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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Do you let your DC’s friends have WiFi password?

149 replies

The2Ateam · 30/12/2019 17:30

When your DC’s friends come over, do you let them connect to your home WiFi?

DC’s are 12.

OP posts:
TheSpottedZebra · 30/12/2019 18:27

Thanks re guest network. Oddly we have new bb contract and router starting in a week or so, so I'll get it properly set up.

MrsJBaptiste · 30/12/2019 18:31

Good God, if we didn't give our friends (adults and kids) our WiFi password, we'd never have anybody round!

ffswhatnext · 30/12/2019 18:35

Haha good luck to looking under the router. First thing I did was change that one, and the one that allows you to access your ip provider settings.

Butterbeeeen · 30/12/2019 18:39

We keep our little card on the window and anyone that wants the code is more than welcome

InsertFunnyUsername · 30/12/2019 18:43

Anyone who is a guest for any period of time can have it. Our box is on display (code on back) everyone asks though.

Catapillarsruletheworld · 30/12/2019 18:44

If course. I think all of both dds friends have our password. Like wise they have theirs.

DukeChatsworth · 30/12/2019 18:45

Of course we do. All guests get offered the WiFi password. As is DD when she goes to her friends.

Purpletigers · 30/12/2019 18:46

Yes

Sparkle567 · 30/12/2019 18:56

Yes, wouldn’t even cross my mind not to let them

Whitelisbon · 30/12/2019 19:16

Yes, we have a secondary network set up with parental controls and stuff on it, that the kids and their friends connect to.
The only time it's a small issue is when they're all standing outside waiting for the school bus, all connected to our router. Slows it right down when theres 30+ kids connected to it! But it's only for 5-10 minutes on a morning, so I don't mind.
They all love it as we have no 4g here (rural) and theres a pokestop over the road, so they connect to play pokemon regularly Hmm
The parental controls mean I can see who's connected, what they've done, when, and I can block anyone or anything (including pokemon if I was feeling evil), never had any problems with anyone.

ffswhatnext · 30/12/2019 19:19

If there's too many connected and it's slowing things down, I change the guest password so anyone not in the house gets booted off.
Some friends live within range lol.

The2Ateam · 30/12/2019 19:20

I genuinly didn’t know what the done thing was. No one - other than the preteens that are frequenting our house at the mo - has ever asked!

That’s why I asked what everyone else did.

OP posts:
Aragog · 30/12/2019 19:21

Yes, we share our password with friends and family who visit us, regardless of age.

In the spare room it is written down on a card.

When others have iPhones and they want to use it we just use the share options on our phones, so don't even have to type it in.

MrsTerryPratchett · 30/12/2019 19:22

Of course and anyone who wouldn’t is weird

I love these kinds of statements. Because you can't see a reason for restricting something, anyone who makes a different decision must be weird.

One reason is that if a guest accessed illegal or worrisome materials, the police would be knocking on your door. In our circle of friends' kids there have been underage teenagers sharing pictures. I don't want that near my devices or network.

ProfessionalBoss · 30/12/2019 19:23

I would have guest WiFi for children and visitors to use, which would have every parental control known on it.

I would not want the responsibility of children accessing adult content because no parental controls were set and I wasn't watching what they were doing

For those who would just hand out the password...

Do you have strict parental controls on your main WiFi which restrict even you from accessing any adult material.l? Highly doubtful, as Netflix etc would automatically be banned...

Do you know for a fact that the children are allowed online? Perhaps they have a mobile for calls and txts only, with mobile data being banned, hence the need for WiFi passwords.

How would you feel if your 12 year old was accessing adult content online, perhaps even on chat groups or dating sites when they were at a friends house and you didn't know?

MissConductUS · 30/12/2019 19:23

Among the young wifi is now considered to be a fundamental requirement, like heat in the winter or running water. They're a bit shocked if you don't offer it.

I'll type the password into their phone. I can later block them at the router if I need to.

RiddleyW · 30/12/2019 19:29

How would you feel if your 12 year old was accessing adult content online, perhaps even on chat groups or dating sites when they were at a friends house and you didn't know?

I’d be furious with the child, I wouldn’t blame the person who happens to pay for the WiFi.

ohcarriemathison · 30/12/2019 19:31

Yes, wouldn't think twice about it.

Bunnybigears · 30/12/2019 19:31

How would you feel if your 12 year old was accessing adult content online, perhaps even on chat groups or dating sites when they were at a friends house and you didn't know?

At 12 it's not for me to police this sort of things with other peoples kids. If they were determined to access these things they could always just go and sit in McDonalds and use their wifi.

Sparklesocks · 30/12/2019 19:31

How would you feel if your 12 year old was accessing adult content online, perhaps even on chat groups or dating sites when they were at a friends house and you didn't know?

Well I wouldn’t blame the host, it’s not their job to scrutinise everything my child does and check his or her phone to ensure they aren’t accessing adult material. I’d also be upset that my child thought it was appropriate to do that at all, let alone at a friend’s house.

ProfessionalBoss · 30/12/2019 19:32

@Newmetoday "Of course and anyone who wouldn’t is weird"

NO, I'm not weird, I just happen to know an incredible amount regarding Internet Security and would rather any children in my house were as safe as they possibly can be online.

Just because you don't understand and can't see the issues, doesn't mean that they're not there.

And to call people idiots just means that you're uneducated and can't think of a valid argument as to why you think you are right. (But I'll help you out, there aren't any)

Sparkle567 · 30/12/2019 19:32

How would you feel if your 12 year old was accessing adult content online, perhaps even on chat groups or dating sites when they were at a friends house and you didn't know

Then I’d be giving my 12 year old a telling off for being so stupid.

Sparkle567 · 30/12/2019 19:33

Telling* not giving🤦🏼‍♀️

Clymene · 30/12/2019 19:33

If there is someone in my home doing things that are likely to get the police involved, their access to the internet via my router would be the least of my concerns

Fuzzybumblebee · 30/12/2019 19:34

I always give my daughters friends the password but remember one mom being a bit funny with her daughter when she was told I'd given her the password and when my daughter went to her friends it was her mom who had to type it in as she didn't want my daughter seeing it, thought it was a tad odd