Stop booking coworking spaces before checking their internet speed test results.

I see so many digital nomads show up at a coworking space in Medellin or Chiang Mai and then spend the first hour frustrated because Zoom keeps dropping. Take 2 minutes to run a speed test on their public wifi before you pay for a day pass. I watched three people leave a spot in Lisbon last week after they already bought coffee and settled in. The advertised "gigabit fiber" is usually shared across 50 people and barely hits 15mbps during peak hours. Just ask for the guest network password and test it at your phone first. It saves you the headache of hunting for a backup cafe mid-call. Has anyone else been burned by a space that looked great but had terrible connection?

2 comments

2 Comments

juliaa2521d ago

Got burned so bad in a Bali coworking space last year. The place had ac, nice plants, cold brew on tap, and the wifi literally died every 30 minutes. I was on a call with a client and just froze mid sentence. Had to run to a Starbucks down the street and finish the meeting with my phone hotspot. Now I always do a quick speed test right at the door before I even sit down.

sagea8821d ago

Oh man, my buddy Dave got absolutely wrecked in a coworking spot in Mexico City last year... He showed up to this place that had like a rooftop bar and hammocks and all this fancy stuff. Paid for the whole month upfront because it was a "deal." First day of a big project launch, the wifi craps out at noon and doesn't come back until like 4pm. He lost two hours of work and had to reschedule a call with an investor. Spent the rest of the month working from a tiny cafe with one outlet and cold coffee. I still give him crap about it whenever he tries to brag about a coworking space.

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