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It’s a fact of life these days. You are spending more time at home so, naturally, will also be sharing your WiFi network with family so that you can all enjoy your favorite shows, movies, and entertainment. But, if you’ve noticed your connection is spottier than usual, making an adjustment to how you use your WiFi network can help. Tom Winter, CRO & co-founder of DevSkiller, a screening & online interview platform for developers, spoke with SHEFinds.com about the one thing you should never do when sharing a WiFi network with family because it ruins your capacity.
Bad news if you are working from home on the very same WiFi network where your kids are streaming YouTube videos of people playing video games: this one move can affect your tech outcomes. “You should never share your WiFi network info with your family if you plan on working over the same internet connection,” Winter says.
One of the first issues you may encounter if you share the same work WiFi connection as your family, Winter says, is that it's likely your kids will be using the WiFi to stream HD cartoons, movies and play video games, which can make your Zoom calls stutter.
Security issues can also pop up when you share your network with other people in your family (particularly children). “Who knows where kids are browsing these days and if they are downloading music illegally,” Winter says. “Basically, any interaction with the internet from any device on your home network creates a potential entry point for hackers to exploit.”
A hacker may not find much on your family's devices, but if you have company data on your computer, it could get compromised, Winter says.
The best move? Set up two separate WiFi networks at home — one for the family’s entertainment and one that is strictly for work purposes.
