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By default, Shadow will automatically test your internet connection to determine how much bandwidth Shadow should use. This is referred to as the Automatic setting. If you'd like to choose how much bandwidth Shadow should use, turn the Manual setting on.

We recommend using the Manual setting if you:

• would like Shadow to use less data (ideal for mobile networks), or
• feel decreasing your bandwidth will improve your experience

What is bandwidth?

Bandwidth is the maximum amount of data that can be transferred using your internet connection. In this case, Shadow will determine how much data should be allocated, or dedicated, to Shadow.

How high should my allocated bandwidth be?

Shadow's bandwidth should be approximately 10Mb/s less than your current download speeds. For example, if your download speed is 42Mb/s, Shadow's bandwidth should be set to 32Mb/s. See how to test your download speed for help.

When turned on, Low Bandwidth Mode provides higher quality streaming using H.256 encoding. This setting is ideal for customers who have unstable download speeds that don't always meet or exceed 15Mb/s.

If Shadow is slow or refuses to start, try turning on Low Bandwidth Mode. If issues persist or worsen, Low Bandwidth Mode may not be compatible with your device. Turn Low Bandwidth Mode off, then try lowering your Allocated Bandwidth.

Turn this setting on to have Shadow stream to your full screen by default when it starts. You can still enter Shadow in fullscreen, windowed mode, or minimize the application whether this setting is on or off.

Have Shadow and Windows shut down whenever you close the application window. If this setting is turned off, Windows will continue to run, but will automatically shut down if your session is idle.

See our article about automatic shutdown for more information.

If you want Shadow to detect or enhance its compatibility with your mouse, keyboard, or other USB devices, turn on USB Peripherals. For more information, see how to connect a USB device to Shadow.

This setting allows you to switch between Prefer Speed (UDP) and Prefer Reliability (TCP) streaming protocols.

What's the difference between Speed and Reliability?

Speed uses the UDP protocol. UDP protocols ignore the need to establish a connection. UDP sends data in the quickest way possible, maximizing fluidity.

Reliability uses the TCP protocol. TCP protocols provide error-checking to ensure data is sent in the correct order, minimizing errors.

See this great article by Privacy News Online, TCP vs. UDP: Understanding the Difference.

Increases your chances of running Shadow on hardware below the recommended requirements.

To see the recommended requirements, choose your operating system from the list below:

• Windows
• macOS
• Linux (Ubuntu)