Work from Home with Genie Broadband

When you’re working from home, the prospect of having an unreliable, slow and sporadic broadband service is enough to bring you out in a cold sweat. Without IT Support to be at your beck and call whenever there’s a problem, having to cope with an unreliable broadband service is not only annoying – it could potentially cost you your only source of income.

Other than your phone, the internet is a vital way of

keeping in touch with the outside world, potential clients and colleagues – it goes without saying that it’s worth doing a bit of research to find out which package and provider is right for you.

Fixed line or mobile broadband?

Don’t get too disheartened

when we suggest that you should seriously look into getting both. When you’re working from home, generally a fast and unlimited fixed-line broadband service is best to ensure your provider never limits you on your service.

However, for the times when you need to travel about, simply fancy getting away from the constraints of a home office and go rambling or need back-up when your home broadband unexpectedly throws a wobbly, mobile broadband will be a welcome addition.

This doesn't mean that you have to fork out on two lots of monthly subscriptions. There are plenty of mobile broadband Pay As You Go options that simply require you to top up your USB dongle (the device you plug into your computer to access the internet) when you need to.

Some providers insist that you add some data credit to your dongles on a monthly basis, but Vodafone’s new ‘TopUp and Go’ service allows you to add credit only when you’ve run out – perfect for when you only want mobile broadband as back up.

The only drawback is that you have to pay for your dongle outright, rather than get it bundled in for free as you do with contracted services. They’re normally only priced at around £40 though.

Alternatively, if you have a bit more to spend it’s possible to sign yourself up to a Business Broadband deal that throws in a mobile broadband service for free. The subscriptions prices are a lot more expensive than standard home broadband and the contracts are longer but speeds are generally a lot faster and you get the benefit of business broadband support.

What to look our for when searching for mobile broadband services

Mobile broadband coverage is an extremely important factor to consider before settling with a mobile broadband provider. Unfo

rtunately, the whole of the UK isn’t served yet and whilst coverage improves every month, large expanses of more rural areas are unable to connect to mobile broadband. Each provider should be able to present you with a map of the places in the UK they serve, so think about where you’re likely to travel for work. Built-up towns shouldn’t pose too much of a problem – especially well populated ones.

Mobile Broadband generally doesn’t match the speeds of fixed-line broadband although services are improving as they become more established. If you regularly carry out intensive online work you should also check to see what the download cap is for each package. Multimedia content will soon eat up your data allowance, but if you just tend to use the internet for browsing websites and emailing then you should be fine with a lower dat

a cap.

What to look our for when searching for a fixed line service

As with mobile broadband, working from home means that you may want to consider a dedicated Business Broadband service (especially as sometimes they throw in extras like free Openzone minutes), but normally a standard Home Broadband will do the trick. A fast service means that you will be able to get on with your work without annoying loading times and if you think you will be downloading large amounts of multimedia content, email a

ttachments or want a package that will double up for your family too then you should seriously consider an unlimited package – that way you won’t have to worry about additional charges if you go over your data limit.

The quickest way to research providers and packages

The good news is that it’s very easier to compare business, mobile and home broadband packages and providers thanks to a new, fresh look Broadban

d Genie. Point your browser to www.broadbandgenie.co.uk and you can view a dedicated list of business broadband offers and compare up to four choices. Using a side-by-side comparison it’s a pain-free and quick way to compare any potential new providers in a clear and concise manner. As well as a breakdown of package costs and perks Broadband Genie also offers up popularity star rating as well as an unbiased write-up on the package plus points and any additional extras or set-up costs that are included into the different deals.