[Windows Central Question]

How to enable and set a cellular connection as "metered" in windows 10. The option is inactive.

[rhapdog]

Any Wi-Fi connection can be set as metered. If you have connected your cellular device via USB or Ethernet, the option will not be available to set it as metered.

If you are sharing your cellular connection over Wi-Fi, then the option should be available.

[Chris Kepinski]

If you are sharing your cellular connection over Wi-Fi, then the option should be available.

I am sharing my cellular connection over Wifi and the option is inactive. Moreover W10 took about 1,5GB of my cellular data transfer in one morning without even letting me know. How to set up W10 so it downloads its updates on one specific Wifi connection only?

[rhapdog]

You state that the option is "inactive" for making it a metered connection. I just want to clarify things, both for myself and any other users who are looking at this thread to solve a similar problem.

For people who don't know how to set as metered connection (in case we have a new user visiting this thread who needs help):

You need to be connected to the wireless network that you want to set as metered before you start. Connect before doing the following steps.
1. Open Settings. (Start->Settings)
2. Select "Network & Internet"
3. Select "Wi-Fi"
4. Click on "Advanced Options"
5. There is a toggle on this page that says, "Set as metered connection." Turn it on.

If this toggle in step 5 is grayed out or unavailable, then double-check to make sure it is indeed a Wi-Fi connection, and not Bluetooth shared.

I have one PC that cannot be setup as a metered connection, but it has to do with my Wi-Fi adapter in that machine. It has a WiFi access point that plugs into the Ethernet port, which makes the PC think it is Ethernet. Technically, it's Wi-Fi over Ethernet, but Windows 10 will only see the Ethernet cable being plugged in.

Some Wi-Fi adapters may have to receive updated drivers in order for Windows 10 to play nice with them and allow metered connections. Try updating the drivers from the manufacture's website.

It is possible that some older Wi-Fi hardware may not be able to be properly configured as their firmware may not allow it. If this is not a newer machine, that could also be an issue.

That's really all I can think of to help right now. Sorry it is such a long post, but I wanted to throw out everything I can think of to keep this from taking 5 days to help. We need to get that data under control sooner rather than later. Hopefully something here will help.

Let us know how it turns out.