We have seen recent technological development in every area, the need for wider bandwidth and faster Internet speed is a response to the world’s growing demand for connectivity. As wireless Internet access has grown, so too has the number and type of devices we expect our wireless networks to accommodate and spectrum congestion is becoming an intractable problem in many places. According to a research, by 2020, there will be 6.58 network-connected devices per person around the globe. With a total world population of over 7.5 billion people, that means there could be nearly 50 billion such devices by 2020.
Today, more of us are working from home these days, and that means your home’s Wi-Fi networks are more important than ever. Nowadays, many organizations are working towards executing policies so that the employees have an option to work from home without hampering their daily tasks. As a result, the reality of working from home has been intensified. To remain effective, you need to prepare your virtual connection to be able to work worry-free. The last thing you want is to experience buffering during an important video conference call as multiple household devices compete for bandwidth or the inability to download work files because the family is streaming a 4K movie. Having a flawless network connectivity will prove to be crucial to your overall work from home experience.
With that in mind, here are some of the top tips that help in improving our work from home situation:
Max-out your Wi-Fi Capabilities: Wi-Fi environments can get pretty complex with a large, growing number of devices connected to our home networks. At the very least you want to make sure your network is running with NETGEAR Wi-Fi 5 (AC) or Wi-Fi 6 (AX) router. With Wi-Fi 6 router, overloading your Wi-Fi with multiple devices becomes an afterthought. By being able to handle even more connected capacity than ever before, you can be assured that your work laptop won’t suffer any connectivity issues or slow speeds being one of many devices on your network.
For larger or multi-level homes that experience Wi-Fi dead zones, a recommended solution is using NETGEAR’s Mesh Wi-Fi system to blanket your home with better Wi-Fi coverage. The Mesh Wi-Fi systems like Orbi Pro and Orbi Wi-Fi Mesh Systems and advanced Wi-Fi Mesh Range Extenders will help evenly distribute the network throughout your home to all of your connected devices via a router and satellite. The Mesh Wi-Fi system is a perfect solution for work from home situation because it allows the employees to be on their IP phone and walk from one end of the house to the other, all without experiencing any Wi-Fi breakout during critical business meetings and calls.
If you truly need a personal Wi-Fi connection strictly for your work laptop, a Mobile Router is a great option. The Mobile Routers and Hotspots will give you access to the fastest speed available on the mobile network in your area and with its flexibility, one can easily take it on the go and work remotely at your favourite cafe, restaurant, or even at the park, all without missing a beat.
Plug-in to Ethernet: Even though modern Wi-Fi 6 and Mesh Wi-Fi are extremely fast and reliable, a hard-wired connection is still a great way to get a good connection. You can also help improve your Wi-Fi situation by removing certain devices off Wi-Fi to clear the airwaves for the devices that absolutely need it, such as tablets and laptops. In addition to an uplink port for your modem, most routers have 1-4 additional Ethernet ports. If your ports happen to be occupied by devices like a TV, streaming device, gaming console, printer, or ReadyNAS, you can easily expand your port count with an Ethernet switch.
Use a VPN and take measures to keep data safer: A VPN is a special encrypted link between computers, specifically yours and your employer’s, when in a WFH situation. To make sure you have access to all the right tools you need to work productively, the employee needs to work with their IT team to ensure your work laptop or home computer is properly setup with your company’s VPN.
For additional security when working from home, NETGEAR Armor enabled routers provide cyber threat security by monitoring and protecting your entire home network. With cybersecurity built into your router, this ensures that all of your devices connected to Wi-Fi – laptops, tablets, smart speakers, thermostats, lights, locks, appliances, etc. are all protected. As the number of connected devices grow in your home, the potential number of vulnerabilities grows as well.
