Working from home is one of the most convenient concepts many employees love and appreciate. You don’t have to wake up early to consider the travel time from your home to your workplace. You don’t need to worry about paying for bus/train fares or gas. You can look after your pets or your kids at home while taking breaks from work. It’s truly a blessing… well, it is until you realize your internet connection at home isn’t up to the task. After all, many employers that allow work-from-home setups require a specific internet speed before hiring someone.
If you’re new to the work-from-home setup and you’re having problems with your wireless service, don’t worry. I’m here to share some of the tips I’ve learned as a work-from-home employee for more than 5 years. Let’s start!
- Disconnect devices you are not using.
Many people own a lot of devices these days, and we connect them to our WiFi as fast as possible. The thing is, we forget to disconnect it or turn off the WiFi when it’s not in use. The apps that are running in the background still consume bandwidth. So imagine if you have three unused devices that are connected to the internet, you may experience a slower internet connection that can affect your productivity at work.
- Close tabs/programs that are unnecessary for work.
This is similar to tip number one, but it applies to the device you are using. If you’re using one laptop or computer for work, make sure that you close all the background apps and tabs that you don’t need for work. It would also help if you create a different profile for your personal and work use so it’s more organized.
- Turn off your video during meetings.
Even if you have the best satellite internet, for example, there will be times when you will lag and disconnect like crazy. When you experience this during meetings, it’s best to turn your video off and simply inform the participants that your internet is a bit unstable so you have to turn your camera off. This works wonders. I’ve tried this a lot of times and it really improves the connection. Plus, you won’t miss out on any important discussions.
- Set limits on streaming and other bandwidth-heavy activities.
If you live with your family or your friends, make sure you advise them to at least limit their bandwidth-heavy activities like gaming and streaming during work hours. This isn’t a long-term solution, especially if you live in a big household. However, this will do until you can upgrade your internet connection.
But, if you have the means to upgrade your internet plan to accommodate the needs of your household, that would be better. It’s best to look into the plans offered by reputable providers like what Metronet offers. This can give you peace of mind.
- Schedule meetings during off-peak hours.
If you’re the one hosting the meetings, it’s best to schedule the meetings during off-peak hours. If you don’t know what the off-peak hours is, you can simply observe when your internet connection is slowest throughout the day. Then, avoid scheduling meetings during that time. This way, you won’t need to stress yourself during meetings.
The Bottom Line
The two most important things for remote workers are a solid device (PC/laptop) and a fast internet connection. The most ideal thing would be to upgrade your internet plan. But if you still can’t, no worries because you can follow these tips as a temporary workaround until you have the means to afford a better internet plan. Good luck!
