Ask Slashdot: Managing Device-Upgrade Bandwidth Use?

Posted by timothy on Thursday December 19, 2013 @11:05AM from the selective-enforcement dept.

First time accepted submitter wallydallas writes "I'm close to a solution, but I wonder how other people block their many devices and operating systems from updating in working hours. For example: I'm the IT guy who blocks iPads from updating when school is in session because we are in a rural location. 3mbps is the best WAN we can buy. Devices can update after hours just fine. We do this with our router (DDWRT) by blocking MESU.APPLE.COM. Many guests bring in Windows 7 laptops, and I want to welcome them, but not their updates. How can I block updates on Android Phones and Linux Laptops? I have a 4G device at home, and I'd like to apply the same tricks 24 hours a day so that I don't use up the bandwith from my vendor. And my many home visitors should have their updates blocked."

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Don't block it, QoS it. by phizi0n · 2013-12-19 11:22 · Score: 5, Interesting

There's no reason to avoid using your bandwidth when you can use QoS to deprioritize it so that they can still update any time the bandwidth is available. Most any linux router can do this with tc and iptables, or sometimes with less configurability through their GUI's.
At home you have control over the devices and can just disable them from automatically updating.