Using Public WiFi in Cafes, Pubs etc

[ben1987]

My work laptop won’t connect to mobile data or hotspots. It’s blocked.

There’s also a policy that you shouldn’t work on public networks in places you could be overheard discussing something confidential or have your screen looked at while accessing sensitive data.

If I was in this position I think my employer would be telling me to get myself into the office.

(Software development for a bank)

 

[Haggisman]

A few weeks later I replaced the battery in her laptop FOC so we're all good.

That's the first time I've heard that euphemism!

Much better solution I’d happily loan my WiFi to a new neighbour in exchange for a bottle or two of wine or a case of beer.

That's all well and good until your network gets infected because they're IT illiterate and end up downloading some dodgy malware (or worse, you get woken up in the middle of the night by the police smashing your door in, wanting to seize all your devices for downloading indecent images of minors!)

 

[a1ex2001]

That's the first time I've heard that euphemism!



That's all well and good until your network gets infected because they're IT illiterate and end up downloading some dodgy malware (or worse, you get woken up in the middle of the night by the police smashing your door in, wanting to seize all your devices for downloading indecent images of minors!)

Stick them on the guest network no malware and I guess I'm a trusting person so I don't assume everyone is a peado! The chances of the police coming round are vanishingly small compared to doing your neighbour a good turn and in the incredibly unlikely event that they did they would find nothing interesting on my devices so I'm not going to prison anyway most people are decent and I lack the energy to worry about odds so tiny otherwise I'd be worried about lightning strikes and crossing the road would be way to scary!

 

[Bassmansam]

A 15 minute meeting where everyone runs through what they did yesterday/what they'll do today/what they are stuck or blocked on.

The name comes from the idea that in-person, you stand up to do this meeting so that it stays brief and focused.

Otherwise you get developers rambling on in unnecessary detail about some complex User Story that nobody else gives a toss about - multiply that by five or six devs all doing the same thing, and your 15 minute quick regroup is a waste of (1 hour x {!varNumberOfAttendees})

Oh we have a similar meeting most days on teams. Never heard it called a daily stand up though.

 

[That Jekka Gal]

What about a library?

Can't do Teams calls in there, really.

 

[That Jekka Gal]

Are there hot desk places near to you? Your employer may help with the costs.

Yes, £40 pd + £15 pd to park in centre of Bath, plus I'll have to drive in and out twice a day to let dog out, though I could ask the neighbours (I haven't met yet).

Also, I don't have an employer - I'm a contractor

 

[That Jekka Gal]

Yeah but if your new neighbor who you don't know asks if they can piggy back your wifi for a couple of weeks, then you have no way of knowing if they're using a VPN (even if they explicitly state they will be) - Bad idea to let an unknown person on your connection as you're liable for anyting dodgy they may do (or any fair use policies, although it would take a lot to hit bandwidth limits). It'd be a very unusual scenario but it's entirely possiblle.

I've never come across a business VPN that discriminates against mobile data (and you can easily get an unlimted SIM for around £25/mo - I'd recommend Smarty as when I used them they had no throttling policy, wheras a lot of the others did after however many GB!).
Even if they do then you could run it through a consumer VPN first (nord/PIA/surfshark etc.) and they'd have no way of knowing, unless they're also blocking those VPNs.

Library, or a coffee shop where people are often using it for work, would probably go over easier than a pub though.

I'm connecting to a very secure network (military), not just any old VPN

 

[cheesefest]

Actually I’m am still very surprised that people are still waiting a month to get BB in their new builds. I had that in 2009.

Don’t housing developers, cable laying contractors and internet providers realise that more people are WFH, remote working? Also not aware that people are moving to get a bigger property to accommodate WFH?

 

[ivrytwr3]

Oh we have a similar meeting most days on teams. Never heard it called a daily stand up though.

We call it a 'huddle' bleurgh.

 

[Begbie]

I'm connecting to a very secure network (military), not just any old VPN

I used to connect to military network via VPN using my phone, infact for 4 years I had a 4g router that I connected to.

Also id just speak to the bar staff and tell them your plans maybe offer some money for a tip/might sway them to being fine with it.

 

[thenewoc]

Why not use the library?

 

[That Jekka Gal]

Why not use the library?

As I said above, libraries are silent places so can't really do my daily standup on Teams

 

[Pants]

Doing your stand up in a coffee shop / pub isn't cool really. Just working on your laptop without calls is fine if spending enough (not £10 over 5 hours). That's my 2p you can take it leave it!

 

[a1ex2001]

I'm connecting to a very secure network (military), not just any old VPN

I’d love to know the reasoning behind banning tethering for this sort of thing, it really doesn’t seem a very well thought through decision. There must be a security bod on here that can justify it!

Organisations do such weird stuff and then never review the policies because it’s always been like that!

 

[Fubsy]

Banning tethering is probably because they don't want you working in PUBLIC on a secure network with access to SENSITVE informative most likely.

 

[thenewoc]

As I said above, libraries are silent places so can't really do my daily standup on Teams

I didn't read the whole thread.

Apart from calls and stand up you could use the library. Schedule the rest to be done elsewhere. You need better calendar management.

 

[a1ex2001]

Banning tethering is probably because they don't want you working in PUBLIC on a secure network with access to SENSITVE informative most likely.

Seems odd when you can do exactly that from a public wifi connection and tethering provides great backup for home workers as most will have a company phone anyway and is invaluable when travelling..

 

[Fubsy]

Seems odd when you can do exactly that from a public wifi connection and tethering provides great backup for home workers as most will have a company phone anyway and is invaluable when travelling..

Exactly. If this person is indeed working with sensitive information will have been required to sign some sort of SyOps agreement, almost certainly that would contain guidance to mind your surrounds and not conduct any work in an area where you can be overheard or overlooked by people without clearance or a need to know that information.

 

[arknor]

I'd just ask a neighbour if I can borrow their wifi code for a few days and offer them some money like £20 or whatever

 

[Hades]

Either use mobile data (using your own vpn should hide the fact from your work that you are on mobile dara), or use a local co-working space.

When I occasionally use a car specialist not near me I work from a co-working space for the day. It's £20 a day in my case (obviously prices vary) but there are cheaper prices if you block book a longer period. It doesn't seem to work out much more expensive than buying a few coffees in a cafe or pub for the day, and you get a proper desk, comfortable seat, clean toilet facilities, great wifi, no worry about being asked to leave, a suitable environment for online meetings and in my case free tea and coffee all day.