Am I being 'tight' not wanting to share my broadband with a mate?

I can't believe people are suggesting to give up part of your internet connection to an ex friend you haven't bothered with in a long time.

I don't particuarly care for their circumstances either, they're not a close or even a friend at all, the OP said an old friend.

Even going halfs is out of the question, because if he downloads non stop who are you to tell him to stop? He would be paying.

Let's not even get into the legal issues should he download movies, games and music illegally, as I'm sure OP you know you'll be the one responsible as it's registered to you.

edit: the person in question has his mums sky number to stream tv? It gets better. Does he even pay rent or is it that his brothers place?

Not to mention OP will have to buy a QoS router just to share it.

AND, let's remind the community that lowrider doesn't have a great income himself and has had numerous problems in his last place, the last thing he (or I) would want is crap like this.

Good post and sums up exactly what I was about to type, so thanks for saving me that effort! I also don't understand the logic of even considering this as a possibility.
 
jeez the amount of selfish people on this thread is mindboggling!

he is your friend so ofc let him use it. if your speed/bandwith is a problem if you're streaming or playing a game, you can call/talk to him and say "Hey m8 i need the internet now, please log off for the amount of time i need". am sure he would log off and you would have no bandwith issues. if his constant usage really impedes your access then you can cut him off and explain why. He may miss the internet connection but he can't hold it against you if he abused the privelege

when i lived in london i had my wi-fi open to the neighborhood and never really had any issues with bandwith (there weren't 20mb lines back then it was more like 2mb on a BT voyager), none that was something i can remember at least. I only have a password now because it came default with BT homehub. now obviously if i couldn't access the internet because of too much usage i would have turned the tap off. reality was i never had to do it
 
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Id let him use it if he agreed to quit smoking and actually stuck to it.

Save him money and the possibility of going the same way as his dad and maybe mum
 
jeez the amount of selfish people on this thread is mindboggling!

he is your friend so ofc let him use it. if your speed/bandwith is a problem if you're streaming or playing a game, you can call/talk to him and say "Hey m8 i need the internet now, please log off for the amount of time i need". am sure he would log off and you would have no bandwith issues. if his constant usage really impedes your access then you can cut him off and explain why. He may miss the internet connection but he can't hold it against you if he abused the privelege

when i lived in london i had my wi-fi open to the neighborhood and never really had any issues with bandwith (there weren't 20mb lines back then it was more like 2mb on a BT voyager), none that was something i can remember at least. I only have a password now because it came default with BT homehub. now obviously if i couldn't access the internet because of too much usage i would have turned the tap off. reality was i never had to do it

If he was a good friend then yes, but this "friend" of the OP is someone who he has been out of touch with for a few years, and "expects" him to hand over a wifi code.

Doesn't sound like much of a friend to me!
 
jeez the amount of selfish people on this thread is mindboggling!

he is your friend so ofc let him use it. if your speed/bandwith is a problem if you're streaming or playing a game, you can call/talk to him and say "Hey m8 i need the internet now, please log off for the amount of time i need". am sure he would log off and you would have no bandwith issues. if his constant usage really impedes your access then you can cut him off and explain why. He may miss the internet connection but he can't hold it against you if he abused the privelege

when i lived in london i had my wi-fi open to the neighborhood and never really had any issues with bandwith (there weren't 20mb lines back then it was more like 2mb on a BT voyager), none that was something i can remember at least. I only have a password now because it came default with BT homehub. now obviously if i couldn't access the internet because of too much usage i would have turned the tap off. reality was i never had to do it

Selfish doesn't even come into it. What you did was, whilst extremely generous, very foolhardy. You put yourself at risk unnecessarily and suggesting others do is reckless.

There are actually some pretty grim individuals out there who sit in their cars using other peoples' wifi because it gives them the anonymity they require to carry out their less palatable activities. Leaving your wifi open to all and sundry is daft.

@OP - I would be more concerned about what is being downloaded rather than how much. Mate or no mate, you are the one paying the bill. Perhaps you could say you have had a bad experience before and would really rather not go there again?
 
You put yourself at risk unnecessarily and suggesting others do is reckless.

If i borrow your high quality chef knife and go murder a bunch of people.. Are you liable? But common sense aside.

The massive amount of wardriving going on back in the WEP days. And i've not heard of a single conviction of someone using someone else's internet.
 
If i borrow your high quality chef knife and go murder a bunch of people.. Are you liable? But common sense aside.

The massive amount of wardriving going on back in the WEP days. And i've not heard of a single conviction of someone using someone else's internet.

