Does anybody else allow their neighbours to use their wifi?

Anon

spud17 wrote: »

What's to stop the neighbours passing on the key to all their friends/visitors?

If you use your router and restrict access with MAC Address Filtering then it doesn't matter, only those computers that you have physically added to your router settings can get access.

Anon

timbo58

I agree with ANON, my BT ISP doesn't allow 'sharing' in this way they only allow sharing via the hotspot BTFON method, which is up to you whether you allow your box to permit.
I would also think there are fairly serious security implications and the fact the ISP could say you're using too much bandwidth and terminate the contract.

spud17

Anon wrote: »

If you use your router and restrict access with MAC Address Filtering then it doesn't matter, only those computers that you have physically added to your router settings can get access.

Anon

Yes, I know that,:), but I was asking from a more general point of view.

The OP has made no mention of what controls, if any, will be in place to monitor use/users.

I may be wrong, but from the tone of the first post, I got the impression that this was going to be a bit of a "free for all".

I could imagine the scenario of the password being passed around the whole neighbourhood, especially if kids were involved.

Jacks_xxx

spud17 wrote: »

What's to stop the neighbours passing on the key to all their friends/visitors?

Only gratitude, good character and self interest.

Are there any security measures we could put in place to prevent this? Will we be able to tell who's using our network?

Anon wrote: »

If you use your router and restrict access with MAC Address Filtering then it doesn't matter, only those computers that you have physically added to your router settings can get access.

Anon

Yes, this is what I understand as well.

timbo58 wrote: »

I agree with ANON, my BT ISP doesn't allow 'sharing' in this way they only allow sharing via the hotspot BTFON method, which is up to you whether you allow your box to permit.
I would also think there are fairly serious security implications and the fact the ISP could say you're using too much bandwidth and terminate the contract.

More serious security than already mentioned? Am I being naive here?

When my daughter's homework group meet there are between 6 and 12 laptops and PCs all using our WiFi. Are we breaking our ISP rules? And is there anyway they could tell?

When my daughter does her homework on our WiFi while babysitting in a neighbour's home are we breaking the rules?

When my daughter and her friends are here "studying" (MSNing more likely!) on the net, my son is on call and dealing with a customers servers from home, his girlfriend is playing a game over the internet, my husband is logged in at Cisco studying to update his accreditation and I'm on MSE are we breaking any rules?

You might have guessed that I'm a non techie - but I have people who are.

I just want to get an understanding of the issues before I get them to set everything up.

I'm really grateful for all your replies. :T

Jacks_xxx

spud17 wrote: »

Yes, I know that,:), but I was asking from a more general point of view.

The OP has made no mention of what controls, if any, will be in place to monitor use/users.

I may be wrong, but from the tone of the first post, I got the impression that this was going to be a bit of a "free for all".

I could imagine the scenario of the password being passed around the whole neighbourhood, especially if kids were involved.

The first post is really open ended and general to keep it simple really. I find that's the best way to get input on here. I'm much more interested in getting people's opinions than giving my own on this one.

kwikbreaks

Jacks_xxx wrote: »

You might have guessed that I'm a non techie - but I have people who are.

In that case I suggest you run your idea past them. If they say yes go ahead then they clearly cannot be as "techie" as you think they are.

Col7777

I made a post on this earlier, I would share my connection with a neighbour if they payed half the bill, but I would only share it if I trusted that neighbour and I knew they would play the game as I would with them.
I wouldn't just go knocking on doors and saying to neighbours here is my password help yourself.

There are downsides to sharing as already mentioned, like kids getting access and passing on passwords etc, but like I said I would only do it with a trusted neighbour.

There is another thing I thought of, IF and I stress IF this became widespread and neighbours started sharing to save money it wouldn't be long before Internet providers started putting some kind of restrictions in place to stop it.
There are a few IP's that offer free broardband for community groups so what is classed as a community group?

kwikbreaks

Col7777 wrote: »

There are downsides to sharing as already mentioned, like kids getting access and passing on passwords etc,

It looks like that particular genie is already out of the bottle in the case of the OP...

Jacks_xxx wrote: »

When my daughter's homework group meet there are between 6 and 12 laptops and PCs all using our WiFi. Are we breaking our ISP rules?

Lunacy IMO but perhaps I'm just a cynical, grumpy old git. That is to say even more of a cynical grumpy old git than I already know I am

What amazes me is the general level of paranoia generally shown here about having the best AV together with firewalls and "internet security" suites yet several posters seem quite happy to allow others onto their home network.

roddydogs

Never let you neighbour use your wifey.

macman

Surely it is a standard ISP term that a broadband connection cannot be shared between separate properties-only between different users in the same property?
Of course in practice this is unenforceable, but it's still going to be in the contract. Just in the same way that domestic contracts don't allow business usage.