10 Reasons Why NEVER Tell Your Friends Your Wi-Fi Password

The thought of saying no when someone innocently asks you to connect to your router may seem rude… but it can have consequences.

Loaning a Wi-Fi password to a friend or neighbor is fairly common, but there are a number of risks to consider before doing so.

Potential dangers range from people visiting illegal websites under your IP address to spreading malware to your devices.

Here are 10 reasons that will make you think twice before sharing your Wi-Fi password with friends.

A friend may illegally download a movie or series from your home so as not to put themselves at risk.

A friend may illegally download a movie or series from your home so as not to put themselves at risk.

Illegal downloads

One of the more likely cases is that someone you give your Wi-Fi password to will use it for nefarious purposes.

If someone else is using your internet connection to download illegal content, they will leave an online trail back to your router.

A friend may illegally download a movie or series from your home so as not to put themselves at risk.

You may face a large fine at the post office or potentially a visit from the authorities.

Malicious software can spread

You can share your password with someone you trust completely and know for sure that they will never take advantage of your kindness.

However, even a trusted friend or family member connecting to your network can lead to disaster.

Malware often runs in the background, which means that a person may be completely unaware of the infection when they connect.

If a device, such as a smartphone, is infected with malware and connects to your Wi-Fi, it can attack you on its own. computers, phones and tablets as it spreads.

Malware often runs in the background, which means that a person may be completely unaware of the infection when they connect.

Malware often runs in the background, which means that a person may be completely unaware of the infection when they connect.

They can use all your data

Almost all broadband providers offer unlimited downloads and no data limits, so you might think it won’t affect you.

However, most unlimited packages are known as “standard unlimited” or “really unlimited”.

With standard unlimited packages, there may be restrictions such as traffic control and fair use policy.

If you give your password to someone who makes very large and regular downloads, your ISP may say that you are violating the fair use policy. They can slow down your connection speed and, in serious cases, cut your connection altogether.

Users can see connections

By allowing someone to connect to your Wi-Fi network, you are effectively giving someone access to a system that data goes in and out of.

A tech-savvy person can use free computer programs that can scan your network and provide a list of all connected devices.

Can block your IP from websites

Internet users on your Wi-Fi cannot make life difficult for you, even if they are not engaged in illegal activities.

Some websites, including social networks and online gaming, may block the IP addresses of users who have violated their terms of service or cheated.

This means that access to a particular website will be blocked for all users of the same Wi-Fi, not just their specific account.

Bans are not always permanent and you can change your IP address.

Some websites, including social networks and online gaming, may block the IP addresses of users who have violated their terms of service or cheated.

Some websites, including social networks and online gaming, may block the IP addresses of users who have violated their terms of service or cheated.

They can use your password

Wi-Fi passwords are notoriously difficult to remember, consisting of random numbers and strange capital letters.

Many people attach a password to their refrigerator or save it as a photo on their phone.

But some prefer to rename their password to something they can remember – a different password they already use. This may result in someone being able to access your accounts.

They could take all the bandwidth

Bandwidth is the amount of data that can be transferred from your router to your devices at any given time, or your internet speed.

The average average internet speed in the UK is around 50Mbps, which can handle about two to three normal quality video streams and some additional online browsing.

If you’re watching a movie in 4k and your friend or neighbor is downloading large files and playing an online game, you may find things get sluggish.

Perform illegal activities on the Internet

Online activity on your Wi-Fi will be tracked to you, including activities that break the law without visiting illegal websites.

Bullying, trolling, and hate speech occur regularly online, and authorities respond to reports.

When trolling is done through an anonymous account, the profile can be traced back to its IP address.

If your friend engages in online activity on your Wi-Fi that has real-world consequences, you may be visited by the police.

If you live in an apartment building or in an area where there are a lot of possible Wi-Fi connections, giving away your password can cause problems.

If you live in an apartment building or in an area where there are a lot of possible Wi-Fi connections, giving away your password can cause problems.

They may have used other devices on the network

While this is less serious than some of the other potential activities, it can be frustrating to have someone using your devices over your Wi-Fi.

Many people have devices such as printers, Amazon Alexa, speakers, and even hard drives connected to the Internet.

This allows users to control aspects of their home through their phone, but by giving out your Wi-Fi password, you are potentially allowing others to use these devices.

It may be accidental, but you’ll probably be annoyed if a song you’re listening to on your Wi-Fi speaker is interrupted by your neighbors’ ringtones.

They can share your password

If you live in an apartment building or in an area where there are a lot of possible Wi-Fi connections, giving away your password can cause problems.

If you share your password with one person, they can share it with several others, which increases the chance of illegal activity using your IP address.

A trusted neighbor can’t abuse your Wi-Fi, but a person who doesn’t know you might see it as an opportunity.