Caregiver asked for my WiFi password. Why would she ask if she is watching my parents and isn't this a security concern?

Most people with smart phones still can get on the internet without WiFi. They just use their data. I see no harm in giving them a password. They are professional people.

As a nurse, there are times that i use the internet to find answers to treatments, medications, spelling and other medical things. Just because she asks for the password doesn’t mean it’s for other things necessarily.

Anyone in security would say no. HOWEVER, you can and should create a guest password for her use and be sure it is not like your password. Also, be sure your WIFI password is not like any other passwords you use for other websites. You can’t be too cautious now days.
Actually data use from a mobile internet provider is pretty much unlimited these days unless she has an el cheap type of account. So needing WiFi is a moot point unless you are live streaming data or watching videos or movies.
If your LO is sleeping, then yes, why not let her use internet? I see it’s no different than reading a paperback. But use a guest password

Anyone visiting my home for a few hours I offer my password to them. I have had no problem with it. My friends have it and I have their's. I also have a camera in my living room where my Mother's hospital bed is located and all care is given. None of our nurses or caregivers have abused phone use while taking care of Mom. If Mom's needs we're being ignored, they would be shown the door quickly. Fortunately, we were blessed with caring & responsible caregivers. Give her the password & set boundaries if you feel he/she needs them or it makes you feel better.

Hi there!

A dilemma...and I haven’t read every response so excuse me if mine has been posted a few times. I’d be concerned because as Tech mentioned, wherever your carer goes or dors online could be your responsibility. I have no idea if there is some sort of “at your own risk” type document your carer could sign but, perhaps you might have a very frank conversation about your concerns. That would be my only worry. As others have said, there really isn’t anything (other than the liability issue) wrong with your carer going online providing she drop everything when needed.

You can always enter your WIFI password into her device yourself! That way she doesn’t know the password, but still has access without using her own data. Unless you have concerns with the level of care she is providing, I wouldn’t worry. Just something for her to do while your parents are resting. If you want her to do chores, there might be a cost increase.

she more & likely need it for cell phone to go on internet without paying or using minutes ..but she is there for you & your needs so you tell her that & if she has a problem you can report her or get someone else ..your wifi password is only good around your house but if they get a good enough signal they could do what ever they want from the street or in drive way ..like i said she is to work for you & your benefit .!!!!

She likely wants to use the Wi-Fi for her cell phone so she does not have two exhaust her data package while your house. Having access to the Wi-Fi does NOT give her access to your personal computers any more than a workplace with Wi-Fi would give access to all of their the computers. Rather than making assumptions, why don't you ask her exactly why she wants to use your Wi-Fi?

I agree that giving the caregiver your wifi password isn’t a big deal. She is good, so do what you can to keep her. Trust me, it is NOT easy to find a good caregiver or one that you or your parents can bond. Also, you are already paying for the wifi, so it is not like you are paying something extra for her to use.

I also agree that you may want to let him/her know that the wifi is not for porn or criminal activity or selling/buying stuff on Ebay.

This is not something you should fret over. Surely you have other things to worry about. 😁

My cellphone uses WiFi calling first if it's available and the calls are much better than when using a cell tower. It is especially important to connect to a WiFi if there is limited cell tower access. So I always ask for the password if I see there's WiFi available.

Many people find it hard to focus on the internet AND keep an ear open for something else like caregiving. (I know someone like that..:) I'm not sure about the possible liability issue. Whatever you do, set up the rules before you let the caregiver use the internet. Tough to change later....like texting while driving.

Set up guest access to your wifi. Never give out your real password. Make sure she can’t get to any shared devices. The wifi router software should allow you to do this in the configuration section, probably under security. My family has the real one, but I’d never give out the real one to anyone else.

Tes

I would not give her your password. If she is taking care of your parents and needs to relax surfing the web then she should find other ways to occupy her time.

