Those annoying things beyond our control that prevent us from working from home

A couple of weeks ago I published a rather silly blog bemoaning my cat for not letting me work from my computer at home.

The cat blog got me thinking about other factors that prevent us from being productive when working from home.  I suspect that the biggest issue for most of us is procrastination.  

Off course, with discipline those household distractions can be overcome. However, there are a number of factors beyond our control that prevent us from working effectively at home.

You could have noisy neighbours?  You may even have a noisy partner? Maybe you simply don't have enough space in your home? But for those of us whose work is computer based, slow broadband speeds can be extremely annoying.

The excellent uswitch website has issued the results of detailed research into broadband speeds in different British streets.

The Tables at the end of this Blog have been lifted from the uswitch press release.  They show the 50 slowest streets for broadband in the UK, alongside the 10 fastest streets.  Anyone lucky enough to live in Loundes Road, Unstone, Dronfield, Derbyshire?  You may have the fastest broadband speed in the country!

In summary, the research showed that:

• Essex features six times in the list of the UK’s 50 slowest streets – more than any other county
• It isn’t just rural areas with sluggish broadband – residents of one highly desirable street in Hampstead, NW London, appear in the list of top 50 slowest streets
• Four in 10 (40%) Brits are experiencing average speeds of below 5Mbps; while just 15% are experiencing superfast speeds of 30Mbps or above.

Broadband speed is one of those factors that can have a significant impact on our productivity when working from home.  So if you suffer from slow broadband speeds it is well worth looking into the alternatives. 

 Marie-Louise Abretti, broadband expert at uSwitch.com, advises that 

“Anyone frustrated with their broadband service should test their speeds regularly online and compare their results to other local users with different providers. If the tests reveal that another provider is offering better speeds, consider switching.”

Uswitch has a useful App that enables you to test your broadband speed.  Check it out at: http://www.uswitch.com/broadband/speedtest

The table below shows the 50 slowest streets for broadband in the UK:

RANK	STREET NAME & LOCATION	AVERAGE DOWNLOAD SPEED (MBPS)
1=	Erw Fawr, Henryd, Conwy, Wales	0.60
1=	Wheatley Road, Corringham, Stanford-le-Hope, Essex	0.60
3	Station Road, Swineshead, Boston, Lincolnshire	0.65
4	Kelvin Grove, North Shields, Tyne and Wear	0.74
5	Maple Crescent, Alveley, Bridgnorth, Shropshire	0.91
6	Evesham Road (nr Church Lane), Norton, Evesham, Worcestershire	0.92
7	Meadow View (nr Rectory Road), Castle Carrock, Brampton, Cumbria	0.94
8	Canal Street, Oakthorpe, Swadlincote, Leicestershire	0.96
9	Pickleys Lane, Doveridge, Ashbourne, Derbyshire	0.99
10	Dereham Road (nr Chancel Lane), Garvestone, Norwich, Norfolk	1.03
11	Ferrymans, Sandbank	1.07
12	Maesceinion, Waun Fawr, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion	1.08
13	Llantarnam Road (nr Burtons Place), Cwmbran, Torfaen	1.10
14	Allens Lane (nr Brewers Terrace), Walsall, West Midlands	1.11
15	Prince Street, Allerton Bywater, West Yorkshire	1.13
16	Princes Avenue, Maylandsea, Chelmsford, Essex	1.15
17	Grange Gardens, Hampstead, London	1.19
18	Letchmere Close, Pattingham, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire	1.20
19	Mytton Oak Road, (nr Crownmeole Drive), Shrewsbury, Shropshire	1.21
20	South Hanningfield Road (nr The Oaks), Rettendon Common, Chelmsford, Essex	1.25
21	Summerfield Road, Clent, Stourbridge, Worcestershire	1.32
22	Alexander Avenue (nr Huntington Road), York	1.33
23=	Bucklerburn Wynd, Peterculter, Aberdeen City	1.41
23=	Botley Road, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire	1.41
25	Penzance Street, Moor Row, Cumbria	1.45
26	Trampers Lane (nr B2177), North Boarhunt, Hampshire	1.47
27	Wauluds Bank Drive (nr Fitzwarin Close), Luton	1.48
28	Durham Close (nr Westminster Way), Dukinfield	1.51
29	Halstead Gardens (nr Eastchurch Road), Margate, Kent	1.52
30=	Canterbury Road (nr The Orchids), Etchinghill, Folkestone, Kent	1.52
30=	Hugh Squier Avenue, South Molton, Devon	1.55
32	Melloncroft Drive, West Kirby, Wirral, Merseyside	1.58
33	Northside (nr St Nicholas Rd), Chichester, West Sussex	1.59
34	Lynwood Drive, Oakley, Wimborne, Poole	1.61
35	Church Hill, Greenlaw, Duns, Scottish Borders	1.68
36	Richmond Avenue, Kettering, Northamptonshire	1.69
37	Lytham Drive, Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear	1.70
38=	Benskyn Close, Countesthorpe, Leicester, Leicestershire	1.71
38=	Dedham Avenue, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex	1.71
40	Jerome Way, Shipton-on-Cherwell, Kidlington, Oxfordshire	1.73
41	Holland Park, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex	1.76
42	Michel Dene Road (nr The Link), East Dean, Eastbourne, East Sussex	1.90
43	Thornham Lane (nr Rochdale Road), Middleton, Manchester	1.91
44	Stafford Crescent, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire	1.95
45	Lock Lane, Long Eaton, Nottingham, Derbyshire	1.97
46	Mab Lane, Liverpool, Merseyside	1.98
47	Ickleton Road, Elmdon, Saffron Walden, Essex	1.99
48=	St Giles Way (nr Church St), Copwell Bishop, Nottinghamshire	1.99
48=	Davaar Avenue, Campbeltown, Argyll and Bute	2.03
50	Wordsworth Road, Dudley, West Midlands	2.04

Source: uSwitch.com Broadband Speed Tracker

The table below shows the 10 fastest streets for broadband in the UK:

RANK	STREET NAME & LOCATION	AVERAGE DOWNLOAD SPEED (MBPS)
1	Loundes Road, Unstone, Dronfield, Derbyshire	57.58
2	Spencer Close, Swindon, Wiltshire	50.60
3	Northam Drive, Ripley, Derbyshire	44.67
4	Byfletts, Basildon, Essex	41.47
5	Mill Lane (nr Malvern Close), North Hykeham, Lincoln, Lincolnshire	38.88
6	Lymington Road (nr Barton Court Road), New Milton, Hampshire	35.70
7	Littlewood Lane, Walsall, Staffordshire	35.64
8	Camel Road, London	34.62
9	Pen-Y-Graig Road, Brymbo, Wrexham	31.91
10	Giffins Close, Braintree, Essex	30.33

Source: uSwitch.com Broadband Speed Tracker