| Many business people are opting to do the | | | | as a web designer would have—you'll need |
| majority of their business online. For some, the | | | | something faster. You'll also need to pay more |
| requirements aren't too demanding but others | | | | attention to upload speeds if the files you provide |
| need a very fast connection to get their work | | | | your client are particularly large. Satellite |
| done. If you've decided to use satellite broadband | | | | broadband offers fast packages; between 2 and |
| to run your business from home, the following | | | | 3 Mbps download and 300Kbps upload. When |
| guidelines will help you decide what service level is | | | | you're working with uploads, remember that it's |
| right for you. | | | | more practical to get your files together first and |
| Satellite broadband has great flexibility in pricing | | | | then upload them all at once rather than to |
| and service. This means that you need not | | | | consume bandwidth throughout the day by |
| "overbuy" bandwidth that you don't need, | | | | uploading them one at a time. Note that, on any |
| something that can save a great deal of money | | | | type of connection, upload speeds will always be |
| over time. Your business type will be the major | | | | much slower than download speeds. Server |
| factor in determining how much bandwidth you | | | | accounts are a specialized form of Internet |
| need. | | | | service that allows very fast upload but that is |
| If your work is done principally on your own | | | | not appropriate for home users. |
| computer and you use your Internet connection | | | | Consider realigning your business practices to |
| to send and receive files over email or web | | | | work with the Internet. For instance, if you have |
| pages, your bandwidth requirements will likely be | | | | a great deal of uploading to do, you'll sometimes |
| very light. You may well be able to get by with | | | | find it goes faster during the late night or early |
| one of the lower speed connections, which | | | | morning hours when Internet usage drops off a |
| generally have download speeds of between 1 | | | | bit. With satellite, however, it's not as much a |
| and 1.6 Mbps. These speeds are more than | | | | concern as you're not sharing a "circuit" with other |
| enough to download large text files, audio files and | | | | users as you would be with cable or DSL. |
| video files at an acceptable rate. If your business | | | | Security is a huge concern for businesses that |
| is largely processing paperwork, transcribing from | | | | operate online. After all, sending a client a virus is |
| audio files or other tasks that don't require a | | | | likely to result in your having to make many |
| constant stream of data from the Internet, you'll | | | | sincere, and embarrassing, apologies. Remember |
| find these more than adequate and probably a bit | | | | to make the effort to protect your business |
| faster than you'd think. | | | | computer against viruses and, if possible, use your |
| If you have a great deal of data transfer involved | | | | business computer for business tasks only and do |
| in the course of your work—say, for instance, | | | | your personal surfing on a separate machine. |