Your internet service provider may have an app that allows you to add her as a user and limit the sites that she can access. I use a google device for our in home wifi and use this for my kids. So, if bandwidth is an issue, then no video streaming will be allowed, but Facebook or general surfing would be allowed.

I am also not tech savvy but when i visit my dsughter she shares the password for her network (not her account) and then I can log on a guest and from there on in i am using my own account protected by it's own password. She also has clients who can use it too with no problem. Once I am logged on each time I visit my computer automatically recognises where I am and invites me to sign on as a guest.
I see two problems with this and the password is not one of them.
1.There should be other tasks to do that are associated with the patients ie laundry, cooking and keeping their area clean and tidy.
2. Internet access is not necessary for a caregiver to recieve messages. She can be called on her own phone or your house phone.

In principle it is no different than reading a book or some hobby as long as she can immediately respond to her patients. Better than sleeping on the job.

I assume the caregiver is using her own tablet, right? So as CM points out all she is using is your bandwidth.... I really don't understand the comments that even asking is hugely out of line😕

And if you want to go techie then there are ways to set up guest access to your WiFi, even to your computer if you needed to give them access to that (though personally I would draw the line there).

But as I understand it, and I again acknowledge that I am no authority, using the WiFi connection simply enables a person to use their *own* account. It's pretty much the same as plugging in a charger or using the 'phone, except that - unless you have limited bandwidth and she's streaming videos or something - it doesn't cost anything.

Deny her the connection and it means she can't pick up or respond to messages, and if she has other clients these may be urgent. I don't think it's a reasonable condition to impose on a professional caregiver - assuming, again, that she is not misusing her time.

Our private home WiFi account is just that, private. She is out of line. Maybe a more casual employer gave her theirs but she has no right to it.

My daughter cannot afford WiFi in her house (she’s a minimalist who keeps her life simple). My husband added her to OUR WiFi, and she can go online at our house. She’s come over after we’ve gone to bed and sits on our patio or in her vehicle and goes online. We put her on our Netflix account as a family member. She’s the ONLY person we’d give our number to.

There are bound books to read (I buy actual books for my daughter), painting with oil, embroidery and hand sewing, decorating with flower boxes, all sorts of things to do while the elderly nap. My daughter is hyperactive so she stays busy.

Tell caregiver that you feel that your number is private and if she gets angry she isn’t the caregiver for your family.

Just give her the password. You like her she takes good care of folks, you want to keep her. Realize the internet is a great resource when caring for the elderly. That is why we are all here isn't it? Hand held devices can be slow and unreliable. Let her use your WiFi.

Maybe she wants to be able to receive a FaceTime from her family or grandchildren while your loved one is napping. I would have no qualms about sharing my password to WiFi.

I vote for giving her the code if you like her and want to keep her and don't want to lose her to the family down the street that will give her the password without even thinking twice about it. Good caregivers are like precious gold, like magical unicorns, like four-leaf clovers, like... Well, I'm running out of similes here but you get the idea. I think if she has been getting all needed tasks done and your parents are happy, I wouldn't begrudge her a little free internet.

I wouldn’t worry about giving the code from a security standpoint. All it would allow is for the caregiver to use their device and not pay extra in data which can be very expensive. I like the idea of having a discussion about ground rules. If your parents are napping and she is not giving care and she wants to play a few levels of candy crush then she can go right ahead. Maybe she wants access so she can go onto the internet and play videos or music for your parents. It is a bit brazen to come right out and ask for the code. Most would just wait for you to offer. If you really like the caregiver and they do a good job then I don’t see any harm but you could have a chat with them about your expectations and that as long as they are doing this when your parents are sleeping then you’re ok with it.

Having the caregiver working non stop is wrong. Caregiver should take advantage of the down time and take a break them selves. Don't burn out your Care giver especially if they're a good one they're hard to find. Believe me I've been there done that.

There's no harm in giving the WiFi password. I have a lot of my friends p/w. That way when I visit them I don't have to ask every time I want to go on line. It automaticaly signs me in.

