Neighborhood teen asked for my brother's WiFi password

[Mr Nice]

I was at my brother's house this weekend and a teen male approximately 15-16 years old knocks on his door. My brother answers the door and teen says...

Teen: Hi. I live in the house right next door. Can I have your WiFi password ?

Brother: No. I can't give you my WiFi password.

Teen: Why not ???? (looking genuinely confused)

Brother: I don't want anybody to use my WiFi.... plus that's your parent's responsibility, not mine.

Maybe the parents turned off the WiFi cause kid was an 'Internet Zombie' and not doing good in school or just being a couch potato. I was surprised the teen would do such a silly thing to ask for password from a complete stranger.

 

[SirTanon]

I'm not at all surprised he came over and asked for your Wi-Fi.. I mean it's not something I would expect to see everywhere, but today's teens almost expect that Wi-Fi is always going to be available to them. Add to that the seemingly pervasive nature of 'entitlement' that so many of them seem to feel... well, there you go.

I'd say it's definitely possible he was an Internet Zombie type, and his parents either limited his access, or turned it off because of poor grades.

On the other hand, depending on the family's situation, maybe they lost internet due to overdue bill, etc..

Either way, it's not your responsibility.

 

[supton]

Seems pretty silly but maybe it's worked for him in the past. You know how it goes: you lose nothing by asking (be it for a lower price on a car or whatever). Maybe he was hoping for something, maybe his look of confusion was anything but genuine.

 

[bdcardinal]

I guess it was better to ask than try to force his way onto the network. At one point I noticed a car out front of hte house that I didn't recognize and it looked like they were on a laptop. I checked my wifi network and saw a device I didn't recognize. I immediately blocked their MAC and turned the password back on. I could see them be really angry in their car.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted by bdcardinal
I immediately blocked their MAC and turned the password back on.

So you had your wifi running without a password before that incident?

 

[StevieC]

WPA 2 is hackable anyway just wait until that kid finds the YouTube videos on how to do it. I change mine regularly. It's a PITA updating all my devices because there are many but I have had folks on my network before. I have also turned down my signal in my Enterprise grade access point to just cover the areas I want and not allow those not on the property to have access unless they are using wickedly strong antennas sort of thing.

As a secondary I have MAC address filtering turned on. I know this is easily spoofed but to slow down the idiots so they go after some other network sort of thing.

 

[LoneRanger]

Secure your wifi and never give out passwords.

 

[Andrew1972]

Wifi passwords are giving out a ton amongst friends etc at that age. You are at a friends house and ask what the wifi password is.

He may not have understood the privacy concept. Many kids that age and even college share passwords for things like Netflix etc.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted by madRiver
You are at a friends house and ask what the wifi password is.
That's what guest wifi is for, but not everyone has figured out how to configure it.

 

[John_K]

You are lucky he knocked:

https://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2018/07/26/police-burglar-wifi-password/

A lot of young people these days think that if you can do something, that automatically makes it ok.

 

[JLTD]

Teens die without data....or at least that's what they think.

 

[SeaJay]

What do you expect. Many folks can not cross the street without looking at their phones.

 

[Onetor]

Mr. Nice it's a new world.

 

[dave1251]

Access to the internet is a drug. Some are more addicted than others.

 

[Lyman]

Wouldn't surprise me to find out that the Parents put him up to it. I've seen worse things happen.

 

[maxdustington]

Originally Posted by madRiver
Wifi passwords are giving out a ton amongst friends etc at that age. You are at a friends house and ask what the wifi password is.

He may not have understood the privacy concept. Many kids that age and even college share passwords for things like Netflix etc.
I use WPS when I am at someone else's place, usually their router is just laying around. My teenage cousins asked for my pw and I told them to use WPS and they didn't understand.

 

[bdcardinal]

Originally Posted by Quattro Pete
Originally Posted by bdcardinal
I immediately blocked their MAC and turned the password back on.

So you had your wifi running without a password before that incident?


Had yes. My mom had issues with trying to enter the password so I turned it off. Now 2 routers later I keep the password intact and make her deal with it.

 

[Nick1994]

I don't think it's that weird. For him I guess it was worth a shot.

My great-aunt and great-uncle are cheapskates. They've got money, but are super cheapskates. They live in The Netherlands for 1/2 the year and here 1/2 the year. My great-aunt is Dutch and her neighbors around both of their houses gave out the WiFi passwords, she in turn brings them wine and treats and stuff.

Although I'd never give my WiFi password out to people I don't know.

 

[bdcardinal]

Originally Posted by Nick1994
I don't think it's that weird. For him I guess it was worth a shot.


That was my feeling, it was worth the chance. When I was younger and we lived in an apartment we would pick up the phone and hear people talking in Korean. Conveniently the people living in the front apartment were from Korea and we got charged for calls to Korea. One of the times we didn't say anything and I ran downstairs and saw the neighbor in our main utility box with an alligator clip type phone talking.

 

[eljefino]

Was the Wifi network named "Mr Nice"? I'd have told the kid I still used AOL dialup.

How's he going to know it's you?