If you see a warning message on your outlook 2016, 2019 and Office 365 versions saying that “We noticed the metered connection you’re on may charge extra. Outlook is working offline to prevent date charge,” and Outlook goes to offline mode without sending and receiving emails; this post shows how to fix it.
Once the Metered Network is active on Windows 10 or Windows 11 computers, even the OneDrive will stop syncing files and updating the changes.
What metered network is?
The idea of ‘Metered Network’ is to limit the usage of the 3G/4G/5G network on your Windows 10 laptop. If you have a mobile data package and using it on a computer, then these settings become sensible and handy to reduce the data usage and cost. But, what is the point in using it on normal Wi-Fi or cable network?
Windows 11 metered network is a feature that limits the amount of data you can download and upload over a period of time. It’s very useful for people with limited data plans, or those who want to save on their internet bill.
For some reason, if the Metered Network is enabled by the user accidentally or purposely, follow the below steps to disable it (if you are not using mobile data SIM-based internet)
The Warning and Status
Here is the Outlook status. You can press ‘Connect Anyway’ to make it work. But, after some time it will stop again, or once you close and reopen the Outlook, it will go to offline mode with the same warning.
OneDrive goes to pause mode once it detects the Metered network.
The app may not indicate the reason, but you can view it in the notification area. If Outlook and OneDrive become offline at the same time, then Metered Network is the culprit.
How to Disable Metered Network in Windows 11/10 to Fix Outlook/OneDrive Issue
Verify the connection type your computer connected, is it Wi-Fi or cable LAN network?
Even you need to consider whether you are using the mobile phone data (4G/5G) SIM or connecting through the hotspot of a smartphone.
2) Select the network type you are connected to; in this case, it is my local network via cable.
3) Opening the connection will take you to the next screen where you will see the Metered connection. It should be disabled here, if not, disable (off) it as below.
That was the easiest method to disable metered network on a Windows computer.
Other Solution
For some reason, if the GUI settings are not working to disable the Metered connection, follow the below registry modification. Make sure to take the backup of the Registry if you are modifying it the first time in your life.
a) Open Registry (type ‘Regedit’ to search) and locate the below location.
b) Under DefaultMediaCost, you will find the type of the possible connections and 1 or 2 as the data.
1 – it is an unmetered network
2 – it is a metered network.
c) Change the settings accordingly to the proper network connection. In my case, the Ethernet should have 1, which means it is unmetered. Since I changed it already via the GUI, it is 1 already. Identify your connection type and make it to 1 to disable the metered network. That will bring back your Outlook and Onedrive online.
Should you enable metered network or not?
The answer to this question really depends on your needs and preferences. If you have a limited data plan, then the metered network is definitely something you should consider using. It can help you save on your internet bill by limiting the amount of data you can download and upload. However, if you don’t have a limited data plan, the metered network may not be as useful for you.
In this blog post, we discussed what metered network is, how to disable it, and whether or not you should enable it. Also, both solutions provided in this guide will be useful to bring back the Outlook and OneDrive online on a Windows 11/10 computer. Luckily, without restarting the computer and application, the Outlook and OneDrive detected the changes and connected back to the Internet.
