Vent: That "neighbor's WiFi" trick actually exposed my whole network in 10 minutes

I was getting fed up with my internet dragging, so I tried that old trick of hopping on a neighbor's open signal to test speeds. Within 10 minutes, my router settings showed a device I didn't recognize, and I realized it was a honeypot set up by someone on my block. The whole thing was a sting to catch people snooping, and now I'm worried my IP got flagged. I spent the next 2 hours changing passwords and resetting everything, but it still feels sketchy. Has anyone else run into one of these fake networks in Phoenix?

2 comments

2 Comments

hugo_moore16d ago

Phoenix has a ton of those honeypots, but your router showing a device you don't recognize doesn't mean your IP got flagged - that's not really how that works.

patricianguyen16d ago

Jumping off what @hugo_moore said, that unknown device on your network is way more likely to be a neighbor piggybacking on your wifi or an old smart plug you forgot about than some targeted honeypot thing. Your average router just isn't that interesting to whoever sets those traps up.