With more and more devices relying on the internet to function, it is no wonder that WiFi networking has become so common. At times, even you might have been requested to share the password for your home or office WiFi connection. It might seem rude to say No, but there are some risks that come with sharing your WiFi network credentials.
But, first let us take a look at why do people share WiFi network credentials with others.
Why People Share WiFi Credentials?
Given below are 3 reasons why people decide to share their WiFi network credentials with others.
1. Providing Guests A Broadband Connection
If you have friends or family members, they might want to share a file or funny clip with you. But, they want to do this without expanding their mobile data plan. In such a situation, they are likely to ask for your WiFi network password. Needless to say, a good friend or close family member would not be scheming to harm you in anyway.
For instance, you have the latest Netgear WiFi router. All you would need to do is set a password using the netgear genie setup and share the same with your family and friends.
2. Businesses Trying to Retain Customers
Every business, whether it is a cafe or bar is looking for ways to retain customers. Sharing WiFi network password is an effective way to do it. The customers keep checking their emails and social media posts while having their favorite drink. Doing this lets businesses provide a little extra value to the customer.
3. Neighbors Expecting to Share
You have a stronger WiFi connection at your home. Even your neighbors say it pops up on their available network list. It is no wonder they would want a glimpse of how fast the network is. At times, they might even agree to pay half of your monthly internet charges in exchange for a little bit of online time using your WiFi network. But, tech experts advice you should think deep before taking the decision.
You should secure the network in such instances. For example, if you have a Netgear WiFi router and a Netgear extender along with it. Go to mywifiext.net and secure the WiFi extender and make the network inaccessible to others.
Now, let us take a look at the darker side of sharing your WiFi password with others.
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Why Sharing Your WiFi Password is a Bad Idea?
Given below are 3 reasons why sharing your home WiFi network password is a bad idea.
1. Illegal Downloads
Let’s assume that you share the WiFi network details with your neighbor for half the monthly internet fee. It might not seem that big of a deal but what if the neighbor had nefarious motives behind that? Now, if the police were to catch this person while doing something illegal using your network, they are most likely to put the entire blame on you.
More likely, you would be asked for the reason behind sharing the network details in the first place. What you can do is keep the neighbor from ever having to know about the network.
For example, if you have a Netgear WiFi router connected to a Netgear WiFi extender, it is time you add a security layer to the network by securing the extender. Do this by going to www.mywifiext.net and increasing the network security.
2. Data and Bandwidth Hogging
If your WiFi network comes with a data limit, sharing the WiFi password is not wise. Sharing the password will enable others to suck out all the network bandwidth. You never know who is just browsing the network and who has put a 4K movie on download.
3. Users Can Snoop on Connections
Giving your WiFi network password to someone gives them the opportunity to know where the data comes and goes from. A tech-savvy person like a hacker or data thief will exploit this vulnerability to check what you do on the network.
Now, imagine if you have a business that has personal information of millions of customers. Sharing the WiFi password means giving access to data thieves and hackers to break into your network and steal sensitive information.
But, there’s a way you can keep unauthorized individuals from accessing your WiFi network.
Tips to Secure WiFi Network
Given below are 2 tips to secure your WiFi network against unauthorized access.
1. Create a Guest Network
There are many routers that come with a “guest network” access that you can enable. Guest networks work similar to your regular WiFi network. The only difference is these give the visitor a separate connection and keeps them away from the primary WiFi network. For example, Netgear WiFi router comes with a Guest Network feature. You can activate this feature using the netgear Genie setup app.
2. Secure the WiFi Network
Yes! At times you might feel like sharing the WiFi password, but you have to be careful who gets the details. An extra security measure you can take is secure the WiFi network by creating a password. The password should be a combination of numbers, special characters, lowercase and uppercase letters.
To make sure there is no unauthorized access to your home or office WiFi network, you should make sure the WiFi network is secure. This comes down to securing not only the network but also the networking devices including the router and extender.
