In this Covid world, working from home has become our only way to survive. We obviously need the money and for that, we have to work. With growing cases of covid-19 there is no way we can go to the office and maintain the daily misery for money. We can't chant “Monday sucks” anymore. A supreme shift in our work culture has been established. We can say that ‘work from home’ is our new normal and is going to be for a long long time.  

With home becoming the new workplace, a strong, stable, and secure internet connection is an extreme necessity. There is a recent surge in the request, even from large organizations to build a robust Work-from-Home IT policy that can take care of the protection of sensitive data on an employee device, while he/she is working from home. But how safe is it? Is it safe enough not to expose your sensitive information? 

Here are a few methods that can keep your sensitive data and preying hackers off of your confidential information: 

 
Secure your router 

Most users leave their router to default which gives hackers the power. To secure your router you must change the router's default name and pre-set passwords. To protect against the newly discovered remote vulnerabilities of UPnP, consider disabling this service on your router. You can also log out as administrator, to diminish the risk of someone tailgating your session to gain control of your device. And of course, remember to keep your router software updated. 

Network encryption

 

Network encryption is a network security process that applies crypto services at the network transfer layer - above the data link level, but below the application level. Depending on your router, you might have options for different kinds of encryption. To keep out interloper, it's essential to use some variant of WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) protection, either WPA or the newer WPA2 standard. The WPA2 is currently the most secure and most recent form of encryption available for home but if you want extra security you can use Advanced Encryption Standard like the one used by the government to secure classified information.  

Virtual private network (VPN) 

A virtual private network (VPN) extends a private network across a public network and enables users to send and receive data across shared or public networks. VPNs cannot make online connections completely anonymous, but they can usually increase privacy and security. VPN can mask your internet protocol (IP) address so your online actions are virtually untraceable. It is recommended to use a VPN while dealing with confidential data. 

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Nepal Telecom, the state-owned telecommunication service provider, has launched phone and internet service through optical fiber cables in Baglung, Parbat, Myagdi and Mustang districts which will replace current ADSL and provide faster internet services.

Senior engineer for the Nepal Telecom office, Baglung, Keshab Sharma announced the service operation by inaugurating it amid a function on Wednesday. "Customers can avail of the service based on optical fiber technology at their old telephone number," he said.

The total of 60 consumers of Galeshwor have got the service-connected to their phones in the first phase. He added, the service would be expanded to the district headquarters, Beni bazaar. In this regard, efforts were underway to bring this service to the total 2,560 consumers in Beni bazaar. Approximately 1,100 consumers of Baglung bazaar have availed of the service so far.

The NTC has a plan to provide the service to over 5,200 customers in Beni bazaar alone. Likewise, the installation of optical fiber is underway in a bid to provide the service to 2,560 customers in Kushma, the district headquarters of Parbat, and 1024 in Jomsom, the district headquarters of Mustang, according to the NTC.

Source: RSS

Since most of us working from home, with so much global workforce and their families now cooped up at home to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19), it's not a huge surprise that home Internet is showing the strain. If you've had an official video conference stutter while your kids play Pubg online, or found yourself unable to stream the news while other family members upload huge data files for work, you'll have a good idea of the problem.

Here's How you can fix your slow internet connection

Is there a bandwidth problem?

The Internet's core is managing the spike in traffic just fine, experts say. It has a massive capacity to handle YouTube and other streaming services.
True, Netflix has just throttled down its video quality in Europe at the request of authorities there. But the company already stores its programs on servers close to users' homes already, and there's no evidence that it's clogging networks.

The problem partly lies in the so-called “last mile,” the link that connects your home to the ultra-high-speed Internet backbone.

If that happens, one quick solution is to have some family members switch to audio-only, which conserves bandwidth. This also applies to anyone in multiplayer online games. You could also order a service upgrade, although that might not be strictly necessary.

Some providers are temporarily offering more bandwidth, particularly for families with school-age children, in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Others have dropped service caps that charge extra when data usage passes a certain threshold.

