Essential Remote Work Tools for Developers in 2024

After working remotely from 15+ countries, here are the tools that keep me productive anywhere.

Communication & Collaboration

• Slack/Discord: Team communication
• Zoom/Meet: Video calls with good mobile data usage
• Notion: Documentation and project management
• Figma: Design collaboration

Development Environment

• VS Code: With Settings Sync enabled
• GitHub Codespaces: When local setup isn’t possible
• Docker: Consistent environments everywhere
• Tailscale: Secure access to home lab

Connectivity & Backup

• Speedtest CLI: speedtest-cli for quick connection checks
• Multiple ISPs: Always have 2+ internet sources
• VPN: Essential for accessing geo-restricted services
• Power Bank: 20,000mAh minimum for long coding sessions

Productivity Hacks

# My daily setup script
#!/bin/bash
speedtest-cli
git status
docker-compose up -d
code .

Location-Specific Tips

• Thailand: AIS has the best coverage
• Indonesia: Telkomsel for reliability
• Portugal: MEO fiber is excellent
• Mexico: Telmex for stable connections

The key is redundancy - always have backups for your backups!