Index Of The Blog
The Internet makes the world go round, or so they say. What’s certainly true is that the majority of people in the world cannot even imagine their lives without Internet access. We use the Internet for almost everything, from shopping to doing business online. Everyone and everything is connected nowadays, and without the Internet, the world would be a much different place, for better or worse. That said, a lot of entrepreneurs these days decide to work from home. For them, Good Internet Speed for a Home Office is very much important.
Working from home is not just convenient, but experts suggest that people who work from home are generally more efficient and productive. The main reason is that there’s a lack of distractions at home that you’d normally find in crowded offices.
And, as you might imagine, working from a home office requires Internet access. So, how fast should your Internet access be for your home office needs? Simple answer: the faster, the better. With that in mind, let’s have a look at what is a good Internet speed for a home office, shall we?
How fast should you go?
You’re probably wondering what’s considered “good” when it comes to Internet speed, to begin with. To answer that question, let’s explain first how Internet speed is measured. This will help you understand whether or not your current Internet connection has any worth.
The overall Internet speed is measured by comparing both download and upload speeds. These speeds are expressed in bits per second (bps). Since Internment technology has evolved over the years, you can see new prefixes added to the bps, such as k (kilobit), M (Megabit) and G (Gigabit).
For example, Dial-up connections were expressed in kbps, whereas the newest fibre-optics speed is expressed in Gbps. Furthermore, the Internet speed is also referred to as broadband and the bare minimum required for today’s most basic activities is 25Mbps for download and 3Mbps for upload speed. Anything higher than that is considered good.
Download vs. upload
Since you’re working from a home office, it’s important that you consider both upload and download speeds for your Internet access.
For an average consumer, upload speed isn’t all that important. However, for a person working from home, upload speed is as vital as download speed. Here’s an example of what both speeds are designed for:
Download speed
- Downloading files
- Watching movies online
- Listening to music online
Upload speed
- Sending emails
- Conference and individual video calls
- Using cloud services
- Working on online documents, such as Google Docs
Therefore, for work-related activities, even from home, you should consider a provider that can ensure a high download/upload bandwidth.
Choosing a provider
Internet service providers (ISP) allow you to have Internet access in your home. As you may already know, each provider has some unique offers for a unique price as well. Choosing the right one comes down to which ISP can best meet your needs.
For example, popular ISPs such as Orange, provide a wide variety of offers and packages for your home office use. What you should consider though is opting for a business offer rather than a home-use one. Business offers usually include better speeds and unique features, and since you’re working from home, you should always opt for a more reliable option. Here are a few things you should focus on when choosing an ISP:
- Compare prices – There’s no reason to overpay for a service.
- Check download/upload speeds.
- Consider the number of devices that will use your Internet.
- Check if there are any slowdowns during peak business hours.
- Read other user’s reviews.
- Check for other features, such as Wi-Fi, mobile bandwidth, etc.
Determine your needs
Finally, it’s time to consider your options and determine your needs. As mentioned before, faster is always better when it comes to Internet speed, but you may not need the fastest plan available for your home office.
Therefore, consider your budget and find a plan that will suit both your needs and your budget. Common internet speeds that are more than adequate for home/business use range from 100 Mbps to 2Gbps. Fibre-optic technology is faster and more reliable, but it’s also quite pricey at the moment. That said, common ADSL connections that most of the ISPs still provide work perfectly fine.
In the end, you might consider the future as well. It’s not a mistake to opt for a better connection or the newest technology now, especially since online communications are bound to become more complex and demanding in the future. The important thing though is to not rush the decision. Take your time and determine what’s the best course of action for you to take.
In conclusion, anything faster than 25Mbs/3Mps download and upload speed, respectively, is considered to be a good Internet speed for a home office. Depending on the nature of your home business, you might consider a plan that supports something even higher. After all, it’s always better to have a faster Internet than to regret not opting for it when you had the chance.
