Guests using internet inappropriately

[Tim-and-Holly0]

I have had a couple of instances where I believe a guest may have been using our internet for nefarious purposes. About 6 months ago I noticed our internet slowed tremendously after a guest arrived. After he left the internet sped back up but I also received an awareness letter from our internet provider of malicious activity from our IP address. Today I have received a notice that a movie was distributed from our IP address on Bittorent last night during the time that our computers were turned off.  Any suggestions on how to prevent inappropriate use of the internet by guests?

Thanks!

[Marit-Anne0]

I think you would need to ask your internet provider regarding filters.

[David126]

This comes up from time to time, large organisations have systems to limit this, from what I can gather no solution is totally fool proof.

There is no cheap easy solution I have come across,

[Cynthia-and-Chris1]

You could mention to your guests something like: 

"Feel free to use the internet - it's great for streaming movies or playing on the internet - but we have had trouble in the past with guests downloading/uploading torrents, so we ask that you please refrain from doing either.  Our internet provider is sensitive and will catch it quickly." 

This will *hopefully* deter those who regularly engage in those types of activities and people who have no clue what a torrent is will just shrug it off.

You can also expressly forbid it in your house rules and impose a fine if you do receive notice - that might deter them too.

[David126]

@Cynthia-and-Chris1

How do you impse a fine?

[Sabine42]

that's a serious problem i used to deal with when i had a business with free wifi for customers. your internet provider won't be able to help you as they make it the responsibility of the user. also, they will terminate your internet if it happens repeatedly. there are filters you can set in place, OpenDNS is one of them where you can block certain websites and entire categories such as any torrent site. i hope you flagged the guest, this is serious stuff. good luck!

[Bob43]

I found your question interesting enough to call my own provider and ask them. Unfortunately with my provider there is no way to block certain sites while using wifi.

I offer my guests access to Netflix which decreases the need to illegaly download movies through torrents.

[Ronald34]

Same exact thing just happened to me.  While my guests were still staying with us I received an email from our internet provider.  It was a warning email advising me that a movie was illegally downloaded on our network.  It even gave the name of the movie, time of download, etc.  Of course, it threatened possible lawsuits.  We notified our guests and they admitted to downloading the movie...they did stop. 

My son - who is a computer programmer looked into putting some type of filter on our network.  After messing with it all day Saturday he concluded that we don't have the right type of router to place filters on.  That would be my first solution - but evidently it can't be done with our current setup.

On the welcome sheet that I have in the apartment I added a warning about peer-to-peer downloads of movies/songs.  I also added a rule in the house rules section. 

I was amazed at how fast my IP sent us the warning email.....I think our guests hadn't even finished their download when the email arrived.......

[Cyndy5]

I've had one guest who used so much internet I got a billed for over $200 usd in extra charges.  Is there a way to get these back? I requested through the resolution centre and neither the guest or airbnb have responded.  I am really unhappy that airbnb hasn't responded.  What is their policy?

I had another guest a couple weeks ago and after the last episode, I was monitoring their internet and I had to tell them to stop watching netflix.  

I don't mind guests watching some net flixx but I am worried about people coming and staying as a home away from home and watching so much internet tv.  

I did actually take the apple tv device away after the last situation but I dont think that is the solution. 

Does anyone charge extra for internet in canada?

[David126]

@Cyndy5

I had a look at your listing and could see no addition charge for Internet.

Could you change provider?

[Cyndy5]

I don't want to change my provider and they have since started to notify me when I get close to my limit but my question is, how do you control guests who over-use my internet?  I have a very generous plan, we never go over or even near to the limit.  I had a guest who literaterly sat and watched netflix for 18hrs a day.  We have a basement suite and we could hear it.    The last guest came and they watched netflix all day long.  This is not the norm but these people show up and I can't get airnbn to respond to my complaints and these people are abusing the system.

[David126]

In no particular order:

Do not provide Internet

Provide it but with a cap per day (put what the cap is on your listing)

Throttle the speed so not practical for streaming.

[Jacques139]

In this day in age limiting internet usage is rather pathetic.