A lawyer has issued a warning to households over a common Wi-Fi mistake which he claims could land you with a £500 fine.
It’s a common problem, especially if you live close to your neighbours as most people do, to have several Wi-Fi networks overlapping and interfering with one another. In fact, you may be able to attempt to connect to several of your neighbours’ Wi-Fi networks at any given time.
But a legal expert has warned people not to give in to the temptation to access other Wi-Fi networks, even if they have good signal at your property.
One of the most overlooked offences, experts say, is using someone else’s Wi-Fi without permission – even if the network appears open or unsecured.
Simarjot Singh Judge, a solicitor at law firm Judge Law, says people are often stunned when they learn this behaviour has already led to prosecutions in the UK.
“There has been a real case where someone was taken to court and fined £500 for using a neighbour’s Wi-Fi without permission,” he said. “That surprises a lot of people, because it’s something many assume is harmless.”
Using another person’s internet connection without consent can amount to dishonestly obtaining a service, which is a criminal offence under UK law.
Mr Judge says the biggest issue is not deliberate wrongdoing, but misunderstanding where the law draws the line. “Most people aren’t trying to break the law,” he said. “But ignorance doesn’t protect you if a complaint is made or a situation escalates.
“In a world where everything is connected and shared instantly, everyday actions can carry real legal consequences. Taking a moment to check what’s allowed could save people from serious stress – and serious legal trouble.”
If you find yourself battling with network interference from neighbours’ Wi-fi, you can mess about with the settings on your router.
Try adjusting the channels to a different band – it’s unlikely your neighbours have moved away from the default router settings, so by adjusting yours, you can avoid some of the noise that may hamper your speed.
InLink Systems explains: “Routers use one of 11 channels on the 2.4 GHz band. If your neighbours have a Wi-Fi router on the same channel within range of your router or Wi-Fi gateway, it can cause interference. Co-channel interference occurs when multiple networks use the same channel, while adjacent channel interference happens when networks use neighbouring channels that overlap.”
