How to Stay Safe While Using Hotel WiFi

Easy ways to improve your wireless security at a hotel

Last Updated: May 27, 2022

Most hotels nowadays offer free or paid Wi-Fi internet access as an amenity to guests. While this can be a great convenience, you should not always assume the connection is as secure as it should be, and being hacked remains a high possibility when using a public network utilized by dozens of people at a time. Follow these steps for advice on staying safe when using hotel Wi-Fi.

Steps

1
Make sure you set your computer's configuration so that it will not connect to hotspots run by hackers trying to steal your identity. If possible, use an ethernet connection rather than a wireless one.
2
Disable File Sharing on your computer (Windows). There are safety features you can choose from when you connect to a public WiFi network. It opens up the Control Panel to ask if it is your home network, your work network, or a public network. If you select public, then it will turn off file sharing automatically for safety.

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3
If the network has a fake name (such as "Free Public Wi-Fi"), don't select it. Instead, use the WiFi provided by the hotel.
4
Do not use hotel Wi-Fi for anything that requires you to enter personal or sensitive information. This includes online banking, shopping, etc.

Community Q&A

Question

Does public WiFi share my information?

Community Answer

Sort of. It depends on the websites you are visiting. It's probably a good idea to avoid giving any personal information (e.g. bank account information) while using public WiFi.
Question

If I'm on a hotel, and I have an account to look at movies, will people be able to see my information?

Community Answer

No, not unless they are a hacker specifically looking for it, and the hotel WiFi has no password. You should be okay watching Netflix and the like.
Question

Is it safe to use an internet hotspot in a hotel?

The coding cat

Community Answer

No, generally public WiFi is not safe. There are ways to protect your device, such as using a VPN, but otherwise, I would not recommend it.

Warnings

If hackers get your credit card information, they might use it for online shopping and then you will be liable for the charges, so prevent it by never using public Wi-Fi for banking.

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