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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Giving out your internet password to a neighbour

49 replies

Daffodil55 · 08/12/2019 11:36

I have a youngish neighbour who I get on well with but the other evening she knocked at my door and asked could she use my internet log in for her phone so she could chat to a friend (I assume she meant through social media)

She had her phone in her hand and the list of nearby connections and mine was at the top so I just said oh there's mine right there. She then asked for the password but I made an excuse, which was more or less the truth as I told her I couldnt think of it. I said my internet just automatically connects and I have long forgotten the password. I do have it written down of course but my question is,

If I had given her the p.word and she connected her phone through my (paid for) account, would she then have used mine for free every time she wanted to access Fbook or whatever?

I did ask her did she not have internet in her home but she said she used to but lost it. No idea what she meant but didn't pursue it. Anyway she went away and said no worries she would find another person to help her.

I am not savvy enough to know if (had I given her my password) would she then be able to see anything at all to do with my account? Other than that I am not happy for her to have free internet connection when I pay for mine.

What would you do ?

OP posts:

Doormat247 · 08/12/2019 12:14

I'd have done the same as you. Why should she get a freebie from you? Plus she'll just keep using it.
There was a recent thread on here about a neighbour asking the same and their whole family was using the password including visitors!

I wouldn't have the audacity to ask a neighbour for their password, it's just plain rude.

FloydWasACat · 08/12/2019 12:30

Libraries have free wifi BarbaraStrozzi

TheSandgroper · 08/12/2019 12:35

Well done, you

Norma27 · 08/12/2019 13:11

You never know what someone might be doing with your internet access. An acquaintance of mine was arrested last week after being stung by some paedophile hunters. I was absolutely gobsmacked. I would never give out my internet passwords.

mumwon · 08/12/2019 13:38

that's what libraries are for

mumwon · 08/12/2019 13:43

ps I was staying in a cottage for a while with no wi fi whilst at uni went to local library & explained I was doing essay - bless them they found me a computer that was in a quiet area with no timing (I needed to use computer for several hours). People should use libraries more -that way they wont get shut down.

BlackCatSleeping · 08/12/2019 13:44

A lot of libraries close at 5pm though.

SamBeckett · 08/12/2019 14:00

YANBU
I have a neighbour whos grown up ( not living with his dad ) has asked me several times at first I just said I dont know the password but he then went into a great deal of detail as to how I reset / find out what it is.
After about the third time of asking I told him that if he pays £15 ( half of my bill) upfront each month I would let him know what the pass word is but it would be getting changed every month , he called me a CF !

ScreamingLadySutch · 08/12/2019 14:02

Er .... no.

Wintersleep · 08/12/2019 14:03

Oh I gave my neighbours our password, queue months of super slow Internet until I went onto my broadband account and changed the password which kicked them all off. Yes she'd be using your Internet until you booted her off your WiFi. I like my neighbours but when I'm trying to write an assignment at 10pm and nothing is loading, it takes the mick a bit

TheBigFatMermaid · 08/12/2019 14:10

I have internet I pay for. My friend across the road does too. Myself and DD spend quite a bit of time in her house, so are connected to her internet too.

In DDs bedroom, she gets a better signal off friends internet than ours!

I did once connect to another friends when I couldn't pay my bill and had an assignment due, but we are close friends, not just neighbours!

I wouldn't have given this person my password either!

ThatssomebadhatHarry · 08/12/2019 14:10

But I hit the peri-menopause and now happily say no to people

This was interesting as I was just having a conversation with someone who said your give a fuck button is disconnected at 40. I’m a bit of a pleaser but in last few years I have found this to be thinning. Can’t wait for it to switch off.

itcoldoutside · 08/12/2019 14:17

My internet stops working as soon as I walk outside my front door ? How can someone else use your internet ? Maybe u need different settings ?

HaileySherman · 08/12/2019 14:22

7i don't think there's any real risk involved. It's more a matter of if you want someone to use for free something you pay for. I guess if she went and hooked up a bunch of devices it could slow down your connection, but i think its just a money thing. I would let her myself. If my speeds slowed down and i thought she was connecting with a bunch of devices, I could always just boot everyone and change the password.

