Simple Steps to Stay Safe While Using Hotel Wi-Fi

Easy ways to improve your wireless security at a hotel

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Last Updated: May 29, 2023

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.

Things You Should Know

Using hotel Wi-Fi is an unsecured connection, so it's prone to risks.
Use an ethernet connection if possible to avoid logging into hotspots that mimic the hotel's Wi-Fi.
Disable file sharing on your Windows computer.
Don't log into sites that have your personal information, like banking or financial sites.

Steps

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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.
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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Instead, use the WiFi provided by the hotel.
This includes online banking, shopping, etc.

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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.

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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.

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

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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.

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Tips

If the hotel has free Wi-Fi, make sure it is secured so hackers can't get your personal information.

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Use a VPN that encrypts your traffic and your information.

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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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