There are lots of reasons that stops people from having a fast internet connection.

•  Avoid Signal Interferences

One of the most common reasons why your internet is acting slow might be due to signal interference. Overlapping internet connections are now everywhere.
To avoid this from happening, you can transfer your router to another place. It’s better for you to place it near your device so that the wireless connection will be nearer and more direct. You can also change your Wi-Fi channel number to improve performance. Remember that the closer your device is to your router, the faster the Wi-Fi connection is.

•  Close Background Apps

Be mindful of the background apps running on your device. These usually consume lots of network resources which slows down your connection. Though most of them are useful, some aren’t. Turn them off. Or if possible, uninstall the apps you don’t need. The apps that hog a lot of bandwidth are usually games and movie makers.

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•  Fix Your Wi-Fi Signal

You might have noticed that your internet connection is doing good by using a speed test app. But even though it might look good, your wireless signal is still weak. If you’ve experienced this, then the possible culprit might be your router’s location.

Place your router in an open space far from walls and posts that might stop the signal flow. It’s also recommended that you place your Wi-Fi router on a high-standing structure. This way, your mobile devices can connect to it without any objects barricading.

•  Configure Your Router Settings

Your Wi-Fi router is the centrepiece of your internet connection. Without it, you won't be able to connect to the internet. This is why you need to make sure that the router is configured correctly. 

See to it that your settings follow the manufacturer’s guide manual. You can also follow the recommendations of your ISP if there are any. If you did some changes to the configuration, be sure to record them. This makes it easier for you to track the changes if you want to undo them later.

•  Be Cautious of Worms and Malware

Internet worms can spread from one device to another. This happens especially if the devices are connected to the same network. This makes them a grave threat to all internet users. Once your computer or device is infected, you'll experience a sudden connection slow down.

This happens because internet worms make your device use up lots of network traffic. To avoid this from happening, you can install antivirus software on your device. And be sure to update it now and then.

•  Contact Your Internet Service Provider (ISP)

If the previous methods prove fruitless, then there might be something wrong with your ISP. It’s possible that your Internet Service Provider had changed its network configuration. Your ISP might also have installed new controls and filters on the network. When this happens, videos take longer to load. To fix this problem, you can try contacting your service provider for help.

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After the lockdown, Internet consumption has increased by 50 percent over the normal period in Nepal. The Internet Service Providers Association of Nepal (ISPAN), Internet service providers, has seen the highest increase in Internet usage since all citizens are indoors.

Internet service providers have urged consumers to use the Internet as little as possible. With the rise in the risk of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), many are surfing on the internet to spend time after the government announced a lockdown.

Due to this, Internet Service Providers (ISP) are facing hard to meet the demands of 'bandwidth'.

Internet Service Providers Association of Nepal Chairman Bhoj Raj Bhatt says consumption rates are rising. He said that it is very hard keeping up with demand as the consumption is increasing at this rate. With offices now closed, service providers have found it easier to manage consumption on demand.

'We do not have the capacity to meet demand and consumption if doubled he says, adding that the problem of the Internet slowing down as the user's demand grows.

He urged them to be cautious when using house-to-house routers, including Internet devices because the repairs have been stopped due to risk. Bhatt said the team was mobilized to fix the problems seen in the house, even though house-to-house repairs were halted.

ISPAN has requested to all users that the Internet be used only for information. ISPAN has also urged not to use the Internet for video viewing, downloading and playing online games for the purpose of getting information.

"It is also difficult to bring in instant bandwidth from India, consumption of internet bandwidth has increased in India," said Bhatt, president of ISPAN, "We are not able to sustain as much demand as we have, and there is no need to bring in more equipment now."

Internet service providers have said that there is no longer a home-to-house repair service at risk of infection. But there is nothing that can be done to repair it online, said Bhatt.

Consumers are urged to use an online payment facility for bill payment. 

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