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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:
Clandestino · 19/10/2016 15:55

Give him the following password: "Usethe4Gonyourmobilephone"

Btw, if he only needs to connect from time to time, his mobile phone plan should allow him to use his phone as a hotspot. I have 7GB monthly and that's more than enough for casual browsing or even work for a day should my wifi go down.
I wouldn't give my neighbour our password. If you feel very kindhearted can't say no to users , change the pw after one or two days and check the usage online.

sophias7 · 19/10/2016 16:03

Short answer: NO
Long answer: NO NO NO NO NO

Nope. Cheeky

alwaysanagonyaunt · 19/10/2016 16:07

Did he even offer you any payment?

dinosaursarebisexual · 19/10/2016 16:07

Quinions right. No way would I let someone use our WiFi.

Happimum06 · 19/10/2016 16:24

tell him no , you don't know what kind stuff he will download

TheRealMrsClarkson · 19/10/2016 16:28

Just tell him that DH works from home too so it's not 'spare', it's being used.

When my husband and I both work from home, it drives me nuts as it slows the speed right down.

He can tether his phone to his work laptop & connect (and pay) from there instead.

Mouseinahole · 19/10/2016 16:28

I did just that for next door. I realised they had been using it for two years when the man came to ask for it again for his son! The son was using porn sites. I refused and change the pass word so they have no access now.

CockacidalManiac · 19/10/2016 16:31

I've let my neighbour use my microwave to heat up food when they had building work that left them without power. It's just what you do.

It's very difficult to download malware, spyware, use dodgy P2P software, and download porn on a microwave though.

CockacidalManiac · 19/10/2016 16:32

For those of you that do loan out your wifi to complete strangers, I would strongly advise you to not use Internet banking, email or anything else sensitive while they are on your network. Then scan all household devices including mobile phones for viruses and malware once the loan period is finished. Sheesh.

^this.

CockacidalManiac · 19/10/2016 16:35

People who are visiting me, who I know and trust, can use my wifi. Randoms who I don't know from Adam? I don't think so.

MumboNumber5 · 19/10/2016 16:40

Our neighbours offered us theirs while sky sorted ours out. But they knew ours would be up and running that week. I was so grateful and didn't/wouldn't take the piss.

MrsDeVere · 19/10/2016 16:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Sallystyle · 19/10/2016 16:56

Tell him to buy a dongle.

I used BTfon when I forgot to pay my bill and was waiting to be re-connected. Think it was £5.00 for 24 hours. Not sure if it's an option for him as I'm with BT in the first place.

There are many ways he can access WiFi without mooching off a neighbour.

Flingmoo · 19/10/2016 16:58

Agree with PPs. Being on the same network as someone else it is actually worryingly easy for someone with the right knowledge to 'hack' into your device. DH demonstrated this to his parents when they visited and used their laptops on our network, with their consent of course, he got them to go to the BBC website and replaced whole sections of the site with his own code. Obviously if someone did this in real life they could make that malicious code. He has also shown me how it is possible to monitor traffic so that if he wanted to, he can see exactly what web content and images I'm browsing when I'm on the home network. Just don't do it! If he thinks it's perfectly okay to ask you this he might even be stupid enough to share your password with his house guests too!

Coughingchildren5 · 19/10/2016 17:16

Don't do it!! You have no idea who this guy is and what he is accessing or who else he will share your broadband with!

Sympathise lots with him and welcome him with a bottle of plonk but maintain sensible boundaries.

RachelRagged · 19/10/2016 17:32

When we moved the neighbours let us use their wi fi but it was offered , not asked for , and that was probably due to the fact my children got on with their children from the start . Was for a few weeks

Comingfoccacia · 19/10/2016 17:43

Funnily enough my neighbour asked me the same question last night. My answer was yes as she's a great friend of all of us and her wifi is temporarily off due to renovations. Any one else would not have been afforded the same courtesy!

JeepersMcoy · 19/10/2016 17:44

This is not about doing someone a favour. Giving someone you don't know open access to your WiFi is just stupid. The idea that this is the same as letting someone park on your drive or use your microwave is naïve at best. It is more like giving them the keys to your house and leaving your bank statements and passport on the side while you head out to work. The security risk is just too great. It is too easy to intercept passwords on open networks.

If you don't trust them with your door keys don't give them your WiFi password for heaven's sake!

TwentyKTV · 19/10/2016 17:51

My internet is slow enough without the neighbours on it!
If it was a new neighbour I would say no, and explain that the wifi is slow and would be much worse with extra downloading.
If it was my existing, helpful, friendly neighbours who I know I would say yes for a limited time. I would explain it would have to be limited but would help them for a short time. I think it's cheeky to ask brand new neighbours.

TwentyKTV · 19/10/2016 17:52

I do trust them with a key so they could come use our internet anyway if they really wanted to abuse it! We're out often enough haha

GiddyOnZackHunt · 19/10/2016 17:55

No I wouldn't.
When we moved last time we were without broadband for a couple of weeks and I work from home. We used BT partly so we could use the free public WiFi.
Never occurred to me to go round and blag my way into the neighbours WiFi.

LadyMonicaBaddingham · 19/10/2016 18:07

No way. And change the name of your network to ODFOD while you're at it Grin

AyeAmarok · 19/10/2016 18:11

I wouldn't.

I don't consider this to be the 21st century version of borrowing some sugar.

acatcalledjohn · 19/10/2016 18:19

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.

  1. Nothing to do with mean and paranoid. Self preservation maybe.
  2. Would HAVE.
  3. Assuming everyone is nice is naive.

OP, as a PP said, tell him you're on a limited plan and therefore won't.

dotdotdot3 · 19/10/2016 18:21

I had this problem a few years ago when a guest of a neighbour asked if they could access mine as the neighbours at the time were on dial-up. It made me very uneasy so I phoned my provider to ask what the issues might be around this, saying I didn't want to do it but wondered what the legal position was. They told me it would in fact contravene my contract with them. Sorted. So that's what I gave as my reason, along with the obvious security and bandwidth issues.

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