Internet: the foundation of everything

In Revelstoke and much of the Kootenays, internet options are more limited than in larger cities. Telus fibre is available in some areas of town; others rely on DSL, fixed wireless, or Starlink. For video calls and cloud-based work, you need a minimum of 25 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload — and those are minimums. If multiple people in your household work or stream simultaneously, aim higher. Test your actual speeds at speedtest.net, not just what your plan promises.

If your internet is unreliable, consider a backup connection. A Starlink dish or a mobile hotspot with a decent data plan can keep you working during outages. Some routers support automatic failover between two connections.

Wi-Fi and networking

The router your ISP gave you is probably not good enough — especially if your office is in a basement or on a different floor from the router. Dead zones, dropped video calls, and slow file uploads are almost always a Wi-Fi problem, not an internet problem. A mesh Wi-Fi system (like TP-Link Deco or Ubiquiti UniFi) solves this by placing multiple access points throughout your home. For the best reliability, run a wired Ethernet connection to your desk if at all possible — it's faster, more stable, and doesn't compete with every other device in the house.

Security: protect yourself and your employer

Working from home means your employer's data passes through your home network. At minimum: change your router's default admin password, enable WPA3 encryption on your Wi-Fi, keep your router firmware updated, and use a VPN if your employer provides one. If you handle sensitive client data — financial records, health information, legal documents — consider a separate VLAN or guest network for your work devices so they're isolated from your smart TVs, kids' tablets, and IoT devices.

Your home network is a potential entry point to your employer's systems. If your employer requires specific security configurations, take them seriously — a breach that originates from your home office is a career-level problem.

Hardware essentials

The gear that makes a real difference for remote work:

  • A quality external monitor — 24" or larger, reduces eye strain and increases productivity dramatically
  • A proper keyboard and mouse — not the laptop's built-in keyboard for 8 hours a day
  • A good headset with a noise-cancelling microphone — your coworkers will thank you
  • A webcam (if your laptop's built-in camera is poor) — 1080p minimum for professional calls
  • A UPS (uninterruptible power supply) — keeps your modem, router, and laptop running through brief power flickers common in mountain towns

Backup: because your work matters

If your work files live only on your laptop's local drive, you're one coffee spill or SSD failure away from losing everything. Use cloud storage as your primary file location — OneDrive, Google Drive, or Dropbox — so files sync automatically. For extra protection, a local backup drive with automated backup software (Time Machine on Mac, File History on Windows) gives you a second copy. The 3-2-1 rule applies here too: three copies, two media types, one offsite.

Getting help with your home office setup

If networking, security configuration, and backup planning sound like more than you want to tackle alone, that's understandable — it's a lot of pieces to get right. We offer home office IT setup services for remote workers in Revelstoke and the surrounding area. We'll assess your space, optimize your network, configure your security, and make sure your backup is solid — typically in a single visit.

Want a home office that just works?