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People that ask to use your wifi

G

Gravy Boat

Member
dreamcastmaster said:
Literally just 11 post before this there is a first hand account of someone doing exactly what you are saying people are just paranoid about. The sample size of people reading this topic is small. Yet you still call people paranoid.
Click to expand...

When someone asks you a favour and your response is 'No because the absolute worst thing imaginable might happen' then you're a paranoid and unreasonable person. I'm not saying it never happens, I'm saying on the list of reasons to say no, that would be way towards the bottom for anyone who is reasonable.

"Hey can I borrow your phone to make a quick call?"
'No, because you might use it to groom a child'

You don't see how that's an unreasonable and extreme train of thought?

There's also no proof that the guy in that story was going to use OP's internet to do his dirty work. That's just an assumption, and one that I think isn't likely.
 
J

Jack The Nipper

Banned
I think if we payed it together, we'd be dumb as hell to keep thinking we need our own everything when sharing it makes so much sense. Internet, games and movies is a good start.
 
MilkLizard

MilkLizard

Member
Years ago when I moved into my first apartment one neighbour actually offered me his until I had my own connection. That was after I introduced myself of course, but I thought it was incredibly nice of him.

Never been in the situation myself but friends and family can have it when they are at my place. No harm in that.
 
P

Patrick Bateman

Member
I had an annoying neighbour in my dorm. Dude was constantly obnoxious, didn't introduce himself, was loud and didn't give a shit about anything. Then after a couple of months he knocks on my door and asks if we could share wlan.
I told him absolutely not.
 
E

executor

Member
No way I would let anyone to connect to my home wifi....Too many strange people around and here in Italy you're legally responsible for the data that pass through your internet connection....But no problem for friends/family
 
G

gutter_trash

Banned
OP, you neighbor sounds like a deadbeat freeloader and lacks basic social skills on introduction.

never give your WIFI password to a stranger. You have no idea what they will look up on the internet that could be incriminating
 
0

0ptimusPayne

Member
When I was in college I remember my wifi going out for 3 days...I went to the schools library, starbucks, mcdonald's, etc. Who ask a random stranger for their wifi password, without even giving out their name?
 
F

Forearm Star

Member
Get to a library!

You're fine OP. If that guy was smart he'd have made friends with you and hung out at least once in your apartment. Then ask during said hang out and never speak to you again.

Probably could have gotten some free snacks from you too! Kids today put in no efforts!


J/k
 
G

GodofWine

Member
If you can't just say no, then say its either a work paid connection and you cannot let others in for security purposes, or blame data caps
 
S

shawnbuddy

Member
I can see sharing it with a friend or someone you know well. My landlord at one of my old apartments let me use his for a while. But just some rando that comes to the door? Nope, fuck that guy.
 
Grinchy

Grinchy

Banned
I'd say fuck no. You never know what they're gonna be downloading with your internet service. Your neighbor could be a former GAF mod for all you know.
 
F

family_guy

Member
When I moved, I went to Barnes and Nobles for like two months until I got my internet service. Looking back, I was more social then than after I got my own internet.
 
L

louiedog

Member
I offered to let a new neighbor use my wifi while waiting for their install. A few days later I got a note under my door telling me it was all setup and thanking me for letting her use it. During all of this I changed my password and allowed all MAC addresses so I reverted to old settings when I got the note. Previously I only had a whitelist of my devices and friends who came over.

She moved out a couple of months later and someone took over her lease. I got a knock on my door from the new guy. He said the old tenant had told him he could use my wifi. I said, "sure, how long do you need it until your install?" My ISP had recently put in a data cap and I was trying to decide how much I could spare. He said he wasn't getting an install and just wanted to share mine. When I told him no he could pissed at me. I know the old tenant didn't continue to use min because there's no way she could and she didn't strike me as someone who would have lied to the guy.
 
I

Izayoi

Banned
Starbucks exists. That guy is a fucking weirdo.

My Wi-Fi is bulletproof (hidden SSID, firewall, secure password). It's crazy that people leave theirs unprotected. You made the right call, OP.
 
M

MarkMclovin

Member
Drencrom said:
You'd put yourself at risk and go through all that work for a guy that just knocks on your door and doesn't introduce himself?
Click to expand...

What risk? And what work?

It's just doing someone a solid until they sort themselves out. You're in control of it if you know what you're doing.

Tell you what though if he was a fit girl, I'm pretty sure some people would trip over themselves as they rush to find a pen and sticky pad for the password.
 
