Broadband deals for working from home
If you're either working from home or are transitioning to working from home, either due to recent events concerning the coronavirus pandemic or for some other reason, knowing your home broadband connection can cope is important. In this guide we'll look at the factors involved in choosing the right broadband package for working from home, how to maximise the potential of your existing connection, which providers offer the most suitable deals, and also cover some general tips for those working from home for the first time.
Choosing the right broadband package for home working
Residential broadband packages usually provide decent download speeds, poor upload speeds, bog standard technical support and a dynamic IP (internet address which changes over time). Business broadband packages, on the other hand, even those you can get for your home, often provide better upload speeds, a static IP address (an internet address that doesn't change – useful in some circumstances) and enhanced 24/7 tech support.
Beyond that important choice, there are a number of factors you will need to consider when choosing a broadband deal intended for home working.
- Speed – Download speed is important. But when working from home, if you're intending to send a lot of large files or documents, you may want to factor in upload speed too. A good general rule is simply to get the fastest package available if you're working from home, as this will also give you the fastest upload speed.
- Availability – Almost every household in the UK can get fibre broadband on the Openreach network (used by almost all providers except Virgin Media). Still, speeds vary from location to location. If you're switching or signing up to a new provider, your new provider will let you know the actual speed you personally are likely to get. Virgin Media is renowned for its high speeds, but it's still only available to around 60% of UK households, so you'll need to check if you can get it
- Usage – Pretty much all broadband packagesnow on sale in the UK are now unlimited. Even if you do find one, you won't save much money, and they're pretty unsuitable for home working. It’s always best to choose an unlimited deal
- Price – No broadband package is 'expensive' in the grand scheme unless you bundle the fastest broadband and the best TV package. But that doesn't mean it isn’t worth taking the time to find a good deal. Happily, we have everything you need to compare and choose on this very page
- Contract length – Broadband contract lengths vary from 30 days (also called 'no contract broadband') to two years. The shortest contracts are usually the most expensive and if you're willing to sign up for two years, your provider will often guarantee no price hikes during that time. Most providers offer a standard contract length of 18 months
- Offers – When choosing a new deal, either to work from home or just generally, keep an eye out for special offers that include cashback, gifts and so on. At the same time it's probably not wise to choose your broadband deal on this basis only, as quite often you will find the most generous offers come with the most expensive deals
- Business or residential package – Several home broadband providers offer a business version of their packages which often include a static IP address and improved tech support. If your home business absolutely must stay online 24/7 you should consider one of these packages. If you merely work from home a good residential package will probably be all you need
Upgrading your existing broadband connection
Aside from switching, another way you might choose to crank up your home broadband to cope with working from home is to upgrade the package you have with your existing provider. If you're not already on your provider's top speed, this should be simple and straightforward, demanding nothing more of you than simply calling your provider or logging into your account online and selecting the desired upgrade. Speed upgrades are instantaneous in most cases, however some providers will need to supply you with a different router if you're switching from old-fashioned ADSL to fibre broadband. It sounds great, but there are a few catches you should be aware of.
The first catch is you won't benefit from any new customer offers that broadband providers use to entice new customers over. These can often be quite substantial, involving several months at a lower price, cashback, vouchers, gifts and other offers, so by not switching you will be missing out.
The second catch – and one that may have you thinking again entirely – is that your broadband provider will sometimes use upgrading as an excuse to renew your contract. If they do, you will be tied in with that provider for the full contract length (likely to be 18 months) from the moment you upgrade. Worth considering if you haven't decided whether to switch or upgrade.
How to maximise your existing broadband connection
Not everyone can switch or upgrade. Plenty of folk are on the fastest speed they can get from their provider, and still under contract. So they're stuck. If that's you, and your broadband is struggling to cope with you and/or your family working from home while still serving all your other home broadband needs, there are a number of ways you can ensure you're getting the best out of your connection.
