What do you need for your home office?

JAKARTA (JP): Whether you work for a company that already has an intranet or you are an independent professional working from home, Internet access is a must. A dial-up connection using a phone line is the absolute minimum, while a 24-hour, broadband Internet connection is preferable. With the latter, you can set your e-mail client program to connect to your ISP's SMTP server and check your mailbox at regular intervals. You can also set your computer to play a sound file to notify you each time you have an incoming message. E-mail is the cheapest means of communication, and there is no excuse for not using it.

Even if you already have a cable modem, you may still need a modem and a dial-up access to back it up. When you are working to a deadline and the cable network is suddenly down, you will appreciate the redundancy. Some serious home workers even have two phone lines at home -- one for the family and backup while the other is strictly for business use. They also have a spare modem with exactly the same make and speed as the one already in the PC, so that when this one malfunctions it can be replaced immediately without having to change the software driver.

Today, although the cost is higher, people tend to try to reach others on their cell phone rather than their fixed phones. Thus, you also need to keep your cell phone powered up, even when you are at your desk working. If you often have to type while talking on the phone, do not make it a habit to cradle the phone between your head and your shoulder. You should buy one of those headset phones instead. Place the headset on your ear, and both your hand can be used to take down notes.

By the way, a phone recording device costs about Rp 500,000, and they can be very useful. If you conduct an interview over the phone, all you have to do is press the record button and then you can concentrate on your questions. You no longer have to keep your interviewee waiting while you jot down your notes.

Be aware, however, that attaching this device to your phone line may also cause interference and degrade your modem connection. Experiment with the setup, and, if necessary, detach the phone recorder when you are about to connect to the Internet using your modem.

If your need for more intense communications is high and you have a broadband Internet connection, you may even add a video camera and video conferencing software to your computer. Be aware that the person on the other end can now see how you decently you dress and how messy your home office is.

While e-mail should be your main mode of communications, a fax machine should be part of your arsenal, too. The fax is not entirely dead, yet. If you have limited space in your home office, you can buy one of those multifunction printers that can also be used as a fax machine, a printer and a scanner. Still in the area of communications, you will need an answering machine -- or use the voice mailbox service on your cell phone. At any rate, you should always make sure you are as accessible as you would be if you were working in a fully equipped office environment.

And, just because you work at home, you should not be sitting for hours on a barstool. Invest on an ergonomic chair. As no coworker will be using it in your absence, do not skimp on it. You may not need a Herman Miller Aeron, but certainly you need a fully adjustable, swivel chair that provides sufficient upper and lower back support to let you maintain a healthy upright posture for hours.

An adjustable copyholder does not cost much, but it can help a lot if you need to read text from a magazine page or fax as you work on your computer. Place the copyholder next to your computer monitor, so that you will not have to move your head too much.

Finally, unlike in an office, at home you will be completely responsible for the health of your computers. As the company help-desk is no longer available to you, you should be able to troubleshoot minor problems on your own. One of the threats, as has been too often mentioned, is computer viruses and, therefore, what you will also need is a good knowledge of computer security and virus protection. Again, a subscription to one of the leading virus protection software makers such as Symantec and McAfee will help a lot. And, as the proverb goes, better safe than sorry, do not forget to backup your important files frequently.

--Zatni Arbi