I live in a flat in a building of 4. We have the internet.

Question

A fellow tenant has asked to use our wireless connection and will pay us £10 a month.

We use a laptop that is not wireless enabled, but I believe are connection is wireless enabled.

Can we allow them to do this? Is there anything we should know?

Answer 1

You should remember that if your neighbour downloads illegally from file sharing sites, or downloads illegal material, the bill payer is directly responsible.

Answer 2

It can be done, assuming the connection works fine and they can reach it from their computer. You'd have to keep your router and internet connection plugged in and connected 24/7 though.

As someone has already said, whatever he does on the internet, you'd be responsible for. Anything he does like downloading child p**n/downloading movies/downloading music/anything else illegal that could get you in trouble would usually be on you, rather than them. So you can do it but it's probably a bad idea.

You'd also have to set up the wireless so only you and they could use it, otherwise anyone that goes nearby can. As an example some people from my old college used to use someones wireless from a house across the road from the college, some of them can reach pretty far.

Answer 3

Make sure the Wifi connection you set up has a password and if possible restrict it to only their PC. (Mac address)

Answer 4

Why doesn't he get his own Broadband? Sounds very fishy to me. Don't forget if he get's upto anything illegal you will be the one to get clobbered and possibly prosecuted. Also you would have a very hard job to prove it wasn't you! All he has to do is totally and flatly deny it and that leaves you holding the baby!

Do you think that taking that kind of risk is worth £120 a year and possibly banned from every ISP in the country. I for one certainly wouldn't, no way.

Sound advice, take it.

Answer 5

To be safe and sensible you should say no. If they want to use the internet so badly they should be prepared to set up their own connection whether wifi or not. I am sure they would probably be the first to say no to you if the position were reversed.