Sharing broadband with a neighbour

warnski

Does anybody do this? Is it allowed?

My neighbour (who happens to be a good mate) and I have realised we can pick up each others broadband connection, so it seems silly for both of us to be paying for it.

We both only use the net for checking email, youtube, ebay etc (not downloading movies and stuff) so the bill for whichever household keeps subscribing should stay more or less the same.

And the house that cancels can contribute to the other's bill, saving both parties some dosh.

Good idea? Or am I missing something?

beetlebug1

hi

my neighbour and i shared broeadband for over a year, she needed to save money and we already had a connection. she has her own nown as her daughter moved back and her usage went up but we did not have any proplems in that time

i do not no if its legal or not but surely its up to you

Abbafan1972

Hi.

I know our neighbour has Sky broadband, as we do. It's never occurred to me though to share a connection with anyone.

I guess we are not friendly enough with our neighbours to consider it. It's usually a passing hello. The girl that lives in the house joined on to us is a miserable cow, and most of the time it feels like when she speaks to us (which isn't very often), she's doing us a favour.

Would you trust your neighbour enough not to download illegal content? The person who's name it's under would end up getting the blame for it.

macman

Sharing a broadband connection across 2 properties will be a clear breach of the ISP's T&C's. In practice it can be done-but only one party can be responsible for the account.
What happens when your 'good mate' decides to share your encrption key with his good mate? Do you really want them to potentially have access to your data?

aerostar

This can get a bit "Teccie" and you need to do some research, however here are some ideas.

If you have a reasonable make of router, you can probably do this quite easily and stop his mates, mate, even if he has the encryption key.

You make his computer wireless network card have a fixed IP address. In the modem/router you enter his wireless MAC (nothing to do with broadband MAC) into the security settings to allow his access, if you use wireless you also enter your wireless adapter mac address to allow it access, also give your computer a static IP address, by doing this ONLY your 2 wireless cards will have access.

To stop him trying to access your computer, put a firewall on yours and ban his IP address. Zone alarm can do this.

If you both use the same ISP, then there is not a problem, if different, then one of you will have to set up a GMAIL or similar account for e-mails, and as one of you are cancelling, you will be charged a cancellation fee. (BT charge your ISP and they will pass it on)

If either of you have relations or visitors that bring their own portables, then a bit more work would be needed when they arrive, to give them access.

InsideInsurance

As others have said, it is almost certainly going to be against the T&Cs of your contract and the contract will have to be in a single persons name. It is therefore up to you if you want to take the risk of the consequences, of cause you could have it in their name thus you aren't carrying any direct risk.

jb66

Never going to get found out though

SailorSam

When we first got a phone we shared a 'party line' with the people in the next street.
I think it was pretty common then, you'd go to make a call and have to wait 'cos they were already talking.

F_T_Buyer

It's workable to save cash. When I rented in a shared house one of the lads paid for virgin broadband, and we all used it - one of the problems was when the thing needed turning off and back on to work, but this was solved with a remote controlled socket.

The only other issues I can see is if illegal content is downloaded, or if you fall out and they just turn it off (but if that happens you can just get your broadband back).

Oh, and why not get rid of your BT line too.. you've probably got a mobile and it might be worth looking into a suitable contract?!?