“Lending” your Wi-Fi password to a friend or neighbor is relatively common. But there are a number of risks that you should consider before doing so.
Here are 10 reasons why you should think carefully before you take this step, according to the British Daily Mail.
1- Illegal downloads
If someone else uses your Internet connection to download illegal content, they will leave a trail across the Internet back to your router.
And a friend can choose to illegally download a movie or TV series into your home to avoid putting themselves in danger.
While you may find yourself having to pay a large fine.
2- Malware can spread
You can share your password with someone you completely trust and know for sure that they will never take advantage of your kindness. However, even a trustworthy friend or family member connected to your network could spell disaster.
If a device, such as a smartphone, is infected with malware and connects to your Wi-Fi network, it may continue to attack your computers, phones, and tablets as it spreads.
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3- They can use all your data
Almost all broadband service providers offer unlimited downloads and no data restrictions. So you might think that this will not affect you. However, most unlimited packages are known as either Standard Unlimited or Truly Unlimited.
And with the standard unlimited packages, there can be restrictions, such as traffic management and fair usage policies.
If you hand over your password to someone who downloads very regularly, your Internet Service Provider may consider you to be abusing their fair usage policy, which can slow down your connection speed and, in serious cases, terminate it.
4- Users can see the contacts
Allowing someone to connect to your Wi-Fi gives someone access to a system where data goes in and out.
A technically savvy person using free computer software can scan your network which will provide a list of every device currently connected.
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5- Your IP can be banned
Some websites, including social media and online games, can issue IP bans to users who have violated their terms of service. This means that access to the specified website will be blocked for everyone on the same Wi-Fi network – not just a specific account.
However, bans are not permanent and you can change your IP address.
6- They can use your password
Wi-Fi passwords are notoriously hard to remember, full of random numbers and letters. Many people stick the password on their fridge or save it as a picture on their phone.
But some choose to rename their password to something they can remember – another password they already use. This puts you at risk of someone gaining access to your accounts.
7- They can throttle all bandwidth
Bandwidth is the amount of data that can be transferred from your router to your devices at any given time – or the speed or your internet.
If you’re watching a 4K movie, but your friend or neighbor is downloading large files and playing an online game, you may find that everything slows down.
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8- Carrying out illegal activities on the Internet
Your online activity on your Wi-Fi network, including actions that break the law without visiting illegal websites, will be returned to you. Bullying, trolling and hate speech occur regularly online and authorities respond to reports.
When phishing is done via an anonymous account, the profile may return to its IP address. If your friend is engaging in online activity on your Wi-Fi that has real-world ramifications – the police may visit you.
9- They can use other devices on the network
Many people own devices such as printers, Amazon Alexa, speakers, and even hard drives that are connected to the Internet. It allows users to control aspects of their homes through their phones. However, by sharing your Wi-Fi password, you are potentially allowing others to use these devices.
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Although this may be accidental, you might be annoyed if a song you were listening to on your Wi-Fi speaker gets interrupted by your neighbors’ tunes.
10- They can share your password with those around them
If you live in an apartment building or an area with a large number of potential Wi-Fi connections, handing over your password can cause problems.
If you share your password with one person, many other people can get hold of the password, increasing the possibility of illegal activity via your IP address. A trusted neighbor might not abuse your Wi-Fi, but someone who doesn’t know you might see it as a good opportunity.