M

muu

Member
MarkMclovin said:
What risk? And what work?

It's just doing someone a solid until they sort themselves out. You're in control of it if you know what you're doing.

Tell you what though if he was a fit girl, I'm pretty sure some people would trip over themselves as they rush to find a pen and sticky pad for the password.
Click to expand...

Have an isolated guest wifi network handy in case one of those come along
 
One Eyed Willy

One Eyed Willy

Member
Izayoi said:
My Wi-Fi is bulletproof (hidden SSID, firewall, secure password). .
Click to expand...

No such thing as bulletproof, especially for any consumer product. Most hardened corporations could be penetrated in a matter of minutes. Networks, accounts.. everything. You're still doing what you should so good job, but you're not bulletproof. I could discover your SSID and get on your network with free tools widely available to the average 14 year old if they knew where to look. Cheers!
 
L

Linkark07

Banned
No. As easy as that.

If that person seriously need Wi Fi, go to a place that offers free Wi Fi.

I ain't having people leeching from my internet service.
 
A

adamantypants

Member
If he continues to bother you, try setting up a guest account if your router allows it. Then go ahead and nuke the hell out of the Wifi. Smallest speed limits possible, only allow a handful of websites, and daily access limits. Yeah you'd be giving in but if they can only browse at 56k speeds and visit yahoo.com then maybe they'll stop bugging you
 
J

jstripes

Banned
When we moved into the house we're in now the landlord asked if we could let the seriously creepy guy living in the basement use our wifi.

We said "absolutely fucking not" in the most polite way possible.
 
Rktk

Rktk

Member
Where were this guy's manners, new neighbours are supposed to make an effort, and so are the ones already there.

The security aspect would concern me so I'd rather use a guest router or something, for guests and a new neighbour.

I'm not convinced by GAFs argument than everyone is a paedophile. As for "I pay for it", well you're a mean bastard aren't you.
 
B

Bsigg12

Member
I have a guest network setup that only gives up 2mb/s because I don't trust people. I've never had a neighbor ask to share my wifi though.
 
M

Mammoth Jones

Member
I let my neighbor's fam use it when the dad got locked up and moms couldn't afford cable that month. I just put em on the guest wifi and told them don't do anything illegal on my network and they just streamed netflix and gossip sites. Nothing crazy.

It's ok to help when you can but too often folks will try to hustle you. So gotta draw lines at some point.

To someone that didn't even introduce themselves? Nah, fuck right off.
 
M

mcw

Member
Evolution of Metal said:
I don't want to generalize, but this board is all about helping others in topics like refugees, hunger etc., but as soon as you have to offer your resource (which doesn't even add any cost), you hoard it for paranoid reasons.
Click to expand...

Yes, these situations are exactly the same as what we're talking about here.
 
D

darscot

Member
I'm really slack with my internet, I don't think I would give a neigbor unlimited access if I didnt know them. I would give them temporary access and punt them after a few days. Anyone that has ever been to my house knows the password though.
 
T

TheLostBigBoss

Banned
Evolution of Metal said:
I was in the student's situation, if I had a laptop instead of the desktop, I think I might have gone to the neighbors to ask for their connection. Granted caps are not a factor for many in UK, but the copper wire speeds are crippling for modern uses.

It was a tedious period when Sky ISP was rubbing their nipples waiting for the date (like 3 weeks from the agreement) to set-up the connection, all they had to do is ship the equipment ASAP and flip the switch.

I think you SHOULD be nice and ask when is his connection going online, then proceed to help him if he is at least a half-decent or neutral person. He definitely needs the Internet for general uses, even if he left the awkward first impression.

I don't want to generalize, but this board is all about helping others in topics like refugees, hunger etc., but as soon as you have to offer your resource (which doesn't even add any cost), you hoard it for paranoid reasons.
Click to expand...

wow

this is amazing
 
andythinkpad

andythinkpad

Member
For new move in? sure I would give 5 days courtesy wifi. And I would fucking tell him off the bat don't use bit torrent since he is in college.

You never know if you need to ask your neighbor a favorite.
 
Subpar Spatula

Subpar Spatula

Banned
My wifi is not password protected. However, I throttle any devices that aren't my computers, phones, or tablets.

Enjoy that shit speed shitbags.
 
