Is it possible to limit the download bandwidth used by Steam? [duplicate]

Is it possible to limit the download rate/bandwidth used by Steam in some way? When I am downloading a game it greatly slows down or even blocks all internet activities in my house.

Yes as of May 2013. http://store.steampowered.com/news/10548/

Added rate-limiting of Steam game downloads, via Settings -> Downloads

AT LAST

I don't believe Valve provide an option to do that. The Connection Type setting that Corv1nus mentions appears to have no effect.

You may find it easier to install a piece of software able to rate limit other programs than to use QoS. I just tested NetBalancer (free version) with Steam on Windows 7 and it works flawlessly. If you too are using Windows 7, you can safely ignore the warning about unsigned drivers; at least you can if you trust the software publisher.

The consensus of a somewhat rude thread on the Steam Forums is that you can't rate limit Steam from within Steam. Your options seem to be:

• Pause downloads, then start them again at a better time, say overnight.
• Limit it using the free version of NetBalancer, as Lee suggests.
• Limit it using other software, as someone suggested in the Steam Forum thread. Sadly, the program suggested is not free.

You can go into Settings >> Downloads >> Connection Type and say it is something lower than it is but, I don't know if that will limit it. You would be better off putting a bandwidth limit on your PC at the router and set up QoS.