Hot take: coworking spaces with bad WiFi are worse than staying in a cafe

I just spent a whole day at a "digital nomad friendly" coworking spot in Lisbon that advertised "high speed internet" and it was barely pulling 10 Mbps at 2pm... I moved to a local cafe down the street and got 50 Mbps for the price of a coffee. Why do these places market themselves as work-friendly if they can't handle the basics? Has anyone else run into this where the hype didn't match reality?

2 comments

2 Comments

hunt.rowan21d ago

First thing I always do now is check the actual speed before paying for a day pass. Use the free trial if they have one and run a speed test at peak times like 2pm when everyone is there... Learned that the hard way in Bali. Also a lot of these places share one residential connection across 50 desks, that's why it tanks. Best hack I found is google maps reviews sorted by newest and search "wifi speed" inside the reviews, people always post the real numbers. Cafe hopping honestly works better most days because you can just leave if it's bad instead of being stuck with a prepaid membership.

hugo5021d ago

Second that on the Google Maps search trick. I also look for coworking spots that post their actual package with the provider, like if they say "500mbps fiber" versus just "fast wifi." Those usually deliver. Coffee shops are underrated too, just gotta find ones that don't kick you out after an hour.