Working From Home Thread

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#2447937 27-Mar-2020 12:59

1101:

Im sure there will be cases where the WFH user will accidentally shutdown there work PC . I think thats what one of my clients has done, luckily there
are spare PC's at their work I can could setup for them to remote onto use instead

Yeah, similar issues at my work. I've had to download a WOL tool and turn on someones PC.

Didn't know the mac address so pinged their workstation to load mac address into arp cache, then used arp -a to find it and turn it back on.

Batwing

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#2448104 27-Mar-2020 15:01

Slowly getting into the rhythm of work from home.

Luckily the wife and I already had three screens and she brought home another two, but the lack of proper office chairs means we have to be careful for our own sake to take turns or regular breaks.

The biggest stress factor is productivity expectations. My remote environment is an ancient version of windows and each time the auto-start of programs or any personal preferences are wiped at each new login - as compared to windows 10 and a personalised setup in the office. Some software is missing or unstable. On top of this is reminders from work about availability expectations and just how much work is piling up.

Add to this having school or daycare open is the only reason many of use can dedicate whole days to work and it sounds like some employers are expecting us to procure an extra 6-8 hours from somewhere that is usually down-time or encroaching on sleep times.

end rant.

Senecio

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#2448157 27-Mar-2020 16:08

Wow, I didn't realise that so many companies still use desktop based PCs in the office with staff having to remote in. I would have though that laptops were the standard these days for businesses?

1101

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#2448183 27-Mar-2020 16:32

Yeah, similar issues at my work. I've had to download a WOL tool and turn on someones PC.

Didn't know the mac address so pinged their workstation to load mac address into arp cache, then used arp -a to find it and turn it back on.

Ive just dome a remote restart on a PC with issues, only to find they dont know what the Win logon password is
God help me .

Companies still using crap that should have been replaced years ago, well now they are paying the price . :-(

PolicyGuy

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#2448225 27-Mar-2020 17:03

Senecio:

Wow, I didn't realise that so many companies still use desktop based PCs in the office with staff having to remote in. I would have though that laptops were the standard these days for businesses?

Desktops with multiple large screens and decent keyboards are just better working devices than laptops.
Also cheaper.

If people are doing remote access by RDP-ing onto their fixed desktops, then their employer is doing desktop IT wrong, in my not even slightly humble opinion. Ordinary desktop users should be using thin client hardware devices in the office and doing the 'work' on a shared server farm. When they need to work remotely they do so attaching to the same servers as when they're in the office.
Thin client devices are even cheaper than regular desktops. Even better, if one breaks, you just unplug it and plug in a new one: since there is no state stored locally, you lose no work.

Yes, there are some folks that have such specialised tasks that they need an individual fat client PC, but in an average office setting that would be a small proportion.

I am very happily retired now, but worked the Thin Client way most of the last twenty years

Handle9

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#2448242 27-Mar-2020 17:20

PolicyGuy:

Desktops with multiple large screens and decent keyboards are just better working devices than laptops.
Also cheaper.

If people are doing remote access by RDP-ing onto their fixed desktops, then their employer is doing desktop IT wrong, in my not even slightly humble opinion. Ordinary desktop users should be using thin client hardware devices in the office and doing the 'work' on a shared server farm. When they need to work remotely they do so attaching to the same servers as when they're in the office.
Thin client devices are even cheaper than regular desktops. Even better, if one breaks, you just unplug it and plug in a new one: since there is no state stored locally, you lose no work.

Yes, there are some folks that have such specialised tasks that they need an individual fat client PC, but in an average office setting that would be a small proportion.

I am very happily retired now, but worked the Thin Client way most of the last twenty years

Thin client can work fairly well in a fixed workplace but not so much in large mobile organisations. I shudder to think how bad it would be in our organisation (global with +/- 350, 000 people).

lchiu7

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#2448831 28-Mar-2020 13:33

Huge demands on web cams now with WFH. Most shops have sold out and Trademe prices are ridiculous. Plus the cheap ones come from China and we all the challenges in international shipping these days.

My sister doesn't have a laptop but uses a desktop for WFH. The camera we managed to scrounge up was pretty low quality and work wanted her to do VC via Zoom.

So I walked her through using an older cellphone as a web cam using this guide and software.

https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/use-smartphone-webcam-computer/

She is using a Nokia phone and the picture quality was better than my HD web cam :-) She could use the mic on the phone but had a decent mic anyway so she's using the phone for the camera and the other mic.

