10 Reasons Why You Should Never Share Your Wi-Fi Password With Friends

The thought of saying ‘no’ when someone innocuously asks to connect to your router may seem rude but it could have consequences. Lending your Wi-Fi password to a friend or a neighbour is a relatively common occurrence, but there are a number of risks you must consider before doing so.

Potential dangers stretch from the individual visiting illegal websites under your IP address to having malware spread to your devices.

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

1. Illegal downloads – One of the more likely occurrences is that someone you give your Wi-Fi password to will use it for nefarious means. If someone else uses your internet connection to download illegal content it will leave an online trail back to your router.
2. Malware can spread – You may share your password with someone you completely trust and know for certain would never take advantage of your kindness. Malware often works in the background, meaning the person may be totally unaware of the infection when they connect. 
3. They could use up all your data – If you hand out your password to someone who makes very large and regular downloads your internet service provider could say you are abusing the fair use policy. They could slow down the speed of your connection and in serious cases terminate your connection.
4. Users can see connections – Letting someone connect to your Wi-Fi network is effectively giving someone access to a system where data comes in and out. 
5. Can get your IP blocked from websites – Certain websites, including social media and online games, can issue IP bans to users who have violated their terms of service or cheated. This means that access to the specific website will be blocked for everyone on the same Wi-Fi – not just their specific account.
6. They could use your password – Some choose to rename their password to something they can remember or another password they already use. This runs the risk of someone being able to access your accounts.
7. They could hog all the bandwidth – If you’re watching a movie in 4k but your friend or neighbour is downloading large files and playing an online game – you may find everything becomes sluggish.
8. Perform illegal activities online – Online activity on your Wi-Fi will be traceable back to you, including actions that break the law without visiting illegal websites. When the trolling is done via an anonymous account, the profile may be traced back to its IP address.
9. They could use other devices on the network – Many people have devices such as printers, Amazon Alexa, speakers, and even hard drives connected to their internet. It allows users to control aspects of their home via their phone, but by sharing your Wi-Fi password you are potentially letting others use these devices.
10. They could share your password around – If you share the password with one person they could go on to share it with several others, increasing the likelihood of illegal activity occurring via your IP address. A trusted neighbour may not abuse your Wi-Fi, but a person who doesn’t know you may see it as an opportunity.

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