When you have guests over, a lot of the time they’ll ask you for your Wi-Fi password, and of course, you’ll do this without hesitation. After all, they are your guests right?!
The problem is that this is a risky practice, especially considering that passwords once shared remain saved in their device. Anytime, anyone wants to access your Wi-Fi, they can do it automatically.
But how do you outright refuse to share internet passwords with the guests without creating drama? The easiest, and a smartest solution is to set up a guest internet network, and here’s why…
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Guests can gain access to all your network devices
In the day and age of the IoT (internet of things) and smart devices, you’ll likely have sharing and Bluetooth on in your home. Making your devices easily accessible for your day-to-day use.
So that means when you give guests access to the internet network, it means getting access to all of the other devices on that network. As well as any other accounts that might be linked. Not only is this a huge security risk, but it’s also a potential invasion of privacy.
If you use a lot of smart devices that are connected to your Netflix, iTunes, or Amazon accounts, protecting the main password is even more important. You are not only granting users access to the Wi-Fi by letting them use the main network; you are also giving them permission to use the camera and other features of your connected devices. They can even use this to log in to your personal accounts.
Leaking Wi-Fi passwords can give access to other passwords
Many people tend to use the same password for everything. So, when you give out your Wi-Fi password it’s likely you’re giving someone else the keys to the kingdom on other accounts too!
You can easily revoke or grant access
Not all guests are wanted. If you have shared your internet password with a guest that you later regret. It is much more convenient to change the guest password instead of the primary password; doing the latter would prompt a reset of all the devices that are in your home.
Because once you change your password, you will have to enter it again for every device connected to your main network.
Limits data misuse
You can even put a limit on how much data can be used in the network and restrict hours of usage, so guests don’t exhaust your monthly data quota. You can do so by asking your internet service provider or if you have access to the admin control of your router, you can do it on your own as well.
It might seem like something petty for your guests but setting up a separate guest network only takes 5 minutes and can save you hours of heartache and stress. In this digital era, it helps protect you, your data, and your home by keeping it completely secure. But it still lets you give guests the Wi-Fi so it’s a win-win!
Also read: Tips To Save Money On Groceries
Connecting Lot devices to a guest network makes more sense
It’s a good idea to have a guest Wi-Fi network not only if you have many friends, but also if there are a lot of smart devices at home. Video game consoles, smart TVs, teapots, and other devices require Internet access as well. These machines are, however, far more vulnerable than ones that have been updated with the latest security patches. As a result, if they have been hacked and connected to the main network, intruders can hack into your other devices.
There is no doubt that smart devices will be hacked – there is no doubt that they will be hacked. In contrast, while a smart light bulb joining a botnet is manageable, a computer becoming a zombie isn’t. In addition to spreading malware, botnets are used to spread zombie code, which basically has access to your computer’s memory.