Work From Home Advice and Purchasing Needs

Work From Home Advice and Purchasing Needs

We here at N-Tech know that working from home can present unique challenges. This article includes information that will ease the process of working from home, including hardware and phone advice, home internet and VPN proxy details, and how to collaborate and access workstations remotely.

Hardware

Computers #

If your computer system is inoperable or not functioning as it should, contact #ntech-help for troubleshooting steps.

To order a replacement computer, visit go/buy to review our catalog and submit your request.

Purchase and expense other technology 

Netflix Full-Time Employees (FTE):#

At Netflix, we believe in people over process and allow employees to use their own judgment to purchase technology accessories as needed. Computers should be ordered from N-Tech directly. If you have any questions regarding how much you should spend, ask your manager for additional guidance.

Contingent Talent and Managers of Contingent Talent:#

Managers of contingent talent should approve all expenses beforehand and can submit expenses on behalf of their contingent employees as needed. 

Contingent workers should follow their staffing agency or employer's expense reimbursement process, if possible. If your contingent worker has questions about that process, refer them to their staffing agency for additional guidance. 

If you have any questions, contact [e-mail]. The team is happy to assist with any questions and nuances that might come up.

Monitors#

U.S. visit the Virtual Tech Cabinet

All other locations, visit our tech store at go/techstore. 

If monitors are not available in the tech store for your region, you may purchase and expense one using the guidelines for FTEs and contingent talent.

When looking for a monitor, consider the following criteria:

Good Resolution #

24 to 27 inches: 2560x1440px or better

34 inches: 3440x1440px or better

Most importantly, remember that a higher number means you can see more detail on the screen.

USB-C Connectivity and Charging#

 All our Netflix-issued laptops support USB-C connectivity and charging.

Be mindful that if you have a 16-inch MacBook Pro, you’ll still need to leverage your separate 96-watt laptop charger while plugged into the monitor.

Peripherals#

Keyboards, mice, trackpads, cables, headphones, webcams, monitor arms, desk modifiers, etc., should be purchased from our virtual tech cabinet store (U.S. only) or from a local or online retailer (for example, Amazon, Flipkart, Otto) with your corporate card.

Printers#

Because at-home printers don’t offer similar features to commercial printers, our equipment recommendations are limited. If it’s impossible to avoid printing at home and you only need to print occasionally, we highly recommend a local pay-to-print retailer.

If you regularly need to print at home for business purposes, we recommend purchasing a tabletop-sized laser printer from a brand such as HP.

Home Internet Tips

Note: N-Tech is unable to directly support your home network. For any internet connection issues, reach out to your Internet Service Provider (ISP) for troubleshooting, service upgrades, or faster speed options. For most home use, a speed of 50 to 100 Mbps (or higher) is recommended, with at least 10 Mbps upload speed for video calls.

If your speed package meets our criteria for home use and you still have connection issues, try the troubleshooting steps outlined in our WFH Network Troubleshooting Guidance article.

VPN

While most of our applications don’t require a Virtual Private Network (VPN), some internal applications and sites do. Be mindful of added security risks when using public access points such as coffee shops and restaurants. It’s recommended to use VPN when accessing work-related information from these sources. More detailed information about the VPN can be found in the VPN article.

Desk Phones

In some regions, we can set up employees with softphones via Google Voice or Dialpad accounts, which can be requested by messaging the #ntech-help Slack channel or emailing [e-mail].

Remote Collaboration

Video Conferencing#

If you’re having trouble with your equipment, try the home internet troubleshooting steps listed in this article.

Google Meet#

Our team has worked with Google business partners to confirm that the bandwidth needed to support an increase in video conferencing is sustainable without compromising connectivity. You can find a comprehensive list of Google Meet's supported features on this Google Meet Help page.

Remote Access to Workstations

If you have a physical workstation that you need to access remotely, we recommend using a Secure Shell (SSH) session as long as the device is connected via ethernet. This advice applies to work systems you cannot take home, such as editing bay equipment.

Keeping Your Hardware Healthy and Safe

• Avoid unnecessary spills by not eating or drinking near your devices.
• Restart your device every two to three days. You can usually resolve performance issues, glitches, and other errors by restarting your device. 
• Monitor your Google Chrome tab usage. The more tabs you have open, the slower your computer will run. Each tab uses memory, even if they’re not in use.
• Avoid web camera covers as they can damage your computer. If necessary, we recommend using a tech sticker.