How do I find the WEP/WPA/Security Key/Password for my wireless router

[debrunner]

Hello,
hi i cannot connect wirelessly with my New/usewd laptop and i thought my wep key was my old phone number, but as soon as I put that in it says it cannot connect
any suggestions

 

[Saga Lout]

In Windows 7, press your Windows key plus R , then type into the Open box the following, including all the spaces:-

cmd /k ipconfig /all

then press Enter and from the black form that shows up, take a note of the numeric code beside the Default Gateway icon - something like 192.168.0.1.

Type exit to close the black form.

Open Internet Explorer and enter that code into the URL address bar as though it was a website. You're then at the login page to the router's settings utility and admin will usually be the login with either admin or password as the password but your router's instruction manual will help you there.

If you're in, seek out Wireless and then Security and take a note of the key. Sometimes it may be a passphrase, some a simple set of letters and others a hexadecimal code. You also may as well note which level of security it is - WEP, WPA or WPA/PSK 2 and then either AES or TKIP. Your computer will already know this but it's handy information to store. Note also that hexadecimal only contains numbers from zero to 9 and letters a to f so there's no confusion of I and O with 1 and 0.

Keep a note of that security key in My Documents and also outside the computer.

 

[wribbs]

You don't necessarily need to login to the router to get the key if you have a computer that has it saved it can be found from there.
In Windows 7 (might be slightly different for other versions)
+left click on the wireless connection bars in the system tray
+right click the connection you're using
+select Properties
+Securtiy tab
+check Show characters
+your password is the Network security key

Some routers have default settings including wireless SSID & password printed on a label on them. If you cannot figure out the current password you can reset the entire router to defaults using a pin to press and hold a reset button in the router. After that you will have to login to the router to setup WIFI and other settings. You may need to consult your router's manual to do this properly.

 

[Saga Lout]

+check Show characters

I think you'll find that as soon as the key is input, that option, which is designed for you to be able to check as you type, if greyed out. As for resetting the router, you need to be certain you have your ISP login details before doing that unless your ISP is one of the very few which embeds that information in the firmware.

 

[Guest]

This topic has been moved from the section Windows 7 to section Wireless Networking by Grumpy9117

 

[Guest]

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/31382-43-find-security-password-wireless-router