Top 10 tech to help you work from home

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To mark National Work from home day, the IT PRO team has swapped the regular commute for the digital highway.

However, to make working from home effective you need to make sure the technology basics are in place. After all, you are unlikely to have a tech support team at your disposal on your premises. We take you through the top 10 technology items to have in place.

1. Internet connectivity

In this day and age if you don’t have a working internet connection you’re unlikely to be able to do your job. Whether your broadband connection is via ADSL or cable doesn’t really matter – as long as it’s reliable – and as fast as possible is good - let’s hope the Digital Britain report can help with that one.

If it’s going to be a regular thing, many companies will install a line for you as that way they don’t have to put your productivity in the hands of a consumer ISP. Consider the upload speed of your service too. If you’re sending a lot of large files an ADSL2+ line can offer between 1Mb-2Mb/s upload, which can really make a difference.

2. Mobile Broadband

It’s a good idea to have a mobile broadband dongle at the ready too, not only as a backup for your broadband but also to give you the flexibility to not be chained to your desk.

You don’t even have to be hampered by a monthly contract with many Pay-as-you-go services now available.

3. Wi-Fi

Ensure you have a Wi-Fi enabled router, as otherwise you’re going to be literally tethered to your desk. Unless your internet connection comes into your premises by your desk, you may not be able to work without wireless.

Wi-Fi is now a standard feature on every laptop, while a USB Wi-Fi dongle can be plugged into a desktop machine if it’s not built-in. Consider a draft-N wireless router as this makes it easier to transfer larger files round your home network so long as all your kit meets the spec.

4. Reliable computer

It might seem obvious but you need a machine that’s powerful enough to be able to run your business software – be it a desktop or a laptop. This might mean investing in a new machine, whether you pay for it yourself or of it’s company supplied. A laptop with at least a Core 2 Duo or a desktop with at Core i7 would be advisable.

You’ll also want at least 2GB of RAM or more if you want to run demanding applications or virtual machines. Tempting as it may seem try to avoid running pre-release software on your machine as unexpected issues may cause downtime.

5. Get a better monitor

Get yourself a good monitor – even if you’re running a laptop. A larger display can really boost your productivity, thanks to increased resolution enabling you to see more of a web page or document at once.

A widescreen 22in display is an affordable upgrade to a bog standard 17in, while a 24in is what you really want. If your laptop doesn’t have the necessary video out ports consider a DisplayLink equipped monitor – all you need is a free USB port.

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