The next best thing to being there
Setting up a home office
By Gloria Boyer
Have you ever thought about setting up a home office and working from home? When my mother became ill recently, I decided to move from Seattle back to Pennsylvania to be near her. Due to the nature of my job—I work at a computer all day—I thought it would be feasible to work from home, despite being located in another state. But even if you live in the same town as your employer, you might want to consider setting up a home office.
There are some obvious advantages to working from home, including:
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Less commuting. You help the environment and save wear and tear on your car—not to mention the cost of gasoline and maintenance. Your employer saves on office space by eliminating or doubling up offices for the people who work from home (also known as teleworkers or telecommuters).
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More flexibility. Unlike an office environment that typically has a set starting and ending time, your work hours at home might allow you to be more available, to start and stop working at various times throughout the day, or to work an unorthodox schedule if, for example, you do your best work in the wee hours of the morning.
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Potential tax advantages. You might be able to deduct some expenses related to your home office space from your taxes. Check with a qualified tax professional for details, and make sure you have proof for any deductions you claim.
As long as you don’t mind being alone all day and your employer supports it, working from home can be great. Even doing it occasionally is a nice change of pace, and it’s very convenient if you need to be at home to let a repair person in. But if you don’t have the self-discipline to do your work and not be distracted by things around the house, working at home might not be the best idea for you. On the other hand, don't become a workaholic! It takes self-discipline to leave work issues alone at the end of your workday at home.
But enough about that—let’s talk about me
I wrote a proposal for my manager regarding working from home. In it, I included specific information about costs that I (or my employer) would incur, how I would attend meetings and deal with other situations where my physical presence would be expected, what I would do in case of problems or complaints, and how I could be reached during working hours. I also outlined a plan for how I would stay involved and visible.
Equipment I needed
When I got management’s approval to work remotely (hooray!), I ordered a few pieces of equipment:
Webcam and chat headset. I ordered one for myself and one for my manager, so I could talk to him using Windows Live Messenger. This way, we can see each other as we meet once a week to discuss how things are going with my job.
KVM switch. Because I work at Microsoft and run test versions of software, I have multiple computers. In addition to my own desktop computer, I have several laptops from work. My desk at home is only so big, so I bought a KVM switch. This device lets me share the same keyboard, video (monitor), and mouse (thus the KVM acronym) with more than one computer. The keyboard, video, and mouse connections for each computer plug into the KVM switch box, and the keyboard, video, and mouse themselves also plug into that box. To switch the monitor between computers, I press a button on the KVM switch (or use a keyboard shortcut).
With a KVM switch, you can share one monitor, keyboard, and mouse with multiple computers
Equipment I already had
Some of the equipment I already had came in handy for my transition to working from home:
Printer. Mine’s an inkjet printer, which is fine for the small amount of printing I do. If you print a lot or need high quality printouts, consider a laser printer.
Scanner. I use a scanner in place of a fax machine. I can scan documents and send them to someone through e-mail. I use the scanner to make an occasional copy, too: I scan the document and then print it out. If you’ve got the budget for it, a combination printer/scanner/copier/fax machine would be a great investment.
Backup drive or blank CDs. This is important, because you’ll probably have lots of work-related documents stored on your computer that you would definitely not want to lose in case of accidental deletion, a drive failure, a thunderstorm, or some other computer misfortune.
Surge suppressor. Speaking of thunderstorms, we get a lot of them here in Pennsylvania, but even if you don’t in your location, a surge suppressor helps keep your computer equipment safe from occasional electrical surges.
Modem for connecting to the Internet. In my case, I connect over a wireless network to a cable Internet connection, so I use a broadband modem and router.
Telephone. It's a good idea to get a phone with speakerphone capabilities, so that you can attend meetings by phone without having to hold the phone against your ear for hours.
Software I needed
In my case, Microsoft Office provides most of the software I need (Outlook for e-mail, Word for word processing, Excel for spreadsheets, and PowerPoint for presentations). You’ll also need a web browser, such as Internet Explorer.
I use Office Communicator to quickly reach someone in the office. I can tell at a glance whether the person is available, in a meeting, or away from her desk.
Office Communicator shows availability status at a glance
For the security of your computer (and network, if applicable), you should definitely use antivirus software and a firewall. I use Windows Firewall and an antivirus program that is provided by my employer's IT department. Internet Explorer version 7 also offers a Phishing Filter feature. For more information about protecting your computer, see How can I help protect my computer from viruses? and Firewall: frequently asked questions.
If you want to connect multiple computers, consider setting up a home network. For more information, see
Setting up a home network.
Last but not least, a few necessary services
I signed up for the following services before I started working from home:
Internet. I acquired a cable Internet connection through my local cable company, the same folks that deliver cable TV. You could also use a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) or a dial-up connection, but a broadband connection (DSL or cable) is recommended so that you can stay online all day and still receive phone calls. Online access and download speeds are much better with broadband as well.
Telephone service. You'll need a phone for conference calls and keeping in touch with your office. Regular telephone service is fine, but I ordered Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) because it’s generally less expensive and long distance calls are free.
Setting up the office at my new home
I drove across the country, and my moving van arrived at my new house a few days later with all my furniture and boxes—including my desk, desk chair, monitor, and desktop computer. It’s important to have comfortable furniture and a chair with good back support in your home office. Just because you’re at home doesn’t mean you don’t need serious office furniture! If you have back problems, consider a standing desk, or alternating between sitting and standing. And pay attention to lighting. You need good task lighting to prevent eyestrain. Full-spectrum light bulbs can be a good investment, too.
Finishing touches
There were just a few more things I needed to set up before I could begin working:
Windows Live Messenger. This is the program I use for a weekly video phone call with my manager. It's easy to set up, easy to use, and it really gives me a feeling of being connected to my workplace. For more information about using Windows Live Messenger to make video calls, see
Cut your long distance calling costs by using Windows Live Messenger and Seeing is believing: Use a webcam to bring your instant messaging to life.
VPN connection. I set up a virtual private network (VPN) connection to connect to my workplace network. You can set this up, too. You’ll need to ask your network administrator for the name of the server to connect to. Then, in Network and Sharing Center in Control Panel, click Set up a connection or network, and then click Connect to a workplace. Follow the instructions on your screen. For more information, see Set up a remote connection to your workplace using VPN.
Remote Desktop Connection. This Windows program makes you feel like you’re right in the office. You can connect to your office computer (or another computer at your workplace) and use that computer just as if you were sitting in front of it. You'll need to know the name of the computer you want to connect to. In Windows Vista, you can find this by clicking the Start button 
, right-clicking Computer, and then clicking Properties.
For information about setting up and using Remote Desktop Connection, see
Connect to another computer using Remote Desktop Connection.
A day in the life
It’s morning, and time for me to go to work, which in my case means taking my cup of coffee and walking from my kitchen into my office. My “commute” takes all of 10 seconds. I connect to my workplace using the VPN connection, then open Microsoft Outlook. There are 18 new e-mail messages, including one from my manager asking me to update a shared file. Because I’m connected to the office through a VPN connection, it’s just as if I’m opening this file from my computer at the office. I make the requested updates and then go on to the next e-mail.
I’ve found that I can do everything I need from a remote location. In some cases, it takes a little extra ingenuity, but the challenge is part of the fun. The only thing I haven’t figured out how to do remotely is attend office parties!
About the author
Gloria Boyer is a writer on the Windows team at Microsoft. Formerly a network administrator, she now writes about Windows networking. She's also a poet, an artist, a dancer, a juggler, a gardener, a cat lover, and not particularly tall.
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