Tech Fixes: quick help for home office tech problems

1. Run a speed test where you sit, then next to the router. Compare upload speed with the the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) broadband benchmark of 100 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up.
2. Check your plan. If your provider plan is below what your household uses at 9 am, the fix is the plan, not the router.
3. Move the router higher and away from walls, mirrors and the microwave, and switch your laptop to the 5 GHz band.
4. Use a wired Ethernet cable or a mesh point for your desk, then retest.

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1. Check upload speed. Zoom lists about 3.0 Mbps up and 2.5 Mbps down for 1080p group calls.
2. Pause big uploads like cloud backups and game updates during calls.
3. Plug in with Ethernet, or sit in the same room as the router or mesh point.
4. Drop to 720p video if your upload stays low.

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1. Use a headset with a noise-cancelling microphone, so others hear you, not the room.
2. Turn on background noise suppression in Zoom or Teams.
3. Agree on quiet hours for calls with your household and post your call schedule.
4. Add soft surfaces: a rug, curtains or a bookshelf behind you cut echo.

Read the full guide · Test your webcam and mic

1. Wear a headset instead of using laptop speakers.
2. Select the right microphone in your call app settings.
3. Turn on noise suppression in Zoom or Teams.
4. Soften the room with a rug or curtains.

Read the full guide · Test your webcam and mic

1. Face a window or a lamp, never sit with the light behind you.
2. Add a small key light just above the camera.
3. Clean the lens and update the camera driver.
4. Lower exposure in the camera app if the image looks washed out.

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1. Check both ends of the cable and try a different port.
2. Press Windows + P (or check Displays on Mac) and choose Extend.
3. Make sure your dock or adapter supports two screens.
4. Update the graphics driver.

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1. Lift the back of the laptop on a stand for airflow.
2. Close browser tabs and apps you are not using.
3. Clean dust from the vents.
4. Check for heavy startup apps and turn them off.

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1. Clear everything off and put back only what you use daily.
2. Run cables into an under-desk tray.
3. Add one shelf or monitor riser for storage.
4. Do a 2-minute reset at the end of each day.

Read the full guide · Test your webcam and mic