Remote work has become a permanent feature of Australian working life, and a reliable network connection is essential for professional productivity. Video conferencing, cloud applications, VPN connections, and file sharing all depend on consistent, stable internet access. This guide helps you optimise your home office network to support your work effectively, focusing on the practical steps that make the biggest difference.
Why Your Home Network Matters for Remote Work
Working from home places different demands on your network compared to casual home use. Video calls require consistent bandwidth in both directions, as your camera feed uploads while you receive your colleagues' video streams. A brief dropout that goes unnoticed during streaming video becomes an embarrassing interruption during an important meeting.
VPN connections to corporate networks add latency and can be sensitive to network instability. Applications designed for office networks with high-speed, low-latency connections may perform poorly over unstable home WiFi. Files that open instantly in the office can take frustrating seconds to load over an unreliable connection.
Shared home networks compound these challenges. While you are on a video call, other household members might be streaming video, gaming, or uploading large files. Without proper network configuration, these competing demands can degrade your work connectivity. Professional home network setup addresses these challenges systematically.
The good news is that most NBN connections provide ample bandwidth for home office use. An NBN 50 plan delivers more than enough for video calls with bandwidth to spare. Issues typically arise from last-mile connectivity between your router and devices, which is where ethernet connections provide significant advantages over WiFi.
The Case for Wired Connections in Home Offices
Ethernet connections eliminate many of the variables that make WiFi unreliable for professional use. A wired connection provides consistent bandwidth without drops caused by interference, distance from the router, or congestion from other devices. For work purposes, this consistency is more valuable than raw speed.
Latency on ethernet connections is typically lower and more consistent than WiFi. This matters for video conferencing, where latency contributes to that awkward sensation of talking over each other. It also affects interactive applications, remote desktop sessions, and VoIP phone calls. The difference may be tens of milliseconds, but it improves the subjective experience of using online tools.
Security-conscious employers sometimes prefer wired connections. WiFi signals extend beyond your walls, and while properly configured WiFi is secure, ethernet inherently limits the attack surface. Some corporate security policies specifically recommend wired connections for remote workers handling sensitive information.
Wired connections also free up WiFi capacity for devices that cannot easily be connected via cable, like phones, tablets, and smart home devices. Removing your work computer from the WiFi network improves performance for remaining wireless devices while giving your work setup the most reliable connection available.
Essential Equipment for a Professional Home Office Network
Your router is the foundation of your home network. The router provided by your ISP is often adequate, but upgrading can provide benefits. Better routers offer improved WiFi range and speed, more ethernet ports, Quality of Service (QoS) features to prioritise work traffic, and enhanced security features. For serious home office use, consider routers designed for small business or prosumer applications.
Quality ethernet cables connect your work devices to the router or switch. Cat6 cables offer excellent performance at reasonable prices, supporting gigabit speeds with headroom for future upgrades. For home office use, a 3-10 metre Cat6 cable is typically sufficient unless your router is in another room. Our product recommendations include cables suited for home office use.
An ethernet switch expands available wired ports beyond what your router provides. A 5 or 8 port gigabit switch is inexpensive and allows you to connect multiple devices: computer, printer, VoIP phone, docking station. Choose an unmanaged switch for simplicity, or a managed switch if you want features like VLAN support for network segmentation.
For laptop users, a USB-C or USB 3.0 ethernet adapter provides wired connectivity. Many modern laptops lack built-in ethernet ports, but adapters are affordable and provide full gigabit speeds. Some docking stations include ethernet ports, combining connectivity expansion with convenient single-cable laptop connection.
Setting Up Your Home Office Network
Begin by assessing the distance between your work area and your router. If they are in the same room or adjacent rooms, running an ethernet cable is straightforward. For longer distances, options include running cable along skirting boards, through ceiling spaces, or using flat cables under carpets. Our guide to running ethernet through walls covers more complex installations.
Position your work desk with cable management in mind. Locate the ethernet port on your desk or docking station and plan the cable route to minimise visible cables and tripping hazards. Velcro cable ties and adhesive cable clips help create a tidy installation without permanent modifications to rental properties.