Since the caregiver had been using her phone for the internet access in the past, but had not asked for your WiFi password, she probably just figured out that she’s running out of minutes. This happened to me when I use my iPad at moms NH while she’s napping. My DH busted me for exceeding our monthly minutes and I had to try to figure out how to get onto their guest network. Which I found out didn’t work in her room, so I’m back to racking up the minutes. You might just ask her why she wants the password. It might be something as simple as overcharges for minutes. If so, and you like the caregiver but are hesitant to share the password, maybe just offer her the $20 overage charge as a little perk. Just a thought.

When my parents first moved in, we were so flustered we gave the CG access to our laptop.. no problems, but he would forget to delete his history! Lots of dating sites and looking for another job! And our long time CG used our internet with no problems.. sometime I even have to look stuff up on the fly at work . Like new drugs,, reactions etc!

OK guys, here's too much information from the techie perspective.

Depending on how you setup your router and declared your network on your computer, giving the wireless access password may or may not risk compromising the data on your laptop. Routers have at least two passwords - the admin password (used to control router functions including security) and the connection password used to connect to the default/primary SID. That little WPS button doesn't work if the admin has disabled it - it's designed to be used where the router is physically secured. No app is going to break the password if it's setup correctly either (at least not for a couple of years). Of course if the admin password is still set to the default, then all an app has to do is determine the router type and log right in as the admin with the known and published default password.

My router is setup with two SIDs (network IDs) each with its own password; one is for MY use that has top priority on bandwidth and the second guest setup only gets what bandwidth I'm not using. The kids use the "guest" where every device and URL is logged and there are limits on usage and a list of sites that cannot be accessed at all. My personal network is declared a "home" network on my laptop so I can see printers, tablets, and other devices. I would not use the "home" declaration if _anyone_ else was on that network; windows provides much better default protections for "public" networks.

I work from home and need my network to be secure so I spent the time to setup a second "guest" network. I do not recommend you consider this. If you decide to share the network with your care giver and you have concerns over the security of your data, make sure your network is declared "public" on your computer.

One very good method of protecting your laptop is to turn it (or at least the wireless) off when you are not sitting in front of it. Together with a password or fingerprint lock, that leaves your computer fairly well protected unless your care giver is a devoted hacker. You are much more likely to compromise your data by clicking on an email link (and downloading/installing a virus) than having a guest break in using your network.

BTW - if a guest uses your network for illegal purposes, including pirate downloads or viewing child porn, you could become the target of a local/state/federal investigation and need to "prove" you are not the guilty party. That's not difficult if you're willing to allow the authorities to scan your computer/smart phone, but it is a pain.

Hope at least some of that is helpful.

Do you pay for your internet as a 'package'?
If it has a limited time/download, then I would say "Sorry, but no".

If it is unlimited and she is using her own device, I see no problems.

Hotels, cafes, and most other places with public wifi throttle their own bandwidth to make pirating nearly impossible (like, you'd have to sit there for days, maybe weeks, to get one movie). The only place I know of (at least locally) that doesn't throttle bandwidth is the public library (but it might still take you awhile to get a movie, just because of all the people using the same bandwidth at once).

In any case, when companies like movie distributors go after users for illegal downloading, they tend to go after individuals with personal accounts, not business accounts with public wifi.

I am writing this as someone who may have, ahem, pirated some movies and TV shows in her day.  One day I got a warning notice from my ISP to stop downloading a certain show and to delete all the copies I had.  So I don't do it anymore, and I certainly don't do it now that I'm using mom's internet!  And this is in Canada, where I'm lucky enough that our internet providers won't give our personal information to companies or lawyers trying to secure copyright.

Edit:  personally, though, I feel people should have more concern about their kids or grandkids illegally downloading (because young people often don't think it's a big deal) than their caregivers, who are usually bonded through their agencies and probably wouldn't dream of risking their jobs just to pirate movies....especially when it's pretty easily done at home using a VPN (virtual private network).