Privacy & consent

Remote Network Access Consent

Last updated: 2 May 2026

What this page is

Some Why Oh WiFi customers ask us to keep an eye on their home network after the on-site visit — to catch problems before they become annoying, or to follow up on a Family WiFi Safety setup. That requires us to have a small amount of remote access to your router or mesh system.

This page explains, in plain English, exactly what that access means. No remote access happens unless you ask for it and sign for it. It’s never the default.

When you might want it

We offer remote network access in three situations:

  • After a $149 assessment — if we recommended new gear and you want us to verify everything’s still running properly two weeks, two months, two years later.
  • As part of a Family WiFi Safety setup — to make sure the parental controls don’t quietly stop working a month after we left.
  • For business or holiday-rental customers — where the WiFi has to “just work” and a fast response to problems is part of the value.

If none of those apply to you, you don’t need this. The standard $149 assessment never requires remote access.

What we can see

When you grant remote access, we can see:

  • The make and model of your router or mesh system, and its firmware version
  • The names of devices connected to your WiFi (e.g. “Karl’s iPhone”, “Living Room TV”)
  • How many devices are connected, and which ones drop off
  • Signal strength to each device, and which access point it’s using
  • Real-time speed and connection-quality metrics
  • A log of disconnections and reconnections
  • The DNS service the router is using (relevant for parental controls)

This is the same kind of information you’d see if you logged into your router yourself.

What we cannot see

We cannot see:

  • Anything you’re browsing — websites visited, social media activity, search history
  • The content of your messages, emails, video calls, or file transfers
  • Passwords saved in your browser, banking details, or anything inside an HTTPS connection
  • Files on your computer, phone, or NAS
  • Camera or microphone feeds
  • Anything on a device that isn’t connected to your WiFi

Modern home traffic is encrypted (HTTPS) — even if we wanted to see what you were doing, the technology doesn’t make it possible. We can see that a device connected to YouTube, but never what video it watched.

Who has access

Only Karl. There’s no team, no third-party platform, no offshore contractor. The remote-access tool is hosted on our own server (in Geelong), and access is logged.

If we ever need to bring in another technician, we’ll ask first.

How long it lasts

Default consent term is 60 days from signing. After that, the consent expires automatically and we lose access until you renew it.

You can also choose:

  • 30 days — minimum, for one-off troubleshooting
  • 6 months — for a longer-term monitoring engagement
  • 12 months — for ongoing managed-service customers (rare; we’d only suggest this if you specifically wanted it)

How to revoke access

You can revoke remote access at any time, for any reason, no questions asked. Three ways:

  1. Reply “REVOKE” to any email from us — the system will disable access within 5 minutes and email you confirmation.
  2. Call Karl on 0489 998 445.
  3. Power-cycle your router — that breaks the connection. We’ll see it drop and won’t try to re-establish without re-confirming consent with you.

Revocation is instant and complete. We don’t keep a “shadow” connection or any back door — once you revoke, we’re out.

What’s logged

Every connection we make to your network is logged. The log records:

  • Date and time of every connection
  • What we did during the connection (read-only check, configuration change, firmware update, etc.)
  • Who initiated it (always Karl, but the logs make this auditable)
  • How long the connection lasted

You can request a copy of the full log at any time — we’ll email it within one business day. Free of charge.

If you decide remote access makes sense for your situation, we’ll send you a one-page consent form via DocuSeal that mirrors what’s on this page. You sign it digitally; we both keep a copy. The form is the legal record.

The consent form spells out:

  • Your name + property address
  • Which router/access points are covered
  • The consent term (30 / 60 / 180 / 365 days)
  • The revocation methods listed above
  • A specific contact for questions

Your rights

You have, at any time, the right to:

  • See exactly what’s been done on your network (request the log)
  • Revoke consent immediately
  • Ask Karl to physically come out and remove the remote-access configuration from your router (no extra charge if you’re within 12 months of an existing job)
  • Make a complaint, either directly to us or to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner if you’re not satisfied

Questions

If anything here isn’t clear, ring Karl on 0489 998 445 or email hello@whyohwifi.com.au. There are no stupid questions about who has access to your home network — it’s the kind of thing that should feel slightly unfamiliar until you’ve talked it through with the person involved.