Consumer Reports: Upgrading your work-from-home setup

Your work-from-home or school-from-home setup might need an upgrade.

If you're suddenly working from home, or if your kids are trying distance learning for the first time, you might be facing a few new challenges.

Problem one: A lack of privacy.

"If you're working from home and you're not alone, you might want to try a pair of noise-cancelling headphones," said Consumer Reports Tech Editor Bree Fowler.

Monoprice headphones, $50, have a microphone for calls and videoconferences. They deliver excellent active noise reduction and very good sound quality.

Problem two: The old printer isn't up to this new challenge.

"If you're already thinking about getting a new printer, now may be the time," Fowler said.

If you print mostly text, check out an all-in-one black-and-white laser printer for about $170. Consumer Reports says the toner should cost only about $44 a year.

If you need to print in color, consider this inkjet all-in-one for around $250.It's a bit expensive up front, but Consumer Reports says you'll only spend about 6-dollar a year on ink for its refillable tanks.

And then there's problem three: too many people sharing too little bandwidth.

"If your house is suddenly full and everybody needs fast, reliable WiFi, it may be time for a router upgrade," said Consumer Reports Tech EDitor Nicholas DeLeon.

Check out this router from TP Link. Consumer Repots says it's easy to set up and at around $200, it's a Consumer Reports Best Buy.

If you have a big house, consider a mesh network. One from Eero is a Consumer Reports Best Buy at around $250 for a three-pack.

Consumer Reports recommends you make a strong password for your router and always keep the firmware up to date to secure your digital privacy.

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