If you are a freelancer or work remotely, you’ll know that where you choose to work matters quite a bit. Since Covid days, co-working spaces have become incredibly popular for those who value flexible working.
These spaces are also a great way to meet other people and network with those in the same industry. And let’s be honest, sometimes co-working locations spark a bit more inspiration and productivity than home offices.
But one thing that gets overlooked all the time is the bandwidth that your co-working space offers. If your Internet connection is unreliable or too slow, your productivity will ultimately pay the price.
Why Does Bandwidth Matter In Co-Working Spaces?
Simply put, bandwidth is the amount of data that your Internet connection can support at once. If there are too many people in the co-working space trying to work online or doing data-intensive activities like streaming, the Internet will slow down.
You can imagine that in a co-working setting, a fair amount of bandwidth is required. Some people may be on regular Zoom meetings while others need to access cloud-based platforms like Google Drive.
And in most cases, each person will have more than just one device. Every smartphone, laptop or tablet that comes into the space contributes to the bandwidth consumption.
How To Know If Your Co-Working Space Has Enough Bandwidth
If you plan to start utilising a co-working space or already do, there are a couple of ways that you can determine if there is enough bandwidth to support you and others working there.
Enquire About The Actual Numbers
It’s often assumed that co-working spaces automatically have fast Internet, but it’s not always the case. You have every right to ask what the download and upload speeds are and if there is a dedicated line for data-intensive activities.
Assess The Wi-Fi Quality
While speed definitely matters, there could be other factors affecting the Internet’s performance especially dead zones and weak Wi-Fi signals.
It’s definitely worth asking about the coverage within the office space and how many devices are able to connect to each router.
Test The Connection
If you already work in a co-working space, you could do a speed test during peak hours. There are plenty of free online tools that you can use and these will give you real-time data.
You’ll want to see high upload and download speeds as well as low ping to support video calling.
Telltale Signs The Bandwidth Isn’t Enough
Even if you haven’t gotten to the stage of doing tests to check the bandwidth, you’ll definitely notice some signs that will indicate that the Internet is taking strain.
In most cases, video calls will either buffer constantly or drop entirely and streaming will be nearly impossible. Uploading or downloading files can also take much longer than normal and you may find the connection drops quite often.
What Can You Do To Improve Connectivity?
If you know that the Internet at your co-working space isn’t up to scratch but you don’t really have other options, there are some workarounds that can help you maintain your productivity when working online.
Use a dedicated line: These are business-grade Internet connections equipped to handle intensive online activities. It is a bit pricier but it guarantees speed and reliability with additional customer support.
Wired connection: You can also opt to use an Ethernet connection, especially for devices that don’t move around a lot like your laptop. This type of connection is known to be more reliable than Wi-FI and can also help with speed.
Mobile Data: As a very last resort, you can hotspot your smartphone to use 4G or 5G if you have an important meeting or need to access files. This isn’t the most sustainable long-term solution but it is a quick fix if you need urgent online connectivity.
