Working From Home

Whether it’s a worldwide health crisis or your car broke down, there are times where you must work from home. This page is written to inform you of all of the available tools at your disposal.

Home Setup

When working from home, make sure to choose a room with few distractions and a strong internet connection. For best results, choose a space in close proximity to your WiFi router, or plug into the router via an Ethernet cable. For teleconferencing, make sure you have a pair of headphones or earbuds to keep your conversations private, and try to keep background noises to a minimum.

Antivirus / Anti-Malware

It is important to use an adequate antivirus for your computer when working with confidential business information. Antiviruses can not only block viruses and malware, but can even thwart most common hacker attacks. By not using an adequate antivirus, you’re exposing yourself, and the company you work for, to major risks.

Check out our antivirus page for more details.

Remote Control Software

One common method of working from home is through the use of remote support software. While Windows has a built-in tool called Windows Remote Desktop, it is commonly targeted by hackers as its an easy target due to its low security. Below are a few options on remote desktop applications with far higher security, performance, and ease of use.

AnyDesk

AnyDesk is a relatively new program developed from Germany with exceptional results. Out of all the programs we have used, AnyDesk is THE closest to feeling like you’re working directly from the remote computer. In fact, we use AnyDesk for remote support sessions. With low latency, 60 FPS, and exceptional quality, AnyDesk provides the clearest audio and video with even the slowest internet connections of 100 Kilobits/sec. Furthermore, all connections are encrypted with bank-level security to ensure your connection is as private as possible and HIPPA + SOC2 compliant. Set up either one-time connections or unattended access with a password for remote access anywhere in the world.

We believe that AnyDesk is THE solution for remote access. Compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, Chrome OS, iOS, Android, FreeBSD, and even Raspberry Pi (Raspbian), there’s practically no device you can’t use it with. And to top it off, commercial use starts at just $10.99/month (personal use is 100% free).

TeamViewer

TeamViewer comes in as a close second for our list of remote support programs. TeamViewer has been around longer than AnyDesk, and contains the same high-end encryption and HIPPA + SOC2 compliance. However, its video and audio quality is not as good as AnyDesk’s, we’ve found, and requires a stronger bandwidth connection. This program does feature additional features that make up for its quality and bandwidth, such as audio and video directly through the app, augmented reality remote support through iOS and Android, and whiteboards. Remote access can be configured through its contacts for unattended access.

TeamViewer is compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, Chrome OS, iOS, Android, and Raspberry Pi (Raspbian), obtaining almost the same level of compatibility as AnyDesk. However, commercial licenses start at $49/month, which is a little under five times as much as AnyDesk. For the price, lower bandwidth, and better quality, we recommend AnyDesk.

Telecommunications

An important part about working from home is maintaining communication with your coworkers. Over the years, telecommunication technologies have grown to help eliminate the distance between people countries apart. But with so many options out there, it’s hard to choose the right one. We’ve checked out many of the options and narrowed them down for you.

Zoom

Out of all the programs, Zoom has been the most popularity and highest reviews, trusted by many companies around the world. Zoom allows for video conferencing from anywhere at any time on any device, helping you stay connected with others. The free plan allows for up to 40 minutes on group meetings (three or more participants), but otherwise has no limits. Need longer than 40 minutes? The Pro plan allows for up to 24 hours for a meeting at just $15/month.

Slack

Slack became a big hit upon its release, becoming the first “new IRC” designed towards businesses. Companies create a workspace and accounts within those workspaces for staff to log into, allowing them to instant message and call other team members. Workspaces can be separated into channels for easy organization, and Slack integrates with popular services such as Google Drive, Zoom, GitHub, Gmail, Office 365, Trello, Asana, and more, right out of the box. Slack’s free plan allows for access to ten thousand of the most recent messages, as well as 1-on-1 voice and video calls between teammates. The standard plan — which allows group calls of up to 15 members, guest users, and unlimited message history — is only $6.67 a month.

Riot.im

Speaking about programs that replace IRC, Riot is a brand new program that is spoken of as THE replacement to IRC. Built on a custom real-time communication standard known as Matrix, Riot’s secure, low-bandwidth have been drawing countless consumers. Riot features instant messaging, low-latency voice and video, end-to-end encryption, file sharing, and integration with other services like Slack. The Matrix protocol also allows for unlimited clients, so anyone can use other Matrix-based clients like Nheko and Mozilla Thunderbird. And the top feature? It’s 100% free, now and forever.

No, we’re not talking about that old-fashioned communication back in the 1920’s. We’re referring to the instant messaging app launched in 2013. Originally developed for phones, Telegram is available for all devices, including a web app, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. Its low bandwidth usage allows for connectivity with even just two bars of 3G cell service, allowing you to send messages from virtually anywhere. Telegram also features VoIP calls, as well as a feature called “secret chat” — a peer-to-peer encrypted chat that can only be accessed from one device between users, and is not stored in the cloud or accessible by anyone, period. Telegram is also 100% free.

Skype (not recommended)

Skype is what many know as the original VoIP software. However, its age shows in terms of bugs and security vulnerabilities, making it a likely target for hackers. Furthermore, its privacy protection is…suspiciously not much. (We have had Skype calls in the past where we could still hear the other user’s microphone after the call was ended.) As most users transitioned from Skype to other programs already, Microsoft plans to discontinue Skype in the future.

Regular Phone (not recommended)

This is an option that you should always use as a last resort. While almost everyone has a phone number that you can pick up and dial, unfortunately phone lines aren’t nearly as secure as VoIP software, and typically have much less quality. Additionally, not everyone has unlimited minutes on their phone plan.