# How many wi-fi hot spots can you detect at home? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 28, 2012, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-wi-fi-hot-spots-can-you-detect-at-home/617023 "2012-03-28T04:46:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-wi-fi-hot-spots-can-you-detect-at-home/617023/21 "2012-03-28T15:51:22Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > One (mine). We are very rural. I cannot see our nearest neighbor. Me too. As a result, we don’t secure it. Makes it easier for our visitors to log in. ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-wi-fi-hot-spots-can-you-detect-at-home/617023/22 "2012-03-28T16:10:18Z")
21, and not one of them unprotected. Sadly, no really interesting names, either. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-wi-fi-hot-spots-can-you-detect-at-home/617023/23 "2012-03-28T16:12:50Z")
It looks like I have a high of 18 networks; a couple have WEP passwords. All are secured, unfortunately. I was hoping to use some other network to try to get into Ticketmaster, since it looks like our home IP will never get unblocked. Doing a little research, it looks like someone with a good antenna can access a network from a mile away - I’d still secure my network, even if I didn’t think anyone was close enough to access it. Better safe than sorry, you know? It’s not like putting a password on a network is a big hassle, either - your computer remembers the password. ---
**Author:** ![Svejk\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@Svejk\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Svejk_1)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-wi-fi-hot-spots-can-you-detect-at-home/617023/24 "2012-03-28T16:15:23Z")
36, including my own. Most are protected. Our network has the coolest name though. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-wi-fi-hot-spots-can-you-detect-at-home/617023/25 "2012-03-28T16:16:48Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > It looks like I have a high of 18 networks; a couple have WEP passwords. All are secured, unfortunately. I was hoping to use some other network to try to get into Ticketmaster, since it looks like our home IP will never get unblocked. Why is your home IP blocked by Ticketmaster? Are you running a competing service? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-wi-fi-hot-spots-can-you-detect-at-home/617023/26 "2012-03-28T16:16:59Z")
> [@Svejk\_1](#): > > 36, including my own. Most are protected. Our network has the coolest name though. So does mine - our is named Galactica. My brother-in-law named his The Collective - I nominate that for best home network name EVER! ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-wi-fi-hot-spots-can-you-detect-at-home/617023/27 "2012-03-28T16:20:35Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > Why is your home IP blocked by Ticketmaster? Are you running a competing service? {Takes a deep, cleansing breath first}Our home IP is blocked by Ticketmaster because they are assholes who have a monopoly and don’t give a shit if you can use their service or not. We don’t know why we were originally blocked; Ticketmaster says if you try to access them too often, you get a 24 hour block. We’ve been blocked for months now. I’ve done about all I can do to get it unblocked, and they just won’t co-operate. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-wi-fi-hot-spots-can-you-detect-at-home/617023/28 "2012-03-28T17:02:51Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > One (mine). We are very rural. I cannot see our nearest neighbor. Same here. Only house on a dead end gravel (more mud than rock though) road. ---
**Author:** ![Sudden\_Kestrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Sudden\_Kestrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sudden_Kestrel)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-wi-fi-hot-spots-can-you-detect-at-home/617023/29 "2012-03-28T17:02:56Z")
Not a single wifi hotspot is detectable from my house. When the first one appears, we’re moving. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-wi-fi-hot-spots-can-you-detect-at-home/617023/30 "2012-03-28T17:23:54Z")
Four, not including my own. Only one is constantly there (hiya RatSat, whoever you are) and the others come and go, presumably with very weak signals. They’re all secured. Once upon a time, our router went out and it took me at least several days to notice because someone near by had unsecured wireless and my computer just flipped over to that one. Guess those days are over. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-wi-fi-hot-spots-can-you-detect-at-home/617023/31 "2012-03-28T17:29:45Z")
Only one or two apart from my own at home. I’m not sure what the range typically is (anyone?) but I can see dozens of houses from my window so I’m surprised it’s not more. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-wi-fi-hot-spots-can-you-detect-at-home/617023/32 "2012-03-28T17:35:44Z")
Three, but two are in my house. Hubby has one set up that we use and a second set up that appears open but that has no access. I don’t know why other than he had the hardware sitting around and he’s easily amused. Neighbor’s is secure. ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-wi-fi-hot-spots-can-you-detect-at-home/617023/33 "2012-03-28T19:55:16Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > So does mine - our is named Galactica. My brother-in-law named his The Collective - I nominate that for best home network name EVER! I nominate mine – “Amorphia” ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-wi-fi-hot-spots-can-you-detect-at-home/617023/34 "2012-03-28T20:53:44Z")
Three, all protected. Presumably our two next door neighbors and maybe the one across the street. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-wi-fi-hot-spots-can-you-detect-at-home/617023/35 "2012-03-28T21:46:28Z")
Nine right now, including ours. We live on 1/4 acre lots, so the houses aren’t that close together. One (not ours) is unsecured. The number can vary a lot, not really sure why. While writing this post, for example, two have disappeared. ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-wi-fi-hot-spots-can-you-detect-at-home/617023/36 "2012-03-28T22:00:05Z")
35, all of them secured. I live in an apartment building, so this isn’t really surprising. One of them is called “saywhaaaat” but the rest of them look like either factory defaults or the person’s surname. “belkin” used to be the only one that wasn’t secured, but I guess they wised up. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-wi-fi-hot-spots-can-you-detect-at-home/617023/37 "2012-03-28T22:00:45Z")
There seem to be 10 right now, but I know that if I move to the kitchen or bedroom I can pick up at least 3-4 additional ones. All are secured. Les Biatches is the funniest name, with La Poire as runner-up. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-wi-fi-hot-spots-can-you-detect-at-home/617023/38 "2012-03-28T22:03:32Z")
2, mine and some neighbor’s (both are secured). I live in a suburb and the homes are spread apart. It’s a lot different from an apartment building or dorm. Back when I lived in a dorm, there were usually at least 10 available connections, most of which were unsecured. Getting your internet privileges revoked was practically meaningless when you could nab someone else’s wifi. Okay, you lost the awesome wired T-1 speeds, which did suck, but it wasn’t the end of the world. I lost internet privileges once for a month, because I went over the bandwidth limit, and all it did was slow me down a bit while I borrowed someone else’s unsecured wifi (I didn’t download anything on their connection though, I wasn’t a dick). ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Woo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7c8e57/32.png) [@Dr.Woo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Woo)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-wi-fi-hot-spots-can-you-detect-at-home/617023/39 "2012-03-28T22:09:34Z")
I live in a small, out of the way technological backwater\* so I only see 8 in addition to the three in our house. I do like “psychopatrol” as a network name though, and it contrasts nicely with the Saint Frances Cabrini School Teachers’ Network. - Affectionately known as Silicon Valley ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-wi-fi-hot-spots-can-you-detect-at-home/617023/40 "2012-03-28T22:15:46Z")
Just one other, which from its name probably belongs to the neighbour across the street from us. That surprises me, because I know other neighbours who live closer and who have internet-connected computers: perhaps they use ethernet instead of wireless. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-wi-fi-hot-spots-can-you-detect-at-home/617023.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-wi-fi-hot-spots-can-you-detect-at-home/617023.md?page=3)