Apartment -network security

[jakeparsons03]

So I just moved into a new apartment complex. They set up internet for all of the units. The way they did it was that they got a single business connection for the whole building and each unit logs into a single network. They say each unit has their own VPN so that each unit technically has their own connection. Don't you have to log in to the VPN though?  I know a little bit about networking but I don't know much about VPNs. This seems very unsecure though. The biggest red flag for me is that when I pull up wireshark I can see everyone's traffic. I feel like right away that should make me want to switch to use my own network. Has anyone had any experience with an apartment complex like this?

[Marius Gunnerud]

Are you sure that you are seeing other tenants traffic in wireshark?  What are you seeing?  Do you use cabled or wireless network? does the building IT provide this network or do you connect your own wireless and / or router or modem to the network?

Without actually knowing how they have set the network up, I believe that the term VPN in this scenario is incorrect unless they are also tunneling traffic to a centeral location before sending traffic to the internet.  Most likely they are using (or should be using) VRF.  I think it is highly unlikely that they have placed all tennants  in a single subnet, but if they have done so, it is poorly designed.

[jakeparsons03]

I have 4 network connected devices. When I was running wireshark I was seeing 7-8 other private IP addresses (192.168.x.x). I don't know what those other addresses are, but not a lot of traffic from them. I have concerns on both sides there. There are more than 2 or 3 devices in the rest of the complex im sure but I still don't know what that extra traffic is from. When I open my network in my file explorer I do see other unit's devices also (xboxs, chromecasts, etc). This is what made me think that those extra IP addresses were from other units. 

Its all wireless. The complex connected a router to the wall of each unit. You could be right with the VRF. Ive never heard of that before and when I asked the landlord about it originally she was trying to come up with the acronym that the IT team told her and she knew it started with V so I filled in the blank for her because VPN was the only thing I knew about. 

[Marius Gunnerud]

If there is more than 7 - 8 devices in the complex then your connection is most likely secure from the other tenants.  The IPs you are seeing can be anything, but I am guessing they might be things like the IP of the router / switch, IP of wireless controller, etc.  Without more information on how the network is set up, it is difficult to identify what the other IPs might be.