Connect your primary work computer via ethernet. For laptop users with docking stations, connect the ethernet to the dock. For desktop computers, connect directly to the computer's ethernet port. Disable WiFi on your work computer to ensure all traffic uses the wired connection, preventing the computer from silently switching to WiFi if ethernet connectivity momentarily drops.
Configure your router for optimal work performance. Enable QoS if available and prioritise video conferencing and VPN traffic. Update router firmware for security and performance improvements. Consider changing your WiFi channel to avoid interference from neighbours' networks, particularly in apartments or dense housing.
Optimising Video Conferencing Performance
Video calls are often the most demanding regular task for home networks. Platforms like Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet recommend minimum speeds of 3-4 Mbps for HD video, but higher bandwidth provides headroom for quality and reliability. More importantly, consistent connection quality matters more than peak speeds.
Wired connections typically improve video call quality even when WiFi speeds are theoretically adequate. The reduced jitter and packet loss of ethernet translate to smoother video, clearer audio, and fewer frozen screens. Colleagues on reliable connections immediately notice when someone joins from a poor connection, and first impressions in professional contexts matter.
Close bandwidth-hungry applications during important calls. Cloud backup services, software updates, and browser tabs with auto-playing content consume bandwidth that affects call quality. Communicate with household members about important meeting times to coordinate bandwidth-intensive activities.
If video quality issues persist despite a wired connection, investigate your NBN connection itself. Run speed tests during the times you experience problems, as network congestion during peak periods can affect performance. Contact your ISP if speeds consistently fall below your plan level, as line issues or provisioning problems may be responsible.
Security Considerations for Remote Work
Working from home introduces security considerations that office networks handle centrally. Your home network becomes part of your employer's security perimeter, and protecting it protects both your employer's data and your personal information.
Secure your WiFi network with a strong password and WPA3 encryption if your router supports it. Change the default router administration password to prevent unauthorised access to network settings. Disable remote management unless specifically needed, as this feature can be exploited if not properly secured.
Consider network segmentation to isolate work devices from smart home devices, which can have security vulnerabilities. Some routers support guest networks or VLANs that create separate network segments. This prevents a compromised smart device from providing a pathway to your work computer.
Keep all devices updated with security patches. This applies to your router firmware as well as computers and phones. Automatic updates are convenient but verify they are functioning correctly. Set calendar reminders to periodically check that devices are current if relying on manual updates.
Troubleshooting Common Home Office Network Issues
Slow connection speeds have many potential causes. First, test your speed using speedtest.net or your ISP's speed test. Compare results between WiFi and wired connections to isolate whether the issue is your internet connection or internal network. If wired speeds match your plan but WiFi is slow, focus on WiFi improvements: better router positioning, channel selection, or a mesh network system.
Intermittent disconnections often indicate cable or equipment issues. For ethernet connections, try a different cable and different router port. Check that connectors are fully seated and that cables are not kinked or damaged. For WiFi issues, interference from other networks, cordless phones, or microwave ovens can cause dropouts.
Video call quality problems despite good speed test results suggest network congestion or QoS issues. Other devices or users may be consuming bandwidth during calls. Implementing QoS rules to prioritise video conferencing traffic can help, as can scheduling large downloads for after work hours.
VPN connection issues often relate to router configuration. Some routers have VPN passthrough settings that need enabling. MTU (Maximum Transmission Unit) mismatches can cause VPN performance problems. Your IT department can provide guidance on optimal settings for your corporate VPN.
Building a Reliable Long-Term Setup
Invest in quality once rather than repeatedly replacing cheap equipment. A good router lasts many years and improves daily work experience. Quality ethernet cables last essentially indefinitely and perform reliably throughout their service life. The additional cost of quality equipment amortises over years of use.
Document your network setup for troubleshooting and future reference. Note IP addresses, login credentials, and any custom configurations. When problems occur, having this information available speeds resolution. Share relevant details with IT support if your employer provides remote work technical assistance.
Plan for technology evolution. NBN speeds are increasing, and future plans may require router upgrades to deliver full performance. Smart home devices continue multiplying, placing greater demands on networks. Building flexibility into your setup, through structured cabling or proper cable management, simplifies future upgrades.
Ready to upgrade your home office network? Use our cable finder tool to get recommendations matched to your setup, or browse our curated products for quality cables available in Australia.