Ensuring Network Security in Shared Living Spaces: A Candid Perspective on Printer and Device Connectivity
Living in an apartment where your internet provider supplies the connection can present unique challenges—particularly when it comes to maintaining secure and reliable network configurations for your personal devices. Recently, a resident shared their experience with a third-party internet provider advocating for a somewhat questionable approach to device connectivity, prompting an important discussion on best practices for network security and device management.
The Context: Internet Service in Apartment Living
In this scenario, the resident’s apartment is served by a third-party internet company that includes the internet service as part of the rent. Notably, the ISP does not provide a dedicated router; instead, tenants are assigned an individual network dedicated solely to their apartment. While this setup is somewhat unusual, it can be beneficial in terms of network isolation but also raises questions about device management and security.
The Issue: Printer Connectivity Problems
The resident owns a reliable Brother monochrome laser multifunction printer with AirPrint capabilities—devices they have used effectively for years. In recent months, however, they encountered a perplexing problem: although the printer indicated it was connected to the network, devices such as PCs, iPhones, and iPads could not locate it when printing was required. Despite troubleshooting efforts and repositioning the printer throughout the apartment, the issue persisted.
Initial Troubleshooting and ISP Assistance
The resident contacted their ISP for support, providing network status reports from the printer. The ISP suggested that the ultimate solution was to connect all printing devices—along with computers and smartphones—to a shared, building-wide network. The recommended network’s password? “password”—a standard, insecure default that immediately raised alarms about security.
The Irony and Concerns
The ISP assured the resident that the shared network was secure, citing measures such as MAC address–based authentication and limited inter-unit traffic. However, the resident rightly expressed skepticism, emphasizing that connecting work or academic devices to such a publicly accessible network with a trivially simple password—“password”—poses significant security risks.
Analyzing the Advice: Is Connecting to a Building-Wide Shared Network a Good Idea?
From a cybersecurity perspective, connecting personal or work-related devices to a shared network protected only by a common password like “password” is highly discouraged. Such practices leave sensitive information vulnerable to unauthorized access, malware, and other cyber threats. While MAC address filtering can add a layer of security, it is not sufficient by itself to safeguard valuable data, especially against determined or malicious
Share this content:
