Neighbour asking to share wifi temporarily

[papergazelle]

I’ve lived in the flat next to my neighbours for a year and a half, never really spoken except the occasional hello, though we will take in parcels for each other and leave them at each other’s doors.

Today I got a note asking if they could use my wifi for a week, as they’ve changed their broadband and are waiting on their new router to arrive. They also stated that they’re willing pay some of the bill and left their mobile number for me to send the password and internet name to if I agreed to it.

DH thinks they’re being cheeky to even ask and says that we should write a note back saying we’re on a limited plan so can’t share. I agree with him but I’m too soft for my own good so still feel bad for turning them down and really awkward about responding to them

WWYD? How would you go about responding to a request like this?

Yes, I've also done laundry for neighbours, but it's a completely different matter to let them use your wifi, completely unsupervised. As months have suggested, they could be using it for anything! If it was my sister or best friend maybe, but not someone I don't know very well.

Why wouldn't I let me neighbour use my WiFi for a week? Because 4 of us stream a lot and I wouldn't want that speed compromised, especially because it would probably result in DS, who has autism, taking even more meltdowns. So I'd say sorry, but no.

We have next doors password and they have ours, so if there are problems with either network/router we just switch.

However, we also have a shared water supply (borehole) and a shared septic tank, so are used to communicating over shared things and we know our neighbours reasonably well.

So personally I don't have a problem with it.

Ah yes. This famous “anything” that could happen.

You are putting all your devices and data at risk sharing a WiFi password with someone you do not know or trust. If your router is able to, you can set up a guest network which gives them limited access.

No I wouldn 't do it, and I wouldn't ask my neighbour to either. There are plenty of other options available.

Another vote of no.

Not having WiFi is not an emergency. It’s mildly inconvenient at worst. Regardless of security/privacy issues, those who say how easy it is to hand over a password or set up a guest account - it’s just as easy to set up a phone hotspot.

A phone hotspot, as pointed out many many times on this thread (and ignored/unaddressed just as many many times by those determined to make it seem unreasonable to hand over a password to people we don’t know very well) is a simple and relatively inexpensive alternative these people have to accessing OP’s WiFi. Or they can suck it up and live without WiFi until theirs becomes available. I’m almost certain they’ll survive.

DH is right they are cheeky to ask. I wouldn't because wifi isn't an essential and they will have mobile data, they could buy a dongle for a week if they are that desperate. I wouldn't respond to them at all. It is actually the easiest way to avoid awkwardness. You can both pretend there was never a note and they were not being cf.

They are really cheeky. I'm like you and would worry, but hopefully you will find a way to say 'no'.

I had someone ask this years ago. I just told them I had to work from home and my employer paid for the BB and they didn't let me share the password.

No!

It's really odd that they would ask, sounds very suspicious. I myself have moved many times so I know the sting of having to wait for the wifi to be set up - you buy a dongle, you use your phone as a hot spot, or you just put up with it for a week and go to your mate's house for anything urgent. I would never in a million years even think to ask my neighbours if I could use theirs. Not unless they were good friends.
Sounds like they want to rinse your wifi dry and not bother paying the bill. If they're cheeky enough to ask then they are cheeky enough to do this.

Or worse, they want to do something illegal or they can't do something with their own internet because of some previous illegal activity. Either way it's all lose-lose for you OP.

I wouldn't even write a note back, I'd just wait until you bump into them again and then say 'oh, sorry we couldn't share our wifi, we're on a limited plan. Hope you got yours sorted!" And then change the subject to something else.

My IP address is not permanent. With my ISP you have to pay extra to have a fixed IP address because it's more secure. They told me that it's usually only organisations that have a fixed IP.

@DameSquashalot you are correct, your home WiFi will not have a permanent IP address, it will change. What happens though is when you're using the internet, for example you log into your email, or you buy something from a shopping website, or you log on to a porn site, whatever, those websites log the time and date of the activity and the up address that was used at that time. If something illegal is done, for example you use a stolen/cloned credit card on the shopping site, the email you send is abusive, you're looking at illegal porn etc. The police will do basic enquires and identify who the IP address was registered to at that time. So if the internet at your address is registered in your name, they will be knocking on your door if your neighbour has been doing those things on your WiFi.
This IP address is the public IP address. The individual devices that connect to your router are allocated a completely separate IP address. This is the private IP address. This is not linked to the public op address. So the shopping site/porn site/ email login doesn't know what device it connected to, therefore when the police come knocking, the only info they've got at that stage is that the crime happened by someone using your internet. Yes you can tell them you gave the Password to the neighbour, but your opportunity to do that will be in your interview under caution after being arrested and your house searched and your computers/phones seized so that they can be checked.

Sharing a WiFi password with a virtual stranger is not the same as lending a cup of sugar to a new neighbour or letting them use the washing machine if it breaks down. It has nothing to do with them being a master potential cyber hacker (if they were they wouldn't need to ask you your password!) it's basic internet security. Most cafes shopping centres have free WiFi, they can go there if they need to use the internet urgently.

Stupid autocorrect! Clearly the up and op in that post were meant to say IP!

Also having re-read it looks like I'm directing at you personally @DameSquashalot ! Sorry I didn't intend that , I was just saying that you are correct that your home IP address will change!

I personally wouldnt and would make up an excuse for somebody i didnt really know, because I think its pretty cheeky and I wouldnt want to start with them thinking they could just ask me favours if theyve barely said hello up till now.
I would do it for neighbours I knew and got on with well, but not for strangers. There are so many tales of CFs taking the piss relentlessly, that the less you agree to from the get go, the better

No!
They can use mobile data on phones

On the flip side of this, I was going to ask my neighbour if i could use their wifi til I got mine sorted, as there was legit no signal in the flat for my phone internet. They worked away & I was going to offer something of course. In the end I didnt ask as i didnt want them to feel awkward.
I think this all depends entirely on how you are with the neighbours, theres no right or wrong answer.
But if you dont want to, then no is no. I wouldnt even respond to the note.

Just send a note back saying you dont have WiFi and so cant share it.

Say its someone elses WiFi, case closed.

Just send a note back saying you dont have WiFi and so cant share it.

Say its someone elses WiFi, case closed

Either say “sure” (I would, and then change password) or “I’m afraid not, I don’t feel comfortable sharing for various reasons”

But don’t resort to silly fibs

no sorry.
something we were always tuahgt never to do by someone who works In the secure sector.
its also not if they are "bad" people.searching who knows what.you can accidently click on the wrong link,not realise certain sits or links are bad.everyones done it but its easier to deal with if its someone in yoru family or friendship circle.a neighbour would make it a whole lot difficult if there was trouble.

"But don’t resort to silly fibs"

And how exactly are the CF neighbours going to determine that, without physically going inside OP's flat to check no WiFi exists?

Sheesh!

A good 4G signal is practically WiFi speed anyway so there is no need to request access to a neighbours WiFi

And no don’t give out your WiFi password

good 4G signal is practically WiFi speed anyway so there is no need to request access to a neighbours WiFi

I guess they don't want to use their phone data up, did OP say they have unlimited data on their home package?