It’s easy to call the IT department whenever you run into tech issues with your computer at work. But, how can you do this when you’re working from home? Imagine your computer loses connection or suddenly crashes; what do you do? Although you can call for professional help, it takes a while. This is why remote workers need to learn some troubleshooting principles. This is one of the things that I miss about working for someone else (there aren’t many things I miss!). Here are some tips to help you with some typical problems.
Invest in equipment that will help you improve performance
Poor AV quality during virtual meetings or unstable home Wi-Fi connection is a common tech difficulty. Such minor investments like a headset or range extenders can assist. If you don’t want to buy new equipment, you can improve your home Wi-Fi by changing the software on your router or just shifting the physical router to a more open area in your home.
Let your computer “rest”
After a busy day, you would usually get some sleep to rejuvenate your body for the next day’s tasks. Well, this is the same for your computer. On your computers, you have a lot of apps active and a lot of tabs open in your browsers. This causes a computer to slow down. This is further worsened when you do not shut down your computer regularly to give it time to “rejuvenate.” Speaking of slow performance, you should consider decluttering your computer or running a clean installation to improve speed. This is something that I need to be way better at!
Check your internet connection speed
The increased use of meeting platforms can cause latency and bandwidth difficulties- especially if there are multiple internet users in your home. Using platforms such as fast.com, you can check your internet speed. If it’s slow, you can implement various strategies to improve speed. Or you can invest in a better internet connection- as explained in the next point.
Invest in a high-speed internet connection that you can count on
When it comes to remote work, having a dependable, high-speed internet connection is one of the most critical factors that might affect your capacity to work efficiently and successfully. This should solve a lot of your problems. When problems arise, the quickest way to resolve them is to reboot all appropriate equipment – firewall, router, computer, and so on.
Check to see if your software is up-to-date
Make sure you have the most recent version of the software installed, including any updates. Continuous integration, continuous delivery (CI/CD), and quick modifications are all concepts used in software development. One typical blunder is failing to keep software up to date, leading to communication breakdowns, data corruption, and security risks.
Maintain your composure and conduct some research
You can help yourself by taking a sequence of steps. First, keep your cool (and not scream at it like I do!). It’s just a computer, after all. You’re not doomed because you didn’t kill it. Rebooting is the second step. This addresses a considerable number of issues. If the reboot didn’t work, look up information about your problem on Google or YouTube. However, be sure to find relevant information to help you fix your problem.
For more business advice and working from home, read my blog posts here.
This is a collaborative post
