Working from home in Nairobi: an internet checklist that prevents bad calls

More Nairobi professionals now spend part of the week on video calls from a spare room, a dining table or a shared apartment. When a call stutters, the instinct is to blame the internet package. Often the cause is something smaller and easier to fix. Work through these seven points before you call anyone.

1. Check your upload, not just your download

Zoom's published requirements for a 1080p group call are 2.5 Mbps down and 3.0 Mbps up. A one-to-one 720p call needs 1.2 Mbps each way. If other people at home are uploading photos, backing up phones or streaming at the same time, your meeting competes with them.

2. Plug in if you can

A cable from your laptop to the router removes Wi-Fi from the equation entirely. If your desk is in another room, a powerline adapter or a cable run is usually cheaper than another month of dropped calls.

3. Put the router where you work

Place the router in the open, as central as possible and off the floor. Walls, metal cabinets, mirrors and microwave ovens all weaken or disturb the signal. Moving a router two metres is free and often fixes more than a new plan.

4. Prefer the 5 GHz Wi-Fi band for the work laptop

Most modern routers broadcast both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. The 5 GHz band is generally faster and less crowded at short range; 2.4 GHz travels further through walls. Sit close and use 5 GHz for calls.

5. Measure delay, not only speed

Call quality depends on latency (the round-trip delay) as much as on speed. Our built-in speed test on the home page shows your ping, download and upload between your device and our server. Run it at the time of day when your calls usually go wrong.

6. Have a backup

Keep a phone with a data bundle ready as a hotspot for important meetings. Know how to switch to it before you need it.

7. Protect the power as well

A router, an ONT or a fixed-wireless unit that loses power takes the whole connection with it. A small UPS or a power bank for the router costs less than one missed client call.