Is your work from home setup not working for you? With more Americans participating in remote work, it can be an adjustment. While there are many perks of working remotely, it can come with a few downsides, such as creating a seamless work environment with your existing technology. If you’re tired of constant video conferencing lags, sub-par audio and spotty connections, it may be time to upgrade your home office video conferencing system.
Video Conferencing Bandwidth Requirements
• 2.0 Mbps up and down for single screen
• 2.0 Mbps up 4.0 Mbps down for dual screen
• 2.0 Mbps up 6.0 Mbps down for triple screen
• 150 to 300kbps for screen sharing only
• 60 to 80kbps for audio VoIP
Not only will an upgraded video conferencing system cause you less frustration throughout the workday and deliver crystal clear conferencing, but it will also increase productivity and work output. Here’s how.
Tip #1: Create the Ideal Lighting
Improving the lighting in your room can make a dramatic difference in enhancing the video conferencing experience and maintaining a professional appearance. And you’ll be happy to know that there are many ways to create effective lighting in your home with smart technology. For example, you can use smart shade control to automatically dim or brighten your office as needed. Settings can be customized to your specific needs, creating the perfect audio, video and lighting, including lowering the shades and closing the drapes.
Working with Lutron motorized shade control not only delivers the right amount of light efficiently but also leverages natural light to save on your home’s energy costs. Like the other smart technology components in your home, indoor lighting fully integrated and easy-to-use.
Tip #2: Purchase a New Router
Typically, an overloaded wireless network connection is slow, with downloads from the internet taking much longer than usual. If your WiFi seems to be lagging, there may be many underlying issues at play, such as an outdated router. A consumer-grade network may not be enough when it comes to the capabilities needed for remote work, including video conferencing. Enhance the capabilities of your home office by upgrading your network with a new router. A new high-bandwidth or dual-bandwidth router can improve internet usage and make transferring to remote work a breeze.
Tip #3: Upgrade to WiFi 6
WiFi 6 excels at delivering a reliable internet connection to users. WiFi 6 works by transmitting internet bandwidth more quickly and efficiently while using less energy. The result: more information can be transferred to more devices simultaneously. While it’s still being tested and evaluated for speed, many experts agree that the WiFi 6 has maximum speeds of up to 10 Gbps and is approximately 30% faster than its predecessor, the WiFi 5.
To use WiFi 6, your home must have a WiFi 6 router or WiFi 6 wireless access point. Major technology brands such as Cisco, Ubiquiti, Netgear and Ruckus Wireless all create WiFi 6 routers.
Tip #4: Ensure Proper Internet Coverage
We’ve all been there…the dreaded dropped business call. While this can be frustrating, it is, fortunately, a fixable problem if it is due to inadequate internet coverage. Your home’s WiFi system is enabled by the central router that broadcasts the internet signal. If there is a certain area of your home or office that is prone to dropped calls, it may be due to a weak signal strength in that location. To correct this problem, you may need a whole home network upgrade if it’s been more than five years since your last network upgrade. Or, it can be as simple as relocating the WiFi access point to a more central location in your home.
Tip #5: Close Competing Video Conferencing Applications
Did you know that Zoom captures 30 pictures of you per second to stream via video? Zoom, and other video conferencing apps, use your computer’s processor to send the images to your network which then transmits them to the app. To ensure there are no interruptions, close any and all computer applications that are running so your computer does not need to compete with your processor.
Tip #6: Install Structured Wiring
If you’re building a new home or undergoing renovations, installing structured wiring in your home may be an easy, effective solution to solve your video conferencing woes. Structured wiring can also be installed in an existing home (called a structured wire retrofit), but some walls may need to be opened up for installation. Without a structured wiring system in place, you can experience less than desirable performance from your WiFi-enabled devices. Adding or retrofitting your home for structured wiring will improve your network’s bandwidth so you’re able to seamlessly video conference with multiple people without taking a second guess.
Can We Help?
Ready to invest in video conferencing technology? We’re here to help! We create a custom plan that is right for you and your family. After understanding your goals during your free consultation, we create a custom plan and budget specifically designed for your needs. If you’re ready to learn more about a wireless network upgrade for your home, contact us here.
