To think friend was being a bit tight over internet password

[CadgingCarol]

Name changed as I'm an over sharer.
Anyway I had some issues with paying my internet account recently basically direct debit hadn't come out and I'd been cut off long story!

I was stuck at home on my own with the kids, my older dc was going on and on and on about internet being cut off stress. I thought I'll ring up and pay to get it back on etc but realised I couldn't transfer the money as no internet! My phone internet wouldn't work either.
I thought shit, I messaged my friend who lives close and I'm a round about way asked her if I could borrow her internet password to get things sorted,
Her reply was "sorry I don't want to give it out" now we've been friends for over 4 years have each other kids do stuff etc etc so I was quite shocked at her response. It's basically saying she doesn't trust me isn't it?
Yes the internet being back on wasn't urgent but I still needed it back on ASAP. I wouldn't have given a second thought to giving a "friend" the password so aibu to think she isn't really a friend as she didn't help me out when I was in the shit?

Bubblebubblepop

To be fair, some of its accurate and some isn't. I used to be a regular on that forum but I'm not on that thread.

The key point though is the risk analysis.

Someone you know well enough to look after your children is presumably trustworthy enough allow temporary access in an emergency, especially since you can change the password straight afterward.

There is also the question of whether your guest has and will be likely to use hacking skills once inside the network. For which the mitigation is ensuring your general security is kept up to date (to protect against accidental damage) with passwords regularly changed or a guest network. In which case you would need to be malicious and have the skills to do anything.

Presumably if the OPs friend thought she was untrustworthy she wouldn't trust her with her children. I can't speak as to the OPs hacking skills.

If her laptop connects automatically to her friend's wifi when she is in the friend's house then it would connect to it in her own house. No need for the password again.
Unless she's changed the password of course.
Maybe neighbour changed it after finding that OP was logging on regularly in her own house because she hadn't got her own.

If her laptop connects automatically to her friend's wifi when she is in the friend's house then it would connect to it in her own house. No need for the password again

I don't think she meant it actually connects to her friend's network, but that her laptop can see the other network, and it shows up as an available network. If it's locked down, it will say 'secured'.

We can see our neighbour's network on our devices, but can't connect to it as we don't have the password.

Maybe neighbour changed it after finding that OP was logging on regularly in her own house because she hadn't got her own.

Oh come on! There is nothing to suggest that is the case at all. I know it makes for a juicier thread to think the OP has been stealing her neighbours WIFI regularly but there is simply no reason to believe that is there?

OP has made it quite clear that it was a one off problem.

And yes, she meant she can see her friend's network listed.

People jumping to conclusions... again

YABU. There are plenty of places you can access the internet. I would never hand out my password to anyone. I allow very close and trusted family members (ie my mum and dad, and sister) to access my wifi but I put the password in for them, I don't even tell them.

Name changed as I'm an over sharer.

No s**t, Sherlock.

Use the phone to pay, you know, by speaking to someone. It's amazing what you can do without internet.

I can't share IP addresses with others as part of an income generating pastime that I have so I wouldn't give it out either. It wouldn't matter whether I trusted you or not. I wouldn't take it personally.

I can’t believe the replies on this thread! The OP asked for the WIFI code not her fucking banking password. YANBU OP. MN is ridiculous sometimes

I would not give out my wifi password. At all. I would, however, tried to help with a solution including asking you to come round and use my computer.

Use the phone to pay, you know, by speaking to someone. It's amazing what you can do without internet.

OP explained that she couldn't transfer the money over the phone.

I have a couple of separate accounts and the money has to be transferred online.

My password changes usually include an insult at whoever I'm currently annoyed at. It would be very awkward for me to give that password out!

Earlier I said I wouldn't have handed out my password to someone who only lived a few doors down. Reading this thread and thinking about it more I believe I actually would if I was friends with my neighbour and we had the relationship the OP has with hers.

Her friend is of course perfectly entitled to say no but I'm not sure why the OP has been given a hard time for asking. Some of these responses are ridiculous. Especially the one making out OP has a history of stealing wifi.

My children always have friends round and my wifi password is on the fridge. I have no fear that something bad will happen. I doubt very much anyone is going to hack me or even know how to.

I don't understand. Isn't the wi-fi password the one on the router? I have my friends for when I pet sit, another friends when im at her house, my DDs when I go stay and my DBs. Even if I wanted to how could I access their emails, tv etc from the password on their router. It only works when I'm in their houses? once your off the premises surely you cant use their internet? unless you live next door and the signal works in your house. Am i missing something here?

YANBU

What an odd thread filled with very paranoid people!

I think based on reaction YABU...

However if a friend needed a hand I wouldnt say no, but you expect her to help that is her prerogative and if she says no that should also be fine too....

Most people have my WiFi password, usually the dcs friends but adults too it doesn’t bother me at all. It’s on the side of the router so not hidden.

But they visit use the WiFi and leave not sure id give the password to my neighbour who can use it from their house whenever they want and doesn’t pay their own internet bill..

Sounds like she thinks you’ll just use it when you don’t pay your bill.

However I can get into the router settings and check who’s connected to my WiFi, she probably can’t.

What an odd thread filled with very paranoid people

That's Mumsnet!

Your friend wasn't being unreasonable. Before now we've allowed a neighbour to use our Wi-Fi to get them out of a temporary problem. Six months later they were still using it! Our password was changed after that. Then we get a message asking if our broadband is ok as theirs has stopped working

It probably would have been easier to telephone your internet service provider and pay them over the phone or call your bank to transfer the money, rather than giving someone your internet banking details!!

Unless you were stopping your teens from accessing the net why would you change your wifi password? Firstly, devices remember it, and secondly, changing it to some more memorable than the random string of letters and numbers on the box is likely to be more guessable, and therefore insecure.

I meant "more insecure".... it would still be pretty secure unless you set it to 0000 or something.

Lol, not giving your password to people isn't paranoid, it's common sense.