limits. A fallback delay changes when a client may turn to HTTP while waiting for peer content; weigh that delay against download responsiveness and whether suitable peers are likely to be available.
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Account for Connected Cache and network topology
Microsoft Connected Cache is a distinct source to consider alongside peers and the original HTTP source. HTTP Only does not mean that a device cannot use Connected Cache: mode 0 disables peer-to-peer caching while still allowing HTTP downloads from the original source or a Connected Cache server.
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Before enabling peer sharing, map the networks and client groups that should be able to exchange content. Consider whether devices share the same public IP, how VPN-connected clients are treated, and whether subnet or group restrictions are needed. Organization size, endpoint resources, network capacity, and the goal for peer sharing should shape the policy rather than a single blanket profile. Microsoft’s configuration guidance and reference describe the available policy areas and considerations.
Use Microsoft examples as starting points, not universal presets
Microsoft’s basic setup guidance and its Education sample differ because they address different scenarios. The basic guidance includes a seven-day maximum cache age and, for peer groups larger than 100 devices, a 1 MB minimum file size. Its peer-efficiency example pairs 500 KB/s minimum background QoS with 60-second background and 30-second foreground HTTP fallback delays. By contrast, the Intune Education example uses LAN mode, a 14-day maximum cache age, a 5 MB minimum file size, minimum disk and RAM thresholds for peer eligibility, and subnet-restricted peer selection.
These values are policy recommendations or scenario examples, not population statistics. Select and validate settings against your own network topology, endpoint capacity, and download requirements.
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