In my work situation while most people have laptops and even external monitors most many don't have web cams since they've been doing most of their video chatting using phones. So now we have many people who are looking at a big screen but the camera is on the laptop looking at the side of their faces :-( Using a spare phone (or even your current one) would be much better but nobody can install the device driver required for Windows since the desktop is locked down. That's a pity. Doing Zoom, Teams, etc. where you are facing the camera is so much more engaging.

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lchiu7

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#2448836 28-Mar-2020 13:44

PolicyGuy:

Senecio:

Wow, I didn't realise that so many companies still use desktop based PCs in the office with staff having to remote in. I would have though that laptops were the standard these days for businesses?

Desktops with multiple large screens and decent keyboards are just better working devices than laptops.
Also cheaper.

In my current client environment pretty much everybody is issued with a laptop. We hot desk so all the desks are equipped with 2 24" monitors, a keyboard and a USB-C docking station. So all you do when you come in is onnect the power to the laptop (the laptop chargers are installed on each desk) and the USB-C able and you're in. I am sure that having a laptop connected all the time to power can't be good for the batteries but I think the goal was to have staff able to take something home and work remotely. It's been ages since I had to worry about this but I do recall setting up Remote Desktop Web Access (RD Web Access) which worked pretty well if you had a BYOD policy. People would then just access the VPN (2FA) with their browsers and then remotely.

If you had an application that wasn't supported in the browser then if I recall you could create virtual Windows desktops that people could RDP to to run those applications.

But I hasten to add that was a few years ago now and the world must have changed.

Staying in Wellington. Check out my AirBnB in the Wellington CBD. https://www.airbnb.co.nz/h/wellycbd PM me and mention GZ to get a 15% discount and no AirBnB charges.

ShinyChrome

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#2448838 28-Mar-2020 13:47

PolicyGuy:
Senecio:

Wow, I didn't realise that so many companies still use desktop based PCs in the office with staff having to remote in. I would have though that laptops were the standard these days for businesses?

Desktops with multiple large screens and decent keyboards are just better working devices than laptops.
Also cheaper.

Ive been pushing to get laptops with docking stations for years at work for this reason. I've got my twin monitor desktop setup at work and I can take my whole environment home and VPN in from home if I need on prem resources. Even for fire alarm drills, I will remove my laptop and chuck it in a quick bug out bag. Its a bit more opex, but from a BCP point of view, its a winner.

The only thing that I need to RDP in for are remoting on to servers in the DMZ.

With all due respect to some of my colleagues who still persist with RDP on to on prem desktop, its dumb. With a hybrid cloud environment, there is no need.

ANglEAUT

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#2451877 31-Mar-2020 22:32

@JamjarsNZ: ... but today I have been assigned computer work to do from home which I am finding hard to grapple with. I am willing to give it a go but have found it hard with the kids badgering me all day for food or entertainment. The only respite I had was when I plonked them in front of the TV. I don't want to do this 8hrs a day just so I can concentrate.

I get the impression my boss is resentful of me being at home. I feel guilty being here although it is a situation I have no control over.

... and I was distracted by my work so in hindsight I was fobbing her off. I felt terrible and neglectful. I'm not sure if I can keep doing WFH unless I spend the evenings, when my wife is home, doing it and can attend to the kids, its going to feel like a double shift for me.

..., just want to share my experience. ...

@Batwing:

..., but the lack of proper office chairs means we have to be careful for our own sake to take turns or regular breaks.

The biggest stress factor is productivity expectations. ... On top of this is reminders from work about availability expectations and just how much work is piling up.

... it sounds like some employers are expecting us to procure an extra 6-8 hours from somewhere that is usually down-time or encroaching on sleep times.

To everyone here, please get your boss to listen to these four hours. There is some profanity, but there is also a lot of wisdom about what to expect in a wfh situation & how to act & what is possible

The REWORK podcast from Basecamp - Remote Work Q&A, Part 1
- Earlier this week, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson held a live Q&A about remote work. We’re splitting the session into two episodes. Part 1 covers questions about video calls, brainstorming, setting priorities, and good management during a time of stressful transition
- Full transcript available
The REWORK podcast from Basecamp - Remote Work Q&A, Part 2
- Part 2 covers questions about interruptions, mental health, hardware and software tools, and building culture as a remote company
- Full transcript available
Making sense by Sam Harris - #194 The new future of work
- In this episode of the podcast, Sam Harris speaks with Matt Mullenweg about the evolution of distributed work. They discuss the benefits of working from home, the new norms of knowledge work, relevant tools and security concerns, the challenges for managers, the importance of written communication, the necessity of innovating in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, delivery networks as critical infrastructure, economic recovery, and other topics.

