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Overheard a guy at the coworking cafe saying WiFi speed doesn't matter for remote work
I was sitting in this busy spot in Lisbon last Tuesday, trying to upload a 2GB video file for a client, and this dude next to me was bragging how he works fine on 10 Mbps. He said faster internet is just a waste of money for nomads. I almost choked on my coffee because I've had it ruin entire days when speeds drop. Just last week I lost a paid project deadline because my Airbnb's wifi couldn't handle a Zoom call with screen sharing. Maybe it's just me, but I think connection quality is like the biggest thing that can mess up your whole workflow. Has anyone else had a similar experience where slow internet actually cost you money or a client?
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leo_campbell1mo ago
Honestly used to be one of those people who thought any internet was fine. Running my whole setup on coffee shop wifi and thinking I was being smart by saving money on coworking plans. Then I had a client meeting crash three times during a presentation because my connection kept cutting out. Dude basically told me he couldn't trust me with bigger projects if I couldn't keep a stable video call. That one session probably cost me like 2k in future work. Now I pay extra for a place with proper fiber and never second guess it.
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hugo_ellis1mo ago
But see I've been running on 15 Mbps for the last two years and I'm actually making more now than when I had gigabit fiber. @leo_campbell I hear you on the client trust thing but maybe the issue is more about how you present yourself than the actual connection speed. I do all my calls with video off and send Loom recordings instead, plus I batch uploads overnight so slow speed never stops my workday. Is a bad wifi connection really the problem or is it how you plan around it?
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