To ask neighbour if I can use his wifi?

[Foliageeverywhere122]

Just moved into a new flat by myself.

The earliest I can get wifi is not until next Fri (and even that's with lots of pestering to sky..) .

Would I be a total CF to ask neighbour if it would be possible to use his wifi until then? I would be really happy to pay however much he thought was reasonable and thought I could give him my number so that if it turns out 2 people on it means it's too slow for him I would stop using it!

I honestly think I will go mad if I have to sit in silence for a week. I've been alone since march and (sad as it seems) I've really found having podcasts/netflix playing in the background makes me feel less lonely and anxious. I've had already had to pay for 8GB data but need to keep that for work - it should be just enough for next week with a couple of video calls but def not for anything else! No TV so I can't drown out the silence that way...

The fact that quite a few people on this thread (and in real life) might not mind is not the issue. We can see that lots of people would think it was cheeky and some would feel obliged to say yes (and you've out them in that position) and resent it. So why run that risk for something that isn't an emergency and for which there are other alternatives you can sort yourself.

Over time you will get to know your neighbour to a lesser or greater degree. You might become good friends who are in each others pockets and can ask each other anything, or be neighbourly and take each other's parcels in, or just nod at each other when putting the bins out. You don't know yet what the relationship will be or what they are like at all....so you go slow and start friendly but not over-bearing.....and this request is over-bearing from someone just moving in.

If someone asked me this, I would be surprised and think about it later and think it was pretty cheeky. I would probably say no and feel obliged to come up with an excuse such as I'm working at home and it's already patchy, rather than just saying 'I don't know you from Adam'. I would have an immediate impression of you as rather pushy and lacking social-awareness. And I say this as a neighbour who will take a cake round to people who are moving in or drop a card through the door to say hello, and who will always take parcels in, or lend a garden tool, or go for Christmas drinks if invited or ask neighbours to mine for mince pies. I have chosen to do all those things in my own time...that is the difference.

It sounds like you want to borrow the neighbour's wifi so you can do some data-heavy activities like streaming films and music.

Most people have seen a deterioration in their home internet speeds since lockdown. I have a very expensive package and yet have been unable to work from home properly on some days, which is frustrating because it's meant I've had to use my weekend to catch up. There's no way I'd share my wifi and make working more difficult.

On top of that, you're a brand new neighbour, so no one knows if you're normal, or likely to download tons of extreme porn.

I appreciate it's not ideal, but your neighbour isn't going to be the solution. Sorry!

I let my neighbour share my WiFi for years. I didn't give her the code, I put it on her devices myself. She wasn't very technically minded.

OP “ I have been spending the vast majority of my time reading as of course it's data free apart from dl the books but I cannot explain the crushing loneliness of cooking, working, getting dressed in total silence month after month :/ Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night SO ALONE and listen to something silly like my dad wrote a porno for 10 mins to get me back to sleep. ”

This is even more reason you need CDs etc, how do you manage if the internet goes down?

I’m in the “don’t ask” camp. Security issues as well as CF issues.

no way - you could invade my privacy & you could access websites that for all I know could be dodgy - you are a stranger
get a dongle or use a mobile

TV and radio are so last century.

And so useful.

Hell no, I’d feel embarrassed to even ask this. I wouldn’t give my password out to a stranger either. If you can afford to offer the neigbour £30 just pay for extra data or buy a radio.

I wonder if there's a way to tell between the "not a chance and fuck you for asking", "sorry no but nice to meet you", and "yeah no bother it's xxx" people?

Because based on experience I'm in the third category if you're nice and the first of you're not :)

I know how to set up a secure guest network on the router with its own password so the neighbour can't "see" my own devices on the network and I can remove their access without changing the password. I'm a millennial and tech savvy.

Is there a generational/techsavviness correlation that could predict your neighbour's attitude I wonder?

@Foliageeverywhere122 I wouldn't ask. As many posters have said, it's very cheeky. I would say no for sure. I don't mind helping people in an emergency, but like hell would I let some random new tenant/occupier use my bloody internet.

LOL, you are joking right?!

And CRINGE at the posters saying radio and TV are so 'last century.'

Such a naff thing to say, and always comes from music, film, food, and TV snobs who think they are a cut above us plebs ...

I would never under any circumstances agree to allow a stranger to piggy back on my wifi.

You just don't know what they looking at and doing- and it all gets (in my not terribly good understanding) put down to your wifi's unique number.

Plus who knows who else they might give the access code to.

NO!

And biscuits would make bugger all difference!

OP if you were my new neighbor then I would say yes. I have unlimited WiFi data and it wouldn’t bother me at all but this is MN and you can’t do anything without offending someone.

When we first moved in, our new neighbours offered us their wifi whilst we were waiting for ours to be sorted. We then returned the favour when they had an issue with theirs. Depending on how you ask I don't think it will be too CFery. Offering to pay balances it out

Buy data on your phone and tether it?

@HollowTalk

It wouldn't be an issue for me at all, as long as you seemed nice and polite and friendly, especially as you're on your own. I wouldn't do it for a family who'd be using tons of devices, though.

I 5 personal devices of my own that is linked to my wifi. Its not just families who use large amounts of data

My DS was asked this exact thing by his new neighbours and readily agreed for no compensation - because he is a lovely and kind chap.

Neighbour bought him a crate of lager as a thank you.

I would say no and would think I'd got lumbered with a very needy neighbour.

I can't see any harm in asking, but for what you're thinking of offering him I think you could prolly get an unlimited data card from an internet provider, which you could use until your WiFi kicks in. I used to do that last year when I had to go over to help an elderly relative, who didn't have WiFi.

go to a wifi cafe who are doing take-away, use their wifi to order a digital radio from Amazon. It'll be dellivered tomorrow and you can have the radio on until your bb is sorted.

TV, radio, books, magazines. No WiFi needed! Podcasts are small files and can be downloaded over 3G/4G on your phone.

I don’t necessarily think it’s unreasonable to ask, especially as you’re offering to pay, but I just don’t think it’s necessary. It’s a short time and you will cope (and maybe discover a new series you wouldn’t have if you just stream on demand!)

Don't ask OP. There's been loads of threads about people being very embarrassed/put on the spot by new neighbours asking to use their WiFi, and how to say no/change the WiFi password without them knowing.

It's a very uncomfortable/grey area. I don't think you should put your neighbour in that position.

The responses on these threads are usually to say no/hide your WiFi/change the password.

I wouldnt mind, he can always change the password next week. I dont see the issue and given current circumstances I probably wouldnt ask for any money.

I have let my neighbours borrow WiFi before!

DP’s have a neighbour who uses their WiFi for free every time she’s at her house. (It’s her second home). It has reaped huge dividends as when my mum had an accident she helped them hugely, she gave them lifts when their car broke down and she always gives them homemade jam.

Very few people would do anything fraudulent if they had access to your WiFi. If you were nice and seemed honest I would definitely share the code.

Aargh sorry for the rogue apostrophe. The shame!

If you can afford £30 for a week, you can afford any one of a number of other solutions that don’t involve being a cheeky git and putting a stranger in an uncomfortable position.

Are you getting your work to pay for the usage supporting you working?

I appreciate it doesn’t help with your WiFi problem but will help with the cash you pay out for your personal use