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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU about Wi-Fi

29 replies

Tangledfairy · 15/05/2017 21:00

We have new neighbours moving in next door, literally just said hello to them this evening on the doorstep. They have just knocked on the door and asked if we would do them a favour and let them use our WiFi until their broadband is connected next week.

I have said no as I have no idea who they are but my DP thinks I am being unneighbourly and that we should let them because they are our neighbours.

I don't want to be a bad neighbour but I have only just met them!

WIBU to say no?

OP posts:
StillStayingClassySanDiego · 15/05/2017 21:01

Cheeky buggers, no I wouldn't have given it out either.

AfunaMbatata · 15/05/2017 21:01

YANBU as you don't know what they might be looking at.

inlectorecumbit · 15/05/2017 21:01

No don't do it. YANBU

They could be accessing anything which could be linked back to you...

AnthonyPandy · 15/05/2017 21:02

There was an identical thing here a week or so ago and the general consensus was don't let them use it.

QueenMortificado · 15/05/2017 21:02

I personally wouldn't care and would give it to them. But then I have unlimited broadband and wouldn't think to think that someone would be up to no good!

Wando1986 · 15/05/2017 21:05

"No, sorry. We have a limited bandwidth and download capacity" also how fucking cheeky. Everyone I know has data on their phone, they should use that or buy a bolt on for tethering. A neighbour once asked for ours, told them Maccy's has free wifi down the road as I had no idea who they were. They didn't live here long. They actually got deported Confused

EssentialHummus · 15/05/2017 21:06

I'd let them use it for an agreed period, then change the password.

FizzyGreenWater · 15/05/2017 21:06

Ooooh no super difficult.

I wouldn't want to but what an awkward situation, new neighbours and wrong foot etc.

I think I'd have pretended that ours kept cutting out and we had a terrible issue with it. Then gone in and switched it off Grin

wasonthelist · 15/05/2017 21:06

They could get a 4G dongle for the short term - they are cheeky, I wouldn't agree to it - but would probably make some excuse about work security requirements (a half truth).

LagunaBubbles · 15/05/2017 21:08

No way! So they download something dodgy and you can't prove it's not you?

ymmv · 15/05/2017 21:10

I would let them but ask them not to download/stream. I'd set up a guest wifi for them as we're all networked up and have smart lights etc.

GnatsChuff · 15/05/2017 21:11

My neighbours happily let us use theirs when we first moved in, they came and offered. I guess it depends on where you live and the demographic of the population. It does seem pretty unfriendly and unwelcoming not to. We have signed up to the BT openzone thing, so anyone with a BT account could hotspot off our WiFi.

DoomGloomAndKaboom · 15/05/2017 21:27

I wouldn't. I would point them in the direction of the nearest mobile phone shop and advise them to get a dongle, or tell them where the nearest free wifi places were (library etc.)

I might sound unneighbourly but it wouldn't even occur to me to ask, tbh.

OsmosisJones · 15/05/2017 21:29

Nah. I'd be too worried they downloaded dodgy stuff and I got the blame! You don't know these people from Adam.

AntigoneJones · 15/05/2017 21:32

they can make their smart fone into a wifi hotspot very easily. Suggest that to them.
They are just being cheeky fuckers.

ThisIsStartingToBoreMe · 15/05/2017 21:36

I wouldn't. If they can afford to purchase a property they can afford to purchase a dongle.

AntigoneJones · 15/05/2017 21:37

they don't even need a dongle, if they have a smart fone,

Original poster
Tangledfairy · 15/05/2017 21:41

Thanks everyone you have more or less confirmed what I was thinking.

I did think about agreeing and then changing the password after a week, but that is still a week of them downloading who knows what.

I work from home two days a week so the work security aspect does also concern me.

OP posts:
harderandharder2breathe · 15/05/2017 21:51

I wouldn't

Whenever I've moved I've just used phone data til my broadband got sorted (even why sky fucked it up)

peukpokicuzo · 15/05/2017 22:04

No you can't agree to that. It's not that difficult to arrange a one month data deal on most mobile networks sufficient to keep them able to connect to email and Web searches - and if that's not enough because they want to stream films then that's way more data than it is reasonable to beg off a neighbour anyway.

Collaborate · 15/05/2017 22:43

We have a NAS hard drive attached to our router, so they'd have access to our computer backups, photos and all our movies. Also it makes all the computers on your network vulnerable to a hack.

You don't know them, you're only saving them the cost of a dongle (£30 for a month, if that). I'd be embarrassed to ask if I were them.

Rainbunny · 15/05/2017 22:59

I would say no - they may be your new neighbours but you don't know them at all. Once you give them your password they will have access to your whole network and if they are techy they could brute force your router and change settings. Not to mention they could run some high-bandwidth crap and suck all your bandwidth (I speak from experience). If your computers are password protected there is little danger of being hacked even by others on your wifi network so I wouldn't worry about that.

In reality, they are probably normal people who just want to watch netflix in their new home but I rather resent this new idea that being neighbourly now includes being guilted giving up your wifi password to people you don't yet know. You wouldn't give them the keys to your car would you?

I have moved several times over the years and I have never thought to ask strangers to use their wifi, you just prepare for the fact that you'll be without internet for a few days or arrange for internet service to be set up on the day you move in.

JigglyTuff · 15/05/2017 23:03

You don't even need a dongle - you can access BT Openzone for a small fee - about £5/day I think.

Etymology23 · 15/05/2017 23:14

I wanted to ask my new neighbours this but didn't. If someone asked me I think I'd say yes, as I love being friends with neighbours. Realistically they probably just want to watch Netflix. I could have afforded a wifi dongle but I was desperately trying to save cash to reinflate my savings accounts after the move.

However I'm quite close with my neighbours and would like to be with future neighbours as I think it can really improve ones home life - so I guess I'd tend to assume the best of people - which might catch me out one day.

ExplodedCloud · 15/05/2017 23:17

Yanbu.

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