Odds are if you have not worked remotely in the past, recent events have forced you to do so. There are many ways to access the resources you normally use at the office from home, and many ways these tools can fail. Fear not, there are some basic troubleshooting steps you can take on your own before you enlist your go-to Bird for assistance. Some of these steps depend on what type of remote access you are set up with, so let’s talk about those.
A common method of achieving remote access is the use of a VPN, or virtual private network. A VPN is an application that allows you to securely connect your computer to the local network of your office. Basically, as far as your computer is concerned, you are still sitting in your office at work on WiFi or jacked into a data port with an Ethernet cable. You can access printers, servers, file shares, and pretty much anything you would when working at the office normally.
If you find yourself unable to get your VPN connected, there are a few things you can do to narrow down the cause or find a work around. First, try connecting to a different network. Try your own WiFi hotspot on your mobile phone. If you can connect to a different network, then it is most likely your router or ISP blocking your connection. It’s always worth trying the classic IT trick of rebooting your router, and computer. Also, check your internet speed. If you don’t have a fast internet connection or a lot of people in your home are streaming Netflix and trying to stave off cabin fever, you might be capping out your bandwidth.
RDP, or remote desktop protocol, is commonly paired with a VPN connection to provide a secure connection directly to your office computer’s desktop. If you get an error when attempting to initiate an RDP session, first and foremost, make sure your VPN is connected, if you are using one. Check with other coworkers and see if they are able to connect to their desktops. Power and Internet outages at your office location can really throw a wrench in the whole WFH (work from home) thing.
Some organizations use web portals or Citrix for remote access. This generally entails logging in through a web browser. If you find you suddenly can’t log in, try clearing your browser cache. If you’re using Chrome, give Firefox (or Internet Explorer) a try.
Obviously, if none of these simple tricks work, the Birds are still here for you. We are all cooped up in our respective nests, so don’t hesitate to reach out!