A better working from home experience is possible.

PS Emphasis in quotes added by me.

Please keep this GZ community vibrant by contributing in a constructive & respectful manner.

Handsomedan

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#2451948 1-Apr-2020 08:50

Technofreak:

Handsomedan:

OK - here's one...

I have a couple of pairs of Bluetooth headphones/earphones.

Paired to the Dell laptop no problem.

Having VC meetings, I can't adjust the volume at all.

Wired - no problem. BT? Terrible. LOUD. REALLY LOUD. Even if I turn sound off completely.

I know it'll be user error because I am hopeless...I don't even know how I have lasted so long on GZ with my total lack of tech nous, but if someone could help, that'd be super.

When the Bluetooth speakers are connected try left clicking on the volume icon and you should see more than one volume control. One of these should be for the speakers. Try adjusting that one using your mouse to drag the slider.

Tried all of the normal stuff.

After a quick Google it appears to be a Windows issue with basically defaulting to MAX volume for BT devices.

I have to have admin access to change - no more bluetooth for me.

Handsome Dan Has Spoken.
Handsome Dan needs to stop adding three dots to every sentence...

Handsome Dan does not currently have a side hustle as the mascot for Yale

*Gladly accepting donations...

lchiu7

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#2451966 1-Apr-2020 09:03

Handsomedan:

Tried all of the normal stuff.

After a quick Google it appears to be a Windows issue with basically defaulting to MAX volume for BT devices.

I have to have admin access to change - no more bluetooth for me.

I also have a locked down laptop but have no problem with BT. I can adjust the volume either using the BT device volume control or the volume control in Windows. I can't imagine what else your IT department might have locked down to prevent that

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Handsomedan

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#2452003 1-Apr-2020 09:27

lchiu7:

Handsomedan:

Tried all of the normal stuff.

After a quick Google it appears to be a Windows issue with basically defaulting to MAX volume for BT devices.

I have to have admin access to change - no more bluetooth for me.

I also have a locked down laptop but have no problem with BT. I can adjust the volume either using the BT device volume control or the volume control in Windows. I can't imagine what else your IT department might have locked down to prevent that

Yeah it's bloody frustrating.

In saying that, I have wired earbuds I can use - they're just not very convenient if I am on hours and hours of back to back VC's and want to pace the room...

Handsome Dan Has Spoken.
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Handsome Dan does not currently have a side hustle as the mascot for Yale

*Gladly accepting donations...

nitro

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#2452007 1-Apr-2020 09:32

Batwing:

reason many of use can dedicate whole days to work and it sounds like some employers are expecting us to procure an extra 6-8 hours from somewhere that is usually down-time or encroaching on sleep times.

end rant.

rant all you want. you're definitely not alone.

while my employer has not expressly demanded the same level of productivity, we are still expected to meet goals - the main one set before the world heard of this pandemic.

my personal problem, that i'm slowly trying to wean myself off of, is to knock off at the usual end of the work day. often, i find that that one-last-thing-for-the-day has taken me beyond 10pm. my fault, entirely, yes... but there's that goal to meet.

also that it's almost embarrassing to be away from my pc - lest somebody pings me a question on skype/teams/slack.

on that last one, sucks that we haven't established one single communication tool before this went down. we did have a wfh dry run, but before we can raise and address issues from that, it's lockdown.

martyyn

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#2452055 1-Apr-2020 10:44

I've been running my own business from home for nearly eight years now. If there is one piece of advice I can give it's to not be too hard on yourself.

If your kids need you, be with them. If you work best between 7pm-10pm, then do that. If the only space you can put an office is a bedroom, just make the best of it.

Don't be shy in telling people the restrictions you have (especially if the restriction is your kids) do it publicly if you have to make a point. People will understand.

If you don't have work take the time to do something for yourself, play with your kids, go for a walk/cycle, read a book, rearrange the furniture, my wife does pottery and I have an old battered and smashed drum kit in the garage.

Value yourself. Ask for help. Eat well.

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