Overview
You can prevent Crashplan from backing up over specified network adapters and metered or low data wireless networks. For example, this is useful if you want to prevent Crashplan from:
- Backing up over a slow VPN connection
- Backing up through a data card that could result in overage charges from your wireless carrier
This tutorial provides a step-by-step guide to excluding network adapters and wireless networks.
Considerations
- This article assumes you have permission to change your network preferences. Your administrator may lock these settings.
- Crashplan uses the primary network interface assigned by your operating system. If the primary interface is excluded, Crashplan blocks backup activity, even if other network interfaces are available.
- Only backup activity is prevented when your device is connected to an excluded network. You can still download files when your device is connected to an excluded network.
- Configuring network exclusions is only supported on Windows and Mac devices. Linux is not supported.
Exclude metered or low data networks
You can prevent the CrashPlan app from using metered or low data networks (for example, a mobile wireless hotspot with a usage cap).
- Sign in to the CrashPlan console.
- Navigate to Administration > Devices. Click the name of the desired device.
- Click the settings gear
and select Edit.
- Click on the Network tab and scroll down.
- Check Exclude Metered or Low Data Networks and click Save.
Exclude network interfaces
With the network interfaces configuration, you can prevent the CrashPlan app from backing up to specified wired connections.
- Sign in to the CrashPlan console.
- Navigate to Administration > Devices. Click the name of the desired device.
- Click the settings gear
- Click on the Network tab and scroll down to Excluded Network Interfaces.
- Enter the network interface you want to exclude using a regular expression.
- Select the plus (+). Click Save.
How exclusions work with multiple active network interfaces
If you have multiple active network interfaces, the CrashPlan app will use the primary network interface assigned by your operating system. Like most applications, the CrashPlan app relies on the operating system to choose the interface it uses. If the primary interface is blocked, the CrashPlan app will block your connection, even if other network interfaces are available.
Network exclusions work as follows:
- The CrashPlan app asks the operating system to make a network connection to the CrashPlan servers.
- The device uses the interface that is listed by the operating system as the primary network interface.
- The CrashPlan app tries to use this connection to back up.
- The CrashPlan app checks its list of network exclusions. If the connection is excluded, it blocks the connection, and displays the message: Network blocked - Backup will resume automatically on approved networks.
Specify a network interface
Information about products from other manufacturers is intended as a resource to help you get the most out of CrashPlan products. However, our technical support team cannot provide direct assistance for these products. For assistance with products not developed by CrashPlan, contact the product's manufacturer.
If you have multiple network interfaces and want to specify an interface for the CrashPlan app to use, you must set the desired interface as your computer's primary network interface within your operating system. The following links provide methods for changing your operating systems primary network interface: