OT: Employer slowing down cell phones/signal

[Red Tornado]

My employer, like many, frowns on cell phone use at work. Some people are on them way too much, but others only when necessary. Cell phone speed has not been a problem, sometimes depending on where you're at in the building it can be hard to get a signal, but normally if there's a decent signal speed is good for streaming music or other stuff.
A few months ago, we noticed that one day everyone's phones seemed to be noticeably slower. It was an overnight change. Even when there's a good signal, some guys say it's like dial up speed all of a sudden.
I'm not an IT guy, so thought I'd ask is it possible to install something that doesn't mess with signal strength but can slow down a phone to the point where it's frustrating to use it? We can still call out in emergency's but even that is slowed down. No one's PC's or laptops seem to be affected, just phones and all at once.

[pooneej]

That sounds like they'd be messing around with FCC regulated **** lol. ! No way a company would do that ?

[merlinmurph]

I'm confused. Do you mean when the phone is connected to wifi?

[Peter P.]

The number of people connected to any in-building wifi will affect throughput.

Is it possible the employer had a wifi hotspot fail, or replaced an existing failed hotspot with an older, lower throughput model?

Assuming the employer does not provide wifi, then your company's users are connecting to the nearest cell site. All carriers are not necessarily on the same tower at the nearest site. Also, the nearest cell site's internet connection (not voice) could be malfunctioning.

Due to Covid-19 lockdowns, many people are stuck at home, including adults AND children. Home MOBILE data usage has increased tremendously, slowing down connections.

There is an article in the April 4-10th edition of The Economist magazine (Page 66) which explains this.

I'll reproduce one paragraph:

"A mobile-data connection runs as a radio signal from a phone to the local base-station. Thence it links up, via optical fibre or a microwave connection, with the network's core, which is connected to the wider internet. If too many people try to connect simultaneously to the same base station, that station will be overwhelmed, causing calls to drop, data-transfer speeds to slow and tempers to rise."

While it's illegal for anyone to jam cellphone signals, employers are not required to provide employees with reliable in-building cell coverage.

If the signal strength indicator on yours, and your coworkers' phones show adequate signal strength, then it's a data throughput issue.

I'd love to hear if you find the source and the solution.

[unterhausen]

if you are using employer supplied wifi, it's quite possible to throttle throughput. But it doesnt' sound like that's what you are doing so IDK.

[jkbrwn]

Yeah, not quite sure if you’re using WiFi. We throttle our staff members personal devices, though. Which is funny because at full capacity we are always at ~20% of our bandwidth. Could easily let them have full speed...

[Red Tornado]

Using data, not wifi. Only certain people get the wifi password, and rumor is that their wifi is monitored closely.
Could be just so many users it's getting overwhelmed, but something definitely changed early this year. Unfortunately I don't have any more info, just was curious.

[54ny77]

Could be multitude of things, including a new firewall.

One should always assume whatever you're using on company wifi is monitored as well as blocked or throttled, including anything streaming (pandora, etc.).

[jkbrwn]

Using data, not wifi. Only certain people get the wifi password, and rumor is that their wifi is monitored closely.
Could be just so many users it's getting overwhelmed, but something definitely changed early this year. Unfortunately I don't have any more info, just was curious.



Any construction nearby that could’ve interfered with your reception? Or even internal work like changes in wall/ceiling density? Very strange.

[prototoast]

Actively interfering with cell signals is a federal crime, so assume they're not doing that.

[Peter P.]

Is it possible someone is streaming Hi-Def video (TV or streaming) via wi-fi to a TV or other screen?

Hi-Def video consumes a lot of bandwidth and in fact, as is mentioned in the article I refer to above, cell carriers have asked content providers to down-res their mobile streaming apps because of the increased usage.

[stien]

That happened at my work too when the cell repeater on the roof died.

[C40_guy]

One should always assume whatever you're using on company wifi is monitored as well as blocked or throttled, including anything streaming (pandora, etc.).

And company email, no matter where you are.

And potentially anything you do on a company-owned computer, on their time or yours (weekends, etc.)

Andy Grove was right. Sometimes you should be paranoid. :)

[NYCfixie]

As a person who works in Information and Cyber Security, and often must deal with employees doing things on corporate networks (at work or remotely from home via a VPN or other remote connection) that they should not be doing, I share this advice:

- Assume EVERYTHING you do on a corporate network and/or computer is being monitored and may be a cause for you to be fired.
- You simply have no rights of privacy if you are using company owned assets on company property during the work day. Check your company's policies.
- You may have no rights of privacy if you use company assets (i.e. company issued laptop) for personal work even if you are at home on your own WiFi/Internet connection. The company may also own copyright to your creations. Again, check your company's policies.

Companies use internal cell phone repeaters to increase signal strength and/or you may use the company's WiFi connection for cell phone service. As such, companies may use Quality of Service (QOS) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quality_of_service) policies on their networks to decrease cell phone throughput.

People should make their own decisions but knowing what I know, this is what I do:
- When I receive or make a personal call, I ask my boss for permission, leave the building, and do not use company WiFi. This way it is clear that I am using personal time to make a personal call.
- During the work day, I only check personal email on my phone via my cell provider's network when I am outside the building on a break or lunch break.
- I only use the company computer at home for work and make sure I dial into a remote connection so that it is clear it is being used for work.
- I only use company email for company work.
- I only use my personal laptop at home and only for personal work.
- I only use my personal email for personal matters.
- I never attach personal devices to company networks (i.e. computers, phones, Apple Watch, etc.).

Simply, I NEVER allow work and personal devices as well as output to cross demarcation lines.

For the few times I have had no choice but to use a personal computer for work, I have an already created virtual machine on my laptop which is only used for work and keep the log files in case I ever need them. I also inform my boss that I am doing this and let him/her know when I am done so it is documented. I always offer to share the VM also so it is documented.

I don't even use the copy machine for personal copies or printing knowing that today most of them require a traceable pass-code to use and often the scans/prints are stored on an internal drive that is often backed up which means your copy/scans can be retrieved.

[woolly]

That happened at my work too when the cell repeater on the roof died.

Same/similar

[C40_guy]

I don't even use the copy machine for personal copies or printing knowing that today most of them require a traceable pass-code to use and often the scans/prints are stored on an internal drive that is often backed up which means your copy/scans can be retrieved.

This may come as a surprise to more than a few people. Copies of your resume (or your butt) may be archived by the copy machine!

[Monsieur Toast]

That happened at my work too when the cell repeater on the roof died.

This. OP is saying it's data (their own individual cell phone plans), and not wifi (company-provided wireless internet access), that has slowed down. OP is also saying outgoing calls are now slower to make a connection.

[Bostic]

Please read and re-read everything NYCFixie posted as it’s excellent and covers everything. Especially the using a VM on a personal machine. That’s beyond the scope of a lot every day users but it really is the best thing to do in that sort of situation.

I’m the IT Manager and I work very closely with our CISO. I work for a small growing startup so all those points, while they are ideal to apply, can’t right now. I’m hoping the company I work for is successful and grows to the point where I would live by that list by NYCFixie as that’s how I approached my previous job that got purchased by a large company.

If your company does have repeaters and using QoC, you are at the mercy of how well it’s managed and implemented. Just because the feature is enabled doesn’t mean who ever is managing it is monitoring and cares about the location. From being involved with mergers and acquisitions on both ends (company buying the little folk and also the little folks being forced into the mothership against their will) I’ve picked up a ton of experience in IT.

[wtex]

NYCFixie has it all dialed in. Not to mention you mix in your personal electronic life with work, e-discovery might go into that mix.

[mt2u77]

Curious what you IT folks think about company email accounts on personal cell phones. It is probably the one area I’m not good about separating my work and personal life. Only certain traveling positions qualify for a work issued phone, but I don’t know a single person in the company who doesn’t do a significant amount of work email and messaging on their personal phone. It’s just modern life at this point. To get the email account set up, I know we had to sign something to give the company the ability to remotely wipe our phones, but I always wonder what else could be in play.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[choke]

This. OP is saying it's data (their own individual cell phone plans), and not wifi (company-provided wireless internet access), that has slowed down. OP is also saying outgoing calls are now slower to make a connection. The cell repeater amplifies a cell signal so it would definitely apply. I worked in a building where one could not make a call on a cell phone - due to lack of sufficient signal - until we installed a repeater.

[C40_guy]

Curious what you IT folks think about company email accounts on personal cell phones. It is probably the one area I’m not good about separating my work and personal life. Only certain traveling positions qualify for a work issued phone, but I don’t know a single person in the company who doesn’t do a significant amount of work email and messaging on their personal phone. It’s just modern life at this point. To get the email account set up, I know we had to sign something to give the company the ability to remotely wipe our phones, but I always wonder what else could be in play.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If you gave the company the permission to remotely wipe your phone, you probably added some software (mobile device management) that gives them the capability to do so.

That capability potentially opens up full access to anything you do on that phone, at any time. No thanks.

I worked for a large software company that provided our cellular service (but not the phone) and requested this capability. My perspective is -- you pay for the phone, it's a work (owned) phone and you get access. I pay for the phone, it's my personal phone, you get no access.

[unterhausen]

The traffic on a cellphone repeater probably wouldn't be monitored though, would it?

[choke]

The traffic on a cellphone repeater probably wouldn't be monitored though, would it?No, it wouldn't. But if there was a repeater in the building that stopped working/was removed it could cause the problems that the OP is describing because the signal is no longer as strong.

[NYCfixie]

Please read and re-read everything NYCFixie posted as it’s excellent and covers everything. Especially the using a VM on a personal machine. That’s beyond the scope of a lot every day users but it really is the best thing to do in that sort of situation.

I’m the IT Manager and I work very closely with our CISO. I work for a small growing startup so all those points, while they are ideal to apply, can’t right now. I’m hoping the company I work for is successful and grows to the point where I would live by that list by NYCFixie as that’s how I approached my previous job that got purchased by a large company.



NYCFixie has it all dialed in. Not to mention you mix in your personal electronic life with work, e-discovery might go into that mix.

Thanks for the kinds words.

I have worked in the technology field for more than 25 years, have a masters degree in information management and cyber-security, and have experienced how easy it it to fire someone for the smallest infraction so I do everything in my power to avoid those questionable situations in my own actions. I also spend a great deal of time educating staff/employees so they are not surprised. I just assume nobody reads company policy manuals so I often hold both voluntary and required training sessions.


Curious what you IT folks think about company email accounts on personal cell phones. It is probably the one area I’m not good about separating my work and personal life. Only certain traveling positions qualify for a work issued phone, but I don’t know a single person in the company who doesn’t do a significant amount of work email and messaging on their personal phone. It’s just modern life at this point. To get the email account set up, I know we had to sign something to give the company the ability to remotely wipe our phones, but I always wonder what else could be in play.

This is a tough one and a very grey area. If your job expects you to be connected then they need to issue you a cell phone. Some refuse but still expect you to use your personal phone. When I have been forced to make this decision I document with my boss, his/her boss, and HR that while I am being asked to use my personal phone for work, the company has no right to anything on my phone for any purpose even if company related and/or company work-product and that all company policies DO NOT apply to this case.

I left a smaller company because they refused to agree to the terms or issue me a company cell phone. I have stayed at larger companies when they realized this was a major issue and either changed company policy and/or started providing more work issued cell phones or did not expect people to use personal phones for company work.

IMHO, the worst case is if they offer to cover a portion of your cell phone bill and/or required mobile device management software to be installed because that then becomes a type of work issued cell phone and they may now have access to all your personal stuff (legally, if not virtually or physically).

Companies are still struggling with all of this as we work in an always-on 24/7/365 culture. I am concerned because I think as more people continue to work from home both temporarily and permanently, this issue is only going to get worse.

My best advice is be/stay informed and make the best decision that works for your individual situation.

[NYCfixie]

The traffic on a cellphone repeater probably wouldn't be monitored though, would it?

No, it wouldn't. But if there was a repeater in the building that stopped working/was removed it could cause the problems that the OP is describing because the signal is no longer as strong.

Incorrect. Anything can be monitored. And not all cell phone calls are encrypted (depends on phone, service type, service provider, etc.)

If you are using a company repeater, even unknowingly, they have the right to monitor. Again, check your company policy or ask.

[AngryScientist]

now more than ever, i would say that a good stable job is something to be guarded and protected.

if your company doesnt want you effing around on your phone, streaming youtube and music while you're at work, you probably shouldnt. lol.