Is Your Router A Public WiFi Hotspot?

Consumerist.com reports, Comcast Customers Sue Cable Giant For Making Their Home Routers Into Wifi Hotspots-- "..they’re building a massive nationwide network of hotspots for their Xfinity customers… by using their other Xfinity customers as a source... Consumers can disable the second wifi network but it’s opt-out, not opt-in — and some reports indicate that disabling it doesn’t always work."

This may be, but everyone should check their router to be sure they aren't doing this of their own accord even if they are not a Comcast customer. When I look at my mobile devices two wireless networks come up besides my own. One is the neighbor's to my left. The other to my right. Fortunately they both are password protected. Is yours?

By password I don't mean the factory default password. Everyone knows those.
Don't Allow Yourself To Become Your Neighbor's Hotspot
Intruders can do all kinds of legal and illegal stuff. Eat up massive amounts of bandwidth charged to your account which also slows down your connections. All of which appears as you are the responsible one doing whatever they actually are. Even having access to anything shared on your computer within your own personal network.

Why would a neighbor pay for internet access if your providing one free to them?
Here's how to create a password.
(1) Open your internet browser.
(2) Type in the URL address http://192.168.0.1 << This is the one most routers use & login.
(3) From there I cannot help you as each router may be different. In my case they call it 'pre-shared key' under the manual wireless settings. If you don't know how, pay or get a trusted someone's help.

'Smartphones' are able to connect to WiFi as a alternative connection