Backup Network anyone?

[HalfEatenPie]

With more and more jobs/work/shenanigans based on the internet or work-at-home scenarios, I was wondering what do you have (for those of you who are working at home) to make sure you can clock in everyday?  Do you have an additional service from another company you use as a backup network connection?  

This is after the recent post on Reddit about the guy who used Comcast Residential for his go-to job-connection and ended up getting fired for it a few months afterwards due to how spotty their service to his area was.  People complained that he should have probably upgraded to a Business line, and while that is true it still doesn't excuse their terrible service.  

Lets hear em!

 

[mojeda]

Tethering my android or iPhone for 4G LTE service, I have unlimited data on both.

I live an area where Verizon coverage is pretty strong and the service hasn't really ever been spotty for me.

 

[SGC-Hosting]

My main line is fios (residential).  My backups are: optimum wifi, t-mobile hotspot, tethering my iPad with AT&T, or tethering an iphone with verizon.  The only real "planned" backup was the t-mobile hotspot - everything else is just because it's available and convenient.

I'd say I end up using fios 80% of the time and optimum for 20% -- haven't even charged my t-mobile hotspot in a year.

While comcast's service is unacceptable in the case on reddit, when your job (or anything important) relies on the service, there is no excuse for not having some kind of failover solutions -- even if they had record uptime and reliability, things happen - if you choose to ignore this, then the only person to blame is yourself.

 

[Amfy]

This is after the recent post on Reddit about the guy who used Comcast Residential for his go-to job-connection and ended up getting fired for it a few months afterwards due to how spotty their service to his area was.  People complained that he should have probably upgraded to a Business line, and while that is true it still doesn't excuse their terrible service.  

Can you link us to this post?

 

[mikeyur]

My main line is a 50mbps cable connection (Shaw Cable). I've considered adding an additional DSL line, but for the few outages I've had - I've just been able to tether off of my phone temporarily.

If my connection really does go down hard, it's not too difficult to head to a coffee shop or a friend's house to work.

 

[D. Strout]

Backup connection? Neighbor's wi-fi. We have good friends down the street, and they use a different ISP (yes, I'm in the US, I'm just lucky enough not to live in an area with only one option), so simultaneous outages is unlikely. I also have a FreedomPop and I can tether from my phone, but I've not had reason to very much. One or twice, so it's nice to have, but I could get by without it.

In order of priority:

ISP fiber line

Phone tethering

FreedomPop

Neighbor's wi-fi

McDonalds

 

[dave]

I used to have 2 dsl lines, but these days I just use a 3g/hsdpa service for backup if I need it, which isn't often.

I've got a cradlepoint router that I can plug my phone into, and then plug the cradlepoint into my main router to share the connection with my whole lan.

 

[HenriqueSousa - WebUp 24/7]

I have my DSL connection as primary, and for backup I have:

2x 4G broadbands from different providers

And as last resource I have the internet from my phone also 4G.

- Henrique

 

[concerto49]

Yeah, like most have a backup 4G connection. Usually the best way. I've tried applying for a second fiber connection here but got rejected by the building manager actually.

 

[Wintereise]

Tethering.

 

[Jonathan]

At home I have DSL then tethering.

At the office we have:

Cable Line

DSL Line

Verizon Tether

AT&T Tether

Currently looking into satellite backup options to add to the mix in the event of a natural disaster or area outage.

 

[splitice]

Its impossible to get a second line in this locality unfortunately. The copper in the ground barely supports a phone line (techs report it barely passes compliance, and on some days it doesn't at all - but its hard to get a phone tech to verify that). As such we use cable, much faster sometimes anyway (even if its significantly more expensive).

Tethered 3G is the backup if the net goes down (which does happen). And if that's down, well I guess I go to the pub? Haha

 

[perennate]

mcdonald's

 

[HalfEatenPie]

Can you link us to this post?

http://redd.it/2dvjyw

 

[HalfEatenPie]

Haha it seems 3G/4G is pretty common for folks here!  Satellite isn't that bad of an option in my opinion, but I'm not too sure how expensive it'd be to maintain it as a backup option!  Benefit of unlimited data on a family plan is that you can setup an old device as the backup system and share the unlimited data whereas a satellite system you'd have to constantly pay for a subscription fee even when not in use (I don't know any pay-as-you-go option)

 

[linuxthefish]

Neighbors wifi, he has plain ADSL and i have VDSL, and he works from home and uses my net when his is down. Also unlimited 3G

 

[HostUS-Alexander]

I have two phone / broadband lines with two providers, I also then have my unli 4GB tethering, then if shit really shits the fan, I have an emergency Nokia on another network with £30 credit and a full charge

 

[KuJoe]

I've got a FreedomPop 4G Hot Spot (<- Referral Link) that I picked up for $18 shipped and comes with 500MB of 4G data per month for free. I pay them $4/month so the unused data rolls over and I use it when I'm traveling or when Comcast goes out (only happened once, but it was down for almost 2 hours and nobody in the house noticed the speed difference).

The 4G isn't LTE, but 10Mbps is fast enough for 3 people.

 

[concerto49]

Sat is mostly too slow / high latency to be usable.

 

[Kris]

Heard nothing about nightmares from FreedomPop, check the Amazon reviews before purchasing.

Get the Virgin Mobile Hotspot, you can activate it daily if you want to use it or cheap monthly, uses 4G LTE over Sprint. I'm grandfathered in on an unlimited 4G for $35/month plan. 

My favorite so far has been YourKarma, runs on the Clear WiMAX network, and LTE is in the works. You buy data once, it never expires. You also get 100MB for every person who connects, I haven't refilled my account since last December and still have 5GB. It broadcasts a 'Free Wi-Fi by Karma' SSID and you can earn a gig quickly at an airport.