G

gatling

Member
Our wifi (and maybe the whole floor) is strongest next to our apartment courtyard. People regularly ask us and others on our floor to use ours when they forget the courtyard credentials. There is literally a coffee shop in the alley 3 floors below the courtyard. We tell them to go and connect to it as an alternative. Some of the responses were surprising and rude. We only give family and close friends access under a guest name.
 
R

RdN

Member
I would never share my network with a neighbor.

Even for visitors, I have a guest network which is extremely throttled.. Don't mess with my network, lol.
 
M

moltonasty

Member
I find it hilarious that some people in this thread think it's OK to just give out your wifi password to anyone who asks. There truly is a defense force for everything!

But of course the fact that OP's neighbor seems rude as hell plays a big part. If I was cool with my neighbor and already knew I could trust him, then I guess it would be OK. Still it's a pretty strange request regardless of circumstance.
 
C

close to the edge

Member
One Eyed Willy said:
No such thing as bulletproof, especially for any consumer product. Most hardened corporations could be penetrated in a matter of minutes. Networks, accounts.. everything. You're still doing what you should so good job, but you're not bulletproof. I could discover your SSID and get on your network with free tools widely available to the average 14 year old if they knew where to look. Cheers!
Click to expand...

Could you elaborate? I'm not a security professional (far from it) but I'm pretty sure WPA2 is pretty safe for now, unless you can bruteforce/dictionary attack the password.
 
R

Rookhelm

Member
i don't know what i'd do in that situation. My gut wants to say No, but I'd feel guilty for not helping the guy out. If it was someone off the street, I'd say no...but a neighbor who's going to be living there? Yeah, maybe.

But there'd have to be some expectation of him fulfilling his end of the deal...that is, that it be temporary and not turn into "oh, just another week" over and over again.

You can also turn on logging on your router and see exactly what he's up to, if it came to that...then shut him down if he's up to no good.
 
M

mackattk

Member
Gravy Boat said:
When someone asks you a favour and your response is 'No because the absolute worst thing imaginable might happen' then you're a paranoid and unreasonable person. I'm not saying it never happens, I'm saying on the list of reasons to say no, that would be way towards the bottom for anyone who is reasonable.

"Hey can I borrow your phone to make a quick call?"
'No, because you might use it to groom a child'

You don't see how that's an unreasonable and extreme train of thought?

There's also no proof that the guy in that story was going to use OP's internet to do his dirty work. That's just an assumption, and one that I think isn't likely.
Click to expand...

All it takes is one. Just say no, or set up precautions like a guest network before hand if you want to let other people use your wifi. Likelihood of anything happening is still super slim, but you can't fault people for wanting to protect themselves. Most of the time, worst case is they would saturate your wifi network taking a lot of the bandwidth.

It is not just what they can download. If you give someone access to your main wifi, they might be able to browse your computer. or do other malicious things to it like hijack your router if you still have the default user/pass (which a ton of people do).

If people stay over at my house or are friends that I trust, I have no trouble giving them unrestricted access to the guest network.

louiedog said:
She moved out a couple of months later and someone took over her lease. I got a knock on my door from the new guy. He said the old tenant had told him he could use my wifi. I said, "sure, how long do you need it until your install?" My ISP had recently put in a data cap and I was trying to decide how much I could spare. He said he wasn't getting an install and just wanted to share mine. When I told him no he could pissed at me. I know the old tenant didn't continue to use min because there's no way she could and she didn't strike me as someone who would have lied to the guy.
Click to expand...

And... that is the other issue I have. I don't want to have a reputation that I give my wifi out willy nilly to all who asks, or doesn't ask; if they give my wifi pass out to others. Him getting pissed off at you because he wanted something that is $60+/month, free, for as long as he lives there... is complete bullshit.
 
G

Gastone

Member
Don't broadcast SSIDs
Create a seperate guest WLAN
Filter on MAC
Type the password in on their device yourself, never give out the password
Reset the guest password when they leave

And block access to neogaf
 
hikarutilmitt

hikarutilmitt

Member
Make a reasonable copy of a lot of the more common parts of the internet and set them up to serve off a NAS.
Setup a guest WiFi AP for people to use. Severely limit the bandwidth on it so things are a little slow.
Direct that particular AP vlan to use internal DNS.
Point all of the DNS requests to the NAS-internet clone

Enjoy.
 
B

Big Blue

Member
Even better, I've had a guy come up to me at Port Authority Bust Terminal and ask me to use my 4G phone hotspot. No fucking way.
 
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