HanginWithMyGnomies · 08/12/2019 14:33

Don’t do it @Daffodil55 I gave mine out to a new neighbour, before I knew it she’d hooked up two TVs and three phones. Slowed ours right down, I changed the password. So cheeky!

HanginWithMyGnomies · 08/12/2019 14:34

@itcoldoutside I have super fast fibre and I can still hook up to it from 4 doors down 😂

rhubarbcrumbles · 08/12/2019 14:37

She would have been able to use it whenever she wanted, plus she'd have a IP address linked to your router and so anything illegal she did could be traced to you.

Instagrump · 08/12/2019 14:42

It's unlikely she would have been able to see what your internet activity was and passwords etc unless she is hacker-standard computer savvy and I'd assume someone with that level of ability would never let their internet get shut off. However, she would be able to log in all her other devices using the password you could have given her. In my house I have 3 xboxes, 3 kindles, 5 iPhones, two TV's, sky tv, 4 laptops, cctv system and an iPad all using our WiFi plus all my kid's friends devices when they visit.
Add in another household's devices and you'd probably see a lot of usage issues affecting your speeds. Biggest issue though is she could potentially download anything and you would be in trouble if it's illegal.
Only give access to those you trust. Neighbours need to buy their own.

virginpinkmartini · 08/12/2019 14:50

People need to piss off. In the last building I lived in, these two absolute jobless jakeys were always asking for money, cigarettes and food from the neighbours. They always somehow managed to have chippies being delivered and weed smoke eminating from their flat though, and were spitting out the kids. My neighbour let them share her WiFi password (they were able to have smartphones too, amazingly). When I was round my neighbours and she told me this, I told her to change her password ASAP cos they are absolute piss takers. Unless you are good friends with someone and they are in a genuine, one-off pickle, don't give it to these CFers because once you give an inch, they'll want a country mile. People need to be forced to earn their own wants or they will never have a reason to get off their backsides.

Isleepinahedgefund · 08/12/2019 15:26

My neighbour stole my WiFi password, CF. The card was in the kitchen so he must have written it down when he was round for a cuppa.

I work from home a lot and noticed that my internet slowed down noticeably during the day (usually v fast as everyone else is out), when I checked he had all sorts of devices logged on I could tell it was him because they were all called “Dave’s iPhone” etc. I took so much delight in kicking them all off and changing my password, haven’t seen the CF since!

Whoever said they don’t see what the problem is - the internet can be used for all sorts of nefarious purposes and, while most people will just want access to go on Netflix and check their Facebook, there are people who would rather whatever nasty stuff they are looking at is traceable via your IP address rather than their own. Depending on what they are looking at, this could have wide reaching consequences for you. This is why it is a good idea not to give the password to people you don’t know very well for them to use it as their usual connection.

yellowallpaper · 08/12/2019 18:33

DH did this for a new pretty neighbour. I was annoyed on several levels and immediately changed the password

Taddda · 08/12/2019 19:38

I had a neighbour (who I've never spoke to) do this to my other half while I was in hospital heavily pregnant (complications with placenta, it was a scary time) - shes never even said hello to me (my other neighbours are gossips, I kind of got told 'shes a wrongun' her as soon as I moved in, but benefit of the doubt I have tried to say hiya, plus never complained about her 'every other weekend' all night parties....she lives above me, little one goes to Dads etc...).

She turned up, laptop in hand, saying she needed to contact her older son as it was his birthday and just straight up asked him for my internet password- he said he made up an excuse and no, but I dont think she would have tried that with me-

It's a no from me!!

milveycrohn · 08/12/2019 19:41

Don't give anyone your password and if you do so by mistake, then change it asap

Raspberrytruffle · 08/12/2019 19:49

Dont give anyone your password, I can guarantee she will use it rather than pay for her own. My Cf ex sil used to delight in telling me that she never paid for the wifi she had borrowed the password 3 years ago apparently just when she first moved in until they got the sky set up, well it never happened and silly neighbor who is supposed to be her freind is non the wiser. Absolute scum some folk.

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