Contrary to what most people believe, working from home is more complicated than it sounds. Whether your job needs you to type away on your laptop or answer never-ending calls, not every home is equipped to double as a workplace. The first thing you need when working at home or setting up your home office is a stable internet connection. Most of us probably have an existing internet plan that allows us to work from home without too many problems. However, if you’re still searching for a new internet service provider, you might want to opt for the one that offers reliably fast download and upload speeds and gives you at least one terabyte of data per month. Here are the factors that you should consider when it comes to choosing your internet service provider and plans.
Download speed – The download speed will let you know how quickly you can access sites, watch videos, or send messages online. Having a fast download speed means that you will load websites, send an email, and watch videos more quickly.
Upload speeds – The upload speed will tell you how fast you can put or attach images, videos, and files on the internet. Having a faster upload speed will not only let you attach a PDF to your email in a snap, but it can also keep you appear clearer and looking picture-perfect during your Skype or Zoom meetings.
Data – Basically, everything that you do online requires data. Downloading large files, streaming movies, and talking to someone via video call are the internet activities that typically use up the internet data. Almost all internet providers offer or allocate at least one terabyte of data each month. However, some internet service providers also offer unlimited data.
What’s the ideal internet speed when you’re working from home?
When you’re working from home, the ideal internet speed should be around 50 to 100 Mbps download speeds and at least 10 Mbps upload speeds, especially if your job requires you to upload large files to the internet.
Suppose it’s just you who’s going to be working from home. You’re not going to handle projects that need you to upload large files, such as uploading videos on YouTube, sending graphic designs to clients, or attending video conferences. In that case, you’ll be okay with an internet connection with at least 50 Mbps.
But, keep in mind that as soon as more people and more devices are connected to the same internet with you, you’ll be sharing the speed with them, too, which is why if that is the situation, you might want to add more speed, also.
Is 50 Mbps good for working from home?
As we mentioned, 50 Mbps is good starting speed if you’re going to be working from home. Well, at least it is if you’re the only one who’s going to be online. But do not fret because a 50 Mbps internet speed can still handle another person who wants to stream and work from home, too, just as long as both of your online tasks are light. If you know that there will be at least three people who will use the internet at the same time, then we’d recommend that you opt for an internet connection with 100 Mbps or faster.
Is 100 Mbps ideal for working from home?
An internet connection with download speeds of 100 Mbps should be enough for most families to be productive at home. And when your work is over, and it’s time to change into your second pair of pajamas, an internet connection with 100 Mbps speed is perfect for binge-watching series on Netflix. At the same time, your little brother plays Call of Duty and your sister plays Animal Crossing on her Nintendo Switch.
Is 200 Mbps the perfect speed for working from home?
If you have a smart home system and you have housemates that love to spend most of their time online, then an internet connection with 200 Mbps speed is probably the best plan for you.
This download speed is recommended for large households and for those who love to use the internet power. Live streaming, binge-watching movies and series, uploading content, and playing online games on your PC, console, or mobile phone. A 200 Mbps speed is probably more than enough for your home office.