Reducing Eyestrain. Working From Home Internet and Wi-Fi Issues

Hard to believe that it’s already mid-August. We hope that you are staying safe and healthy. There is much talk these days about reducing eyestrain, and about how the blue light emitted from computer, phone and other electronic devices can interfere with sleep. We’ll examine two options: Dark Mode and Night Shift.

What is Dark Mode and should I turn it on?
Dark Mode is a feature on many smartphones, computers, and tablets that reverses the traditional dark text on a light background to light text on a dark background. Dark Mode has been said to help reduce eyestrain, but there is also evidence that using it too much can be harmful to your eyes. Here are a couple of articles discussing the pros and cons of dark mode. https://bit.ly/33YBqIC https://cnet.co/3gUKbGZ

Night Shift or Night Light
Night Shift (for Apple Devices) and Night Light (for Android Devices and Windows 10) reduces the blue light that tricks our brains into thinking it’s daytime and interfering with sleep.
Here’s an article that provides instructions for enabling Night Shift or Night Light https://bit.ly/2E0N0rL

Working From Home-Is Your Internet Speed or Wi-Fi Coverage/Stability Causing Issues?
Many of us are working from home during the pandemic, often using videoconferencing and other high-bandwidth applications. If you are experiencing slow Internet speeds, timeouts while waiting for websites or video to load, or Inconsistent Wi-Fi connections, we’ll discuss some possible solutions.

Problem: Slow Internet Speeds, Timeouts While Web Pages or Video Load
Solution: Contact your Internet provider and ask about increasing your bandwidth. The cost to upgrade your speed is often very small, $0-$25 per month. In most cases, only a phone call to your provider is needed, and they probably won’t require a visit to your home.

Problem: Slow or Inconsistent Wi-Fi
Solution 1: If Internet bandwidth is not the issue, then consider adding wireless access points. Wireless access points connect to your router using a hard-wired Ethernet cable and then generate a strong Wi-Fi signal. If needed, multiple access points can blanket your home with strong, reliable wireless signals.
Solution 2: Connect your device directly to your router using an Ethernet cable. If your home has Ethernet cabling installed, or if your device is located close to your router, you can connect with an Ethernet cable to increase speed and reliability. Cables can be as short as 1 foot or as long as 100+ feet. If your computer doesn’t have an Ethernet jack, you can buy a USB Ethernet jack for under $20.
Solution 3: Install a mesh system. In a mesh system, signals are transferred from each wireless device to the nearest neighboring device until it reaches your router. This may provide more reliable connectivity. We have seen mixed results with mesh systems our clients have implemented, and cannot recommend them without a caveat.

Our strong preference is for implementing access points. The biggest downside is the requirement for Ethernet cabling, but it’s the most reliable and fastest way to extend your Wi-Fi signals.

Working From Home-Is Your Network and Computer Protected?
It’s important to review your computer and network security when working from home, as your computer, wireless network and network firewall may be vulnerable. Here are a few tips to keep you safe.
1. Your computer should have anti-virus software installed, and have up-to-date operating system and application updates. Out-of-date operating systems and software are common attack points for hackers.
2. Your wireless network should be secured with a strong password of at least 8 characters. It is prudent to change your wireless password periodically. If you have guests that require the use of your wireless network, many routers have a guest network option that allows access to the Internet only and uses a different network name and password.
3. Consider whether a more robust firewall is advisable. Your computer and router both have low-level firewalls that don’t adapt to emerging threats. If you need something stronger, consider a business-class firewall that gets updated by the manufacturer to help safeguard against newly-discovered threats and malicious websites.

We like the Meraki brand by Cisco. Typical hardware cost for home or small office is $400-$600 for the hardware, plus a yearly subscription for hardware warranty and threat updates of $200-$400. Pre-paid costs for the equipment, warranty, and threat protection service bundles run around $1,200-$1,500 for a 3-year plan and $1,600-$2,000 for a 5-year plan.

The most important thing you can do to protect yourself against viruses and hackers is to be super-careful about what you click. Malicious links that are clicked are the number-one source of successful attacks.

Stay Safe and Be Well,
Betina, Ryan and Edward