Service Host Network Service High network usage in Windows 11/10

Service Host: Network Service is a Windows process used to download updates on a lot of computers. So, it is pretty obvious that it will take some network. But it should stop consuming the resources afterward. However, a lot of users are complaining that Service Host Network Service is showing high network usage. There are various reasons that can cause the issue. In this article, we are going to talk about the issue and see what should be done to resolve it.

What is Service Host (svchost.exe)?

Service Host (svchost.exe) is a shared-service process that serves as a shell for loading services from DLL files. Some of the processes that use it are:

• Local Service
• Network Service
• Local System

So if Network Service is using Service Host, then you will see it in the Task Manager as – Service Host: Network Service.

Read: What is Service Host Agent Activation Runtime process?

What is Service Host Network Service in Task Manager?

Service Host: Network Service is a genuine Windows. Service Host is used to hosting different operating system processes simultaneously. There are various host groups to organize services, and each one of them runs inside a different instance. Network Service is what allows them to stay connected. To know the location of the file, you need to right-click on it from the Task Manager and select Open file location. The location will be the following:

C:\Windows\System32

You can find the svchost.exe process at that very location.

Fix Service Host Network Service High network usage in Windows 11

If you are experiencing Service Host Network Service High network usage, then try the following solutions to resolve the error.

1. End Task and Restart
2. Disable Delivery Optimization
3. Use Metered Connection
4. Run Windows Update Troubleshooter
5. Run Network Troubleshooters
6. Repair System File Checker
7. Use the Network Reset button
8. Identify the app with high Data Usage and take suitable actions.

Let us talk about them in detail.

1] End Task and Restart

The first thing you need to do is kill the process and restart your computer. Open Task Manager by Ctrl + Shift + Esc, right-click on Service Host: Network Service, and select End Task. Then, reboot the system. This will stop the process that could have caused the problem.

2] Disable Delivery Optimization

Ending the task will surely resolve the problem, but on some systems, it was temporary and after restarting the system, the issue returns. What you need to do is turn off Delivery Optimization and see if that works.

Delivery Optimization helps in updating the Operating System and the Windows Store apps. It also shares your system update with other computers over the Internet. It is not something that you should enable if you have limited data as it takes a lot of data. That is one of the reasons why Service Host Network Service is showing high network. You need to follow the prescribed steps to disable Delivery Optimization.

Windows 11

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Windows Updates.
3. Go to Advanced Options > Delivery Optimization.
4. Turn off the toggle of Allow downloads from other PCs.

Windows 10

1. Open Settings.
2. Go to Updates & Security > Delivery Optimization.
3. Disable the toggle of Allow downloads from other PCs.

Hopefully, this will do the job for you.

Read: Service Host Delivery Optimization High Network, Disk or CPU usage

3] Use Metered Connection

Metered Connection is something that you can use for limited data. It is something that stops some of the processes that could have taken a huge chunk of the data. These limitations can stop the service in question from slowing down your Internet. You should follow the prescribed steps to enable Metered Connections.

1. Open Settings.
2. Go to Network & internet > WiFi or Ethernet.
3. Click Manage known networks.
4. Select your network.
5. Enable Metered connection.

Restart your computer and hopefully, it will do the job for you.

4] Run Windows Update Troubleshooter

Since the issue is somewhat related to the Windows Update, we are going to run its troubleshooter and see if it works. You need to follow the given steps to do the same.

Windows 11

1. Open Settings.
2. Go to System > Troubleshoot.
3. Click Other troubleshooters.
4. Click on the Run button associated with Windows Update.

Windows 10

1. Open Settings.
2. Go to Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters.
3. Select Windows Update and click Run the troubleshooter.

Hopefully, this will do the job for you.

5] Run Network Troubleshooters

Run the Network Troubleshooters and see if they help you resolve the issue.

6] Repair System File Checker

Corrupted system files are something that can be caused by various things. More often than not, it is the abrupt shutdowns and restarts, but there are various other reasons. However, it can be resolved, and we are going to show you how.

Open Command Prompt as an administrator and run the SFC scan:

sfc /scannow

Finally, check if the issue persists.

7] Use the Network Reset button

Use the Network Reset button to reset all network-related settings to default.

Read: What is Host Process for Windows Tasks or Service Host?

8] Identify the app with high Data Usage and take suitable actions

Check the Internet Data Usage on your computer. Identify the app with high Data Usage and take suitable action like maybe limiting its usage.

Why is my Service Host Network using so much network?

Service Host: Network Service is used by various Windows OS processes to engage in network-related activities. The Delivery Optimization service which allows other computers sharing the same host to download updates from your computer also uses it. and in this process, it could end up consuming high resources. So, if the feature is enabled, and the service is working, you will see a spike in network usage. However, that is not the only reason, corrupted system files, glitches, are some other causes of the same. So, without wasting any time, let us go to the troubleshooting guide.

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