question on wireless router passwords -?

Question

yes please refrain from the comments, first off I admit I did alot of dumb things on the install of my wireless router about a year ago, but that being said - My question, when I set up my Trendnet wireless router about a year ago (used the installation CD, and one of my laptops as the "admin" pc hooked by wire directly to the router during the install/setup process) - I did not record the Network Key (its WPA-PSK, TKIP) I had a little to much to drink that evening, and I cannot honestly remember if I set it to a personal key name such as my dog's name, etc - or if the CD just ran thru and set up a default 'giberish' string of letters & numbers as the network key. So today my young nephew wanted to jump on my secured wireless network - I had no idea what the key was of course - also the "admin" laptop PC I originally used to setup the router back then, I have since lent to a friend who needed a PC to use for a while, so don't even have that PC handy to look at. All I have is the wireless router, and my desktop PC, which is using the wireless signal via a wireless network card adapter I installed in my desktop pc. So at some point I must have entered the network key into this desktop PC, since its been stored in there for months now, and it automatically connects to the wireless signal when I power up the desktop PC. (As you can see I am no PC/network expert by any means). I guess my question is - Is there a way to look up the actual characters in the Network Key on my desktop PC, so that I can in turn give the key to my nephew to put into his laptop so he can connect? All I get when I look at the "Properties" panel for the wireless network is ************ (all asterisks). Any help on figuring out the network key is much appreciated - thanks.

Answer 1

On the properties, you should have a "Show characters" check box, which will unhide the WPA key (it does on my Windows 7 computer). It may be in the registry someplace, which you may get with regedit.



If you can log into the router, there may also be a similar option to reveal the key.



Last, if it has one button setup, you could use that. That will require you enter the PIN on the router label.

Answer 2

WEP is incredibly cracked, do not use it. Use WPA2 or WPA - that is cracked too (brute stress), yet once you employ an prolonged sufficient key it make it a lot extra durable - almost impossible. i might propose a bypass-word of sixty 3 characters. The hyperlinks below ought to help. you may seem up a thank you to set it up interior the handbook on your router. in case you lost your handbook you may obtain it from the Linksys help web site. Use the WPA key generator link and %. optimal risk-free practices (sixty 3 characters 504 bits). reproduction and paste that into your routers setup web site on your key and reproduction / paste it into instant setup on your pc while it asks for the significant.

Answer 3

i would ask your internet provider.