- Disconnect devices you're not using – Devices such as mobile phones, tablets, computers, smart speakers and so on all take up a little bit of bandwidth (speed) in the background. If you're struggling for enough speed to go around, switch everyone's mobile to mobile data, disconnect tablets you're not using and consider giving Alexa a rest
- Switch off microwaves and fairy lights – Any electronics that generate strong electromagnetic fields can and will interfere with your wifi. You probably don't use your microwave all day long, but if you have fairy lights switch them off and you may find your wifi speeds improve
- Connect computers over a LAN cable – The computer you use for your home working – or any other computer for that matter – should be connected to your router via a physical LAN cable if at all possible. It puts less strain on your wifi, and you'll get better speeds to the computer itself
- Schedule downloads for the nighttime – If you or anyone in your household downloads a lot of movies and/or games, schedule these to take place overnight as they will hog your entire connection otherwise. Most services (both games and movies) do let you schedule downloads, but where you can't, just set them downloading last thing before bed
- Purchase a backup mobile broadband connection – If you can find no other way to alleviate your slow broadband woes, consider buying a mobile broadband package. Mobile broadband comes in the form of either a dongle (USB stick serving internet to one computer), a MIFi or personal hotspot device (usually battery-operated and serving multiple devices like a wifi router), or a dedicated 4G or 5G home router. You can get mobile broadband deals on rolling 30-day contracts if you're only looking for a temporary solution
Providers offering the best broadband deals for home working
Generally speaking, any broadband connection with a good speed is going to be suitable for home working. For this reason we recommend forgetting about standard ADSL broadband and going for a fibre package. Whether or not you choose a residential or business broadband deal then comes down to whether you need a static IP address, faster upload speeds and/or round the clock tech support. Here are the providers we recommend.
- BT broadband – Perhaps the best-known provider in the UK, BT is often a little more expensive than some other providers, but you will get an excellent router and a host of handy extras. BT also provides broadband specifically for small or home businesses
- EE broadband – Offers your standard range of broadband packages and doesn't have any packages specifically for small or home businesses. There are benefits to be had if you also have an EE mobile plan
- NOW Broadband – Is a brand owned by Sky. It offers a standard range of broadband packages with none aimed specifically at home businesses or home working. However, it is usually well-priced
- Plusnet broadband – Is owned by BT, though it identifies itself separately, has a different range of packages, and does offer some packages specifically for small or home business users
- Shell Energy Broadband – Is a new player in the market, but was formerly First Utility Broadband, which had been around a while. It offers your standard range of packages and does not offer any specifically for small or home businesses
- Sky broadband – Offers your standard range of home broadband packages and does not offer any packages specifically for small or home businesses
- TalkTalk broadband – Is usually relatively cheap, and offers a separate range of broadband packages specifically for home working and/or small businesses
- Virgin Media broadband – Has by far the fastest widely available speeds in the country. If you can get it and want the best connection out there, Virgin Media is it. It also has a wide range of packages aimed at businesses of all sizes
- Vodafone broadband – Is both cheap and high quality – a rarity. It offers the standard range of packages you'll see with other providers and in addition has range of packages designed for small or home businesses
Tips for working online from your home
If you're new to working from home there are a few things to consider which you might not immediately believe important. Take it from us, though, these things are pretty vital.
- Corden off a working space – If you can't find a space where you won't be disturbed you're going to have trouble with your focus. Try to find somewhere in your house to work that isn't in the path of household foot traffic. If you can set up a small room especially, then great. If you haven't got that kind of space, a bedroom is a good alternative. Avoid living rooms and kitchens. Too many distractions
- Be at your desk on time – Depending on whether you're a freelancer or not, and indeed whether you are being paid by the hour, you need to muster the self-discipline to be at your desk on time. It's important to treat a home working day just like any other working day if you want to stay in the right mindset
- Get up and get dressed the same as on a normal working day – Folk have been known to plonk themselves down in front of their desks at home while still in their dressing gowns. Working well at home is as much about mindset as it is the work you're doing. Treating your home working space like a company office space puts you in the right frame of mind to be productive
- Plan ahead for meals – It's very easy to spend a lot of your day fussing about food when you work from home. Your options are less limited. So to avoid wasting a lot of time going back and forth to the kitchen, it's good to have an idea of what you're going to eat before your day starts