Can your broadband cope with working from home?

[RoomR0613]

Mine cant. I've tried discussing it with my manager but I suspect they think I'm exaggerating. I can get a reasonablish internet connection as long as no one else is using it, the weather is good (it doesn't like rain or wind) and if the landline phone rings the wifi completely collapses for about 7-10 mins.

We get no mobile phone reception at all.

I'm going to try my best but I think current events are really going to highlight just how neglected rural communications infrastructure really is.

No!

I'm in constant battle with my provider and do regular line speed tests. The best I'm mustering at the moment is an 8mb but often around 5. If the kids were at home too it's just unworkable.

The best I'm mustering at the moment is an 8mb but often around 5

sorry but that's the stuff of dreams for me. On a good day I get about 2mb, it's usually 1.5mb or less.

£52 a month for that too.

I suppose if everyone else is working from home I could go into the office since it would be empty...

I am fine now (I moved) but I used to struggle to get to 1mb in my old house. A really lovely open reach engineer told me he had a full signal on his mobile network when he was at my house one day, whereas I had none, and I bought a mobile dongle thing and a SIM card on his network.

I think there is a website you can go to which tells you which networks might work where you live from memory.

We don't get any mobile signal on any network.

It always makes me a bit cross when I hear people talking about rolling out 5g when we can't even get a signal full stop.

sorry but that's the stuff of dreams for me. On a good day I get about 2mb, it's usually 1.5mb or less

£52 a month for that too

We are exactly the same but why the heck are you paying that much a month? Is that just for broadband? Believe me, I know about this because I fight BT continually about our speed (a good day is 1.17MBps) and I bloody well refuse to pay what others pay on superfast.
Basically, it is now law that those on low speed with no fibre, should not be paying more than entry level superfast broadband. For BT that is £26 per month. At the time, after losing a discount that I had for the crap speed we had, we crept up to £32 p.m. I linked them to the article in Which? that said that and immediately they reduced us to £26per month
They had no choice. It's a government regulation.
If you get stuck, let me know and I'll find the article that states this.

Yes, it's impossible working from home.

Laughably It's a business line which is part of the reason it's so expensive.

DH is self employed (in a manual job so doesn't require internet) and due to there being no mobile reception we need a reasonable guarantee that the phone line will be fixed as a matter of urgency if it goes down as it's our only link to the outside world. In fairness to BT whenever that happens (around 3-4 times a year) they are usually on it within hours which I don't think they would be with a residential line.

Plus we can claim the VAT back...

Ahhhh that explains it then! Maybe that regulation won't work for you then, not sure.

You have my sympathies, I know what it's like.

Cue me shouting out to DH.... 'ARE YOU DOWNLOADING???' (he has series that randomly download) and it's impossible to use the internet when that's happening. One thing at a time here! A half hour programme takes about 45 mins to download if we're lucky and the wind is blowing in the right direction

Soooo frustrating.... but we do live in a beautiful part of the country to make up for it.

Gah I've tried to work from home today and it's been virtually impossible.

WiFi kept dropping out every 30 mins or so and my work phone won't connect to my WiFi network as the connection isn't strong enough. I keep having to drive quarter of a mile to get a phone signal and sync my emails to my phone.

It's been windy this afternoon which won't have helped.

I can see my employer forcing me to use leave instead.

We get about 2MB. One of us can work from home but if we both do then the kids can’t also use devices or stream telly etc. Unless, like you say, the wind blows or it rains!

It’s going to be ok for us till the schools close!

When one of my DCs came home over Christmas and tried to WFH, it was impossible. She had to go to my friend's house who has fibre.

It is a needed utility and it's pathetic we can't get it.

It won’t be possible until after lock down but you would still be able to enquire , we had unusable internet with BT so via EE we have had a 4G mast ( small white external box) installed on the side of the house and now run average speeds of 25/30 the lowest we’ve had is 8. Very usable indeed we now have 2 Alexa, iPads, Xbox , YouTube, Netflix ( oh the luxury) all at the same time. You pay £100 and if it doesn’t work they refund you £90 although it will work as they use it in the highlands! We don’t get 4G on our phones so don’t be dismayed it’s a much more powerful mast. It’s limited but we have 500gb a month for 50 and that seems to be plenty ( five of us). Worth a try for a £10 gamble.

Might look into that HeavenKnows although our TV Ariel is already on a mast around a 200m away from the house so not sure something attached to the house will work.

We’re lucky as we have B4RN rural broadband which gives us 1GB connection so no worries here and only costs £30 a month.

Makes me realise how lucky we are. 500mb connection...never use anywhere near capacity but been useful with kids home as well...no fighting.

Do sympathise as when we were away on holiday we had 6 Mb broadband which was ok for me and DH to browse and do emails but the minute the kids went on and used it ...only saw an egg timer !

500!!!

Mine bumps along at between 0.5 and 1mb on a good day. Heavy rain knocks it out entirely.

Work emails are not so bad, documents can take a while to open, but skype... I maybe get 10 minutes out of every 1/2 hour's meeting.

Yes full fibre right to the house. Better than any connection at work!