How to deal with a loss of Internet Connectivity

This week, hundreds of thousands of people reported issues as a result of BT’s internet service going down.  This incident highlights the fact that even the biggest Internet Service Providers (ISPs) can suffer from downtime, so what can you do to keep your business working whilst your Internet service isn’t?

Consider remote working

If your office, or home, doesn’t have internet and you work via a laptop rather than desktop computer, a change of location for you and your team might be the perfect way to keep the business working.  Coffee shops and pubs are the safest bets for Internet services (assuming they’re not also affected by the outage), so temporarily relocating there can mean you continue more of your internet-dependent activities.

Equally, if you work in an office which has lost Internet connectivity, but your home Internet remains operational, working from home for the duration of an outage is another great way to carry on as normal.

Create your own wireless hotspot on 4G

If you have a smartphone that is less than 2 years old, your device should allow you to create a wireless hotspot using 4G connectivity. This function can usually be found under “Settings” or “Connectivity” depending on your device.

We would thoroughly recommend enabling a password on the connection so that only those you provide the password to can use your connection.  It is also wise to avoid sending large files, or using media streaming services as these may incur substantial data fees, depending on your mobile phone provider.

Let people know

You may well need to use one of the above methods (unless you have access from your mobile and have 3G/4G access) but it’s sensible to let people know that you are experiencing Internet problems. The most common way of doing this is via social media, but e-mailing key clients or other personnel can mitigate any frustrations if they were expecting to hear from you.  Follow up posts and e-mails to let people know that connectivity has been restored can also be a nice touch.

Whilst none of these options represent an ideal scenario, they can serve to lessen the impact any potential Internet downtime can have on your business. Other connectivity options can also be considered; many companies opt for their own Leased Line connection alongside a standard internet connection, giving them resiliency in the event of the first option fails.  For more information on this service, please contact us.