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

[lozzylizzy]

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?

Hell no! I wouldn't allow it! I'd just say no. You're not obliged to give a reason. Can't believe he had the cheek to even ask! I would only ask friends and family!

We let our neighbour use our wifi while they were waiting for theirs to be connected. It was only a few days and we changed the password when he had got theirs set up.

Not sure I would have let them if they had just moved in. I would just say I don't know the password or even that you only use your mobile internet (I know several who do!)

No. How would you know that he'd stopped using it, or hadn't passed it on to someone else. What a cheek.

Well you could know he stopped using it by changing your password.
I suppose it's about what he does with it while he is connected - would he download giant stuff? It is awful moving in somewhere and being wifi less though, especially if you've lots to arrange, so I am sympathetic to the guy!

and I am someone whose neighbour has keys to my home, so they could find out plenty of bank stuff etc the old fashioned way if they wanted to.

When I moved and had to Internet I used my phone. DP bought a dongle. We didn't go begging for passwords.

As he's put you on the spot I would give it to him but turn it off every night when you go to bed and change the password after one week.

No way. You know nothing about the new neighbour. You have a secure internet access. Do you do banking etc on it as you wouldn't want anyone else having access to it. And god knows what he could download/upload etc.

@ketsby who 'did' you? Or who 'did'you do?

@op do what you gotta do, it's your Wi-Fi

YANBU. No way would I do that. There's all kinds of detestable things he could be accessing. It'd be nice to feel we could trust everyone to be decent human beings, but I'm afraid I don't.

Suggest him to get a mobile phone dongle and to use cafes. That's what I did when I waited a whole month for my broadband when I moved to my current house.

Would you ask in his circumstances? I think not. He may have boundary issues, so start as you mean to go on ....

Bit late now, but for future reference 'Oh we don't have house wifi, we all use our phone data' is a good brush off.

Hell no!! A friend had someone staying with them and it turned out they were accessing the dark Web to look as seriously nasty stuff. They found out when price stormed their house!

Definitely no.

I did this for my neighbours when they had major connection problems for 1 month - 2 years later when I hit financial problems for a while they let me use theirs for 2 years.

Hi OP. As many others have said, please do not share your wifi password with someone you don't know. Any downloads, legal or illegal are traced to you first as it's your wifi. This is a bad idea, tell him no.

He can get one of those dongle things for temporary access. I would do a I'm such a technophobe don't know password, sorry can't help dizzy thing. And if it is for work, he/she work would have been on to it before they moved in. Don't get involved.

Wow i was shocked when you said he knocked on your door bloody cheeck! ! I'd tell him to go buy a done from the 3 shop & bog off!!

If you are uncomfortable saying 'no' then cite your providers T&C - most of them do not allow sharing your access with other addresses (even if friends sometimes do it).

I would help out our neighbours if stuck but (a) we have known them for many years (b) I have a subnet with tight access controls which I could loan in that situation. I wouldn't hand over the keys to my connection to someone I don't know, even on that restricted basis.

If you live in an area of good 3/4G or a hotspot zone then a week's connectivity will not break their employer for work use and if self employed is a business expense against tax.

I would take in a parcel for neighbours, lend the proverbial cup of sugar and have cooked meals and loaned washing machine use for neighbours in need. I've benefited from similar help. Handing over unconstrained access which I'm accountable for to a stranger is not comparable and a much bigger ask.

YANBU. When I moved house I was without a phone line for a month & I managed. I used wifi at my brothers & sisters & free wifi spots.

defnitely not! He can go to Vodafone and get mobile broadband which you can pay as you go. Its what we did when we moved house and internet took a couple of months to get sorted.

No! Don't do it. Heaven knows what he will do with it.

Absolutely not. He could get up to all sorts on a server that has your name - I wouldn't consider it for a second, and it seems a really weird thing to ask.

I think it's illegal to share by the terms of Internet contracts.
However, what a lovely world it would be if we all did share with each other. It would be a lot cheaper for us as well!
We could share 3 neighbours to one broadband bill!

I can see both sides.
Just be neighbourly, create a guest account which means you can control what's downloaded and give him those details, close this after a week or so...