Wireless Network - need to find my own password!

toxcrusadr

toxcrusadr

Omelette au Fromage
Up at the inlaws, and one of the other kids set up a Linksys wireless network for them a year ago. Trouble is no one wrote down the password. I can connect with my laptop soon as I get here, it does it automatically. The other kids are trying to connect but we don't actually know the doggone password, the one who set it up a year ago can't remember, and Grampa doesn't have it either. I can pull up the network settings on my laptop but the password is encrypted and just shows as a bunch of dots.

Anyone know how to get the password out of the system? Running Windows XP by the way. I'd attach a screen shot of the Network Connection Properties window but I did a screensave and dumped it into Word and it exceeds the AK max. file size. :sigh:

Any help appreciated!
 
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Ach. I fear we will have to reset using the instructions on the Linksys web site and set up the network from scratch again. Drat.

Sadly, it's all so the teenagers can get online, and they've wasted 2 hours of their visit goofing around with it rather than playing ping pong.
 
If no one changed it, it shoud be admin and admin but you have to be on a wired connection to get in, can't do it via wireless.
 
There are two passwords. One is the log in to the router's configuration page, and the other is the one needed to connect to your wireless network. As others have said, check the manual, and try the default configuration password. If that doesn't work, you'll have to reset the router, then log in with the default password and completely reconfigure the router (including setting a new wireless password on your router, and all your laptops).
 
Otay Buckwheat. It may be more trouble than it's worth this time, but it'll probably come up again next trip, so we might have to do that.

Word to the wise: write down passwords SOMEwhere, even if you think you'll remember them.

Thanks for the help guys!
 
toxcrusadr said:
Up at the inlaws, and one of the other kids set up a Linksys wireless network for them a year ago. Trouble is no one wrote down the password. I can connect with my laptop soon as I get here, it does it automatically. The other kids are trying to connect but we don't actually know the