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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not let my new neighbour have our Wi-Fi password

226 replies

lozzylizzy · 19/10/2016 12:17

So our new adjoining neighbour came round to introduce himself and then asked if he could 'borrow' our wifi until he had his sorted next week (for work apparently). I was put right on the spot and didn't know what to say so he said that maybe I wanted to discuss it with DH and left. I don't think its a good idea.

DH has been winding me up saying poor man is bored etc but AIBU for thinking a neighbourly favour is taking in a parcel or putting out their bins and not sharing internet access with practically a stranger?

OP posts:
2rebecca · 19/10/2016 12:33

No. I don't think he should have asked. I wouldn't want to have to change passwords and wouldn't want to be responsible for someone else's internet usage. He can get roaming on a mobile for a week.

KERALA1 · 19/10/2016 12:34

Bloody talk talk severed our connection some server error. Tearing hair out as Dh and I both work at home. Lovely neighbours let us use their wifi code. We were offline a week in the end. I would do the same for them. Dh and I do legal work so wouldn't be appropriate to sit in cafes re confidentiality. Lovely neighbours.

PotatoBread · 19/10/2016 12:35

Not a chance. Cheeky sod for even asking. He can use his phone for a week if he's that desperate

Happyhippy45 · 19/10/2016 12:35

We did .....well tried to.....for our neighbours. The mum was very clear that they wouldn't download anything, it was just to go on FB etc. She had 3 teenage daughters........our signal wasn't strong enough. I just changed the password to something easy formthem to borrow and then changed it back to our usual one once I knew they weren't going to use it.
DH wasn't too happy about me doing this....because he's a bit paranoid.

Captainladder · 19/10/2016 12:37

i'd probably do it for a neighbour I had known for a while and got on with. I dont think I would for someone who I didnt know and had just moved in. Do what you feel comfortable with.

alfagirl73 · 19/10/2016 12:38

Don't do it. If he uses it for any illegal/dodgy purposes and is subsequently caught, you could also be investigated - and even prosecuted - for willingly allowing him to use your broadband to do it. You have no idea what he could be doing while using your broadband. He unfortunately has to do what the rest of us do - wait until his BB is connected or use a smart phone if he's gone one.

eddielizzard · 19/10/2016 12:39

i did this for a neighbour. he didn't take the piss, just used it occasionally like he said he would.

Chiliprepper · 19/10/2016 12:42

I would, it's quite easy to set up a guest network with a password, which you can change after a week or so... I don't think YABU not doing though, but neither is he BU for asking

thatwouldbeanecumenicalmatter · 19/10/2016 12:42

No. If it's for work then I'm assuming it'll be heavy usage and he really shouldn't be relying on a neighbours charity to facilitate his job. If he moved to somewhere remote with no nearby neighbours what would he have done then?

If he takes it on then chin fair enough, if he moans and whinges you know you've got an entitled bugger on your hands so you're best to stop people like that before they set a precedence - I say this bearing in mind recent threads about entitled NDNs such as the woman who wanted the OP who was having cancer treatment to look after her dog whilst she went on a booty call with a married man, or the NDN who cut a hole through the OPs fence to let her tree branches grow through or the NDNs who cut a bit off the OP's shed and built a fence whilst she was on holiday. I could go on! and have Grin

AgentProvocateur · 19/10/2016 12:42

I can see I'm in a minority here, but I would. If you've got unlimited broadband, then it's no skin off your nose and its a neighbourly thing to do. I've done it for my new neighbours when they moved in and were waiting to be connected, and I know they'd do it for me.

Penhacked · 19/10/2016 12:43

Nope sorry. Too risky for me for all above reasons. Someone cheeky enough to ask a stranger is cheeky enough to take the piss.

eddielizzard · 19/10/2016 12:44

well if he does take the piss you can always change the password...

pipsqueak25 · 19/10/2016 12:44

why would anyone who says no be paranoid ? op will decide for herself but she clearly isn't happy with it. for those who have done it and there has been no problem then that's good, but there will be other cases when it goes toes up.

jdoe8 · 19/10/2016 12:46

God some of you are mean and paranoid.

I would of let someone have it, you can change it a few weeks later or if it slows down.

Assume everyone is nice until proved otherwise. It's dog eat dog out there.

NetballHoop · 19/10/2016 12:46

I wouldn't have any problem letting them use it for a week or two, but our wifi has a "guest" account which is what guests etc use rather than our main one.

Electrolens · 19/10/2016 12:47

I would. Just change the password after a week.

SissySpacekAteMyHamster · 19/10/2016 12:47

A neighbour I knew quite well, yes.

Total stranger (as he is for now), no.

Ketsby · 19/10/2016 12:48

'Did it', people, 'We DID IT' or 'my neighbours DID IT', not 'done it'...

Aaaand yeah, no. It's one thing to borrow a cup of sugar, it's quite another for him to want free hookup to your utilities like electric or water mains. Wifi is in the category of utility

ItShouldHaveBeenJessMass · 19/10/2016 12:49

I gave my female neighbour mine as she was struggling with the dongle she was using. She mainly uses it for Facebook and ebay, as far as I know. It was meant to be a temporary arrangement, but I'm pretty sure that she still uses it and I can't be bothered to change it. The difference is that I have known her for five years before I handed it over, and she didn't ask - I offered. Your neighbour is a bit cheeky...

liletsthepink · 19/10/2016 12:50

No, this isn't a good idea.

If your neighbour needs wifi for work he can go to one of the many places that have it available. Is there a library, supermarket, shopping centre, pub, hotel or cafe nearby? Unless you live in a very isolated place he should be able to manage until he gets his broadband installed.

pipsqueak25 · 19/10/2016 12:51

there are some nice people on here, i wonder if they ever get burnt as a result ? gullible = mug in my book, you can help people out without parting with hard earned cash as well.

Scribblegirl · 19/10/2016 12:52

We've just moved to our new flat, and won't have internet for another couple of weeks. DP needs internet for work, so has set up a wifi hotspot on his work iPhone (which has unlimited data). We're surrounded by boxes with him doing his work and me MNetting and it's working perfectly well for us. If you're in an area with 3G then that would work fine. I think he's being a bit cheeky.

BlurtonOnKites4eva · 19/10/2016 12:53

I would and a few flats ago somebody did that for us, we were cheeky enough to ask!

2rebecca · 19/10/2016 12:53

Agree a neighbour you know well is different, and I probably would regard that as similar to house guests using it, although the password change would be a fangle, even then I suspect I wouldn't for a whole week. Our library has free wifi.

2rebecca · 19/10/2016 12:54

free internet usage that should have been, not wifi