6 Internet Tips For Telecommuters During the Coronavirus

6 Internet Tips For Telecommuters During the Coronavirus

If you telecommute, then the following 6 internet tips can help you use your connection to its fullest potential, thus improving your productivity tremendously.


6 Internet Tips For Telecommuters During the Coronavirus

2020 sure has gotten off to an interesting start to say the least.  With all of the panic and misinformation due to the coronavirus (Covid-19), you may have started to consider working from home.  Your home internet service connection serves many functions -- facilitating communication, delivering entertainment, and allowing you to shop from the comfort of your bedroom, just to name a few. For some of us, an internet connection also makes working from home possible. If you telecommute, then the following 6 internet tips can help you use your connection to its fullest potential, thus improving your productivity tremendously.

1.Invest in a Quality Connection. Your earning potential, your professional reputation, the speed at which you work, and your own personal comfort all depend upon the speed of your internet connection. And the reliability of that connection is even more crucial -- no telecommuter wants to spend their morning desperately rushing out to a coffee shop because their home internet is experiencing downtime, after all. If your area is served by AT&T, Centurylink, Spectrum or Xfinity you should be ok when it comes to connection and speed as all of these providers have fast reliable networks.  If you are in a rural area and have satellite internet service like Hughesnet or Viasat, you will need to make sure that you are not required to connect to a VPN as these services may not work on virtual private networks.  

2.Don't Pay it Alone. If you currently telecommute for a traditional employer or if you are considering working from home due to the coronavirus, even if your total work time spent at home is just a few hours per week, then that employer may have the legal responsibility to subsidize costs directly incurred from the job, such as an internet connection. (And even in states where this is not a legal obligation, a large percentage of employers still do so, so bringing it up with your boss is not a bad idea.) Freelancer telecommuters do not enjoy this luxury -- however, they do have the option of writing off work related expenses in order to receive a tax deduction, which amounts to more or less the same thing.

3.Compare Prices Carefully. If you are paying anything for your internet connection out of your own pocket, you do owe it to yourself to get a good deal. This doesn't mean sacrificing quality just to save a few bucks -- but it does mean sacrificing a bit of time to conduct thorough research on the best options at your disposal. Fortunately, tools such as the Konecteaze Internet IP search engine, help make this process easier and more effective.  We have seen cases where someone is paying $200 per month for AT&T service only to find they can get faster internet from a company like Spectrum for a fraction of the price.  

4.Optimize Your Speed. If your internet connection is running slowly, then this Konecteaze troubleshooting blog may provide some insight into what can be done. Placing your router in an open location, using a QoS service to reign in broadband-hogging applications, and rebooting your router every now and then can also help to increase the internet speed of your existing connection.

5.Know Your Metrics. If you are currently shopping for an internet service provider, then learning about internet speed and quality metrics can help you tailor your choice to your individual needs. For example, download speed is important to virtually all telecommuters -- whereas upload speed should be more heavily prioritized by those who make regular video calls or who must upload large files on a frequent basis. Reliability, though also important for all, is most important whose telecommuting involves real time communications.

6.Perfect Your Workspace. Locating your router close to your workspace is one of the most obvious tips for a good connection and a productive environment.  Sometimes this is not an option so if you find yourself with connectivity issues you may consider setting  up a wifi extender or something a little stronger like google mesh.   Many long-time telecommuters also recommend setting apart a special part of the house as a home office, customizing that area to meet your needs and preferences, thus providing yourself with a designated work area to help get you in the zone. Looking to learn more about optimizing your internet connection for personal or professional purposes? Visit Konecteaze today for a wealth of useful resources!