Sorry but that analogy is absurd. You are provided with the ability to protect your wifi for a reason. If you want an analogy along the lines of your example it would be leaving a restricted firearm unlocked out of the cabinet. If said firearm is then stolen and used, you indeed are liable...
 
Selfish doesn't even come into it. What you did was, whilst extremely generous, very foolhardy. You put yourself at risk unnecessarily and suggesting others do is reckless.

There are actually some pretty grim individuals out there who sit in their cars using other peoples' wifi because it gives them the anonymity they require to carry out their less palatable activities. Leaving your wifi open to all and sundry is daft.

@OP - I would be more concerned about what is being downloaded rather than how much. Mate or no mate, you are the one paying the bill. Perhaps you could say you have had a bad experience before and would really rather not go there again?


lmao. fom one comparing wifi hotspots to leaving firearms freely available?? not only are you selfish but you are paranoid

i did this for years and never had a problem and none of the paranoid fictional activities you vaguely refer to ever happened

i may be daft according to you but you are a sad individual according to me
 
Err the firearms analogy was a deliberate extreme in response to p87's analogy. Protecting your wifi is in no way paranoid. To do anything other than that is irresponsible. Saying, "I did it for years and nothing ever happened to me" is the typical foolish comment that is often followed sometime later by, "Well it never happened to me before, why now?" Yeah good luck with that...
 
If he's truly a good mate and you trust him, then yea, why not, I'd still expect him to chip in though.

If you view him as in any way not trustyworthy though, I wouldn't share a thing - you've prioritised your life and afforded yourself this luxury, why should he then use you as a free lunch?

Either decision is valid, but what absolutely isn't valid is to just share it "because you think it's a given". Give an inch and people will take a mile, so make a decision for the right reasons, irrespective of what the decision is.
 
This thread confirms that since I cant have my own boradband, and even when I'm the only person using it, it still runs at 2 Mbps, I must get the one plan for my own 24/7 fully unlimited internet.
 
Just a small update, I decided to tell him I'd prefer not to share my connection, I thought he took it ok until today when I spoke to him and he basically said we're not friends any more and to make sure I stay out of his way, <sigh>, he said that because he's my friend I should let him use it and by not doing so apparently "I think very little of him" and "I'm a selfish person".

You see this is why I don't like doing stuff like this, I knew not letting him use it would create a problem, that bugged me, I've spent far too much of my life being a people pleaser, doing things I don't want to do to appease others to disable potential threats or issues, I've had enough living like that, it's my stuff and I quite simply would prefer to not share, especially with people that get aggressive if I choose not to.

Partly what got him riled up was when I mentioned his 'smoke', I said I don't see why I should share my connection with you when your wasting your money on that 'stuff', that would pay for his own phone and BB package 5 times over, probably more, he don't work, his behind in rent, never really pays off any of his bills, council tax, tv license etc, if I share my connection with him I become an enabler, tbhfh he needs to grow up, if he wants BB then he's going to have to sort his priorities out, I'm not giving in on this one.
 
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he sounds like someone who isnt a friend at all (nicest and most family friendly way i could put that)
 
Just a small update, I decided to tell him I'd prefer not to share my connection, I thought he took it ok until today when I spoke to him and he basically said we're not friends any more and to make sure I stay out of his way, <sigh>, he said that because he's my friend I should let him use it and by not doing so apparently "I think very little of him" and "I'm a selfish person".

You see this is why I don't like doing stuff like this, I knew not letting him use it would create a problem, that bugged me, I've spent far too much of my life being a people pleaser, doing things I don't want to do to appease others to disable potential threats or issues, I've had enough living like that, it's my stuff and I quite simply would prefer to not share, especially with people that get aggressive if I choose not to.

Partly what got him riled up was when I mentioned his 'smoke', I said I don't see why I should share my connection with you when your wasting your money on that 'stuff', that would pay for his own phone and BB package 5 times over, probably more, he don't work, his behind in rent, never really pays off any of his bills, council tax, tv license etc, if I share my connection with him I become an enabler, tbhfh he needs to grow up, if he wants BB then he's going to have to sort his priorities out, I'm not giving in on this one.


I wouldn't back up, just ignore his childishness and don't talk to him anymore. If he doesn't want to be friends then it's no skin off your back.
 
Tell him to chip in for the BB, even if its only 10 a month, If he smokes quite a bit, 20 a day or so. That isn't even 2 days worth.

Your bills, Your Broadband.
 
Well it seems like you are not going to be sharing it, but if I was in your position I would tell him that if he wanted to share with me, he would have to pay half, it's only fair.

You wouldn't expect to share someones water, electricity and gas. Broadband is just another utility.
 
Good job bud he sounds like someone your far better off without knowing anyway. Cut him out of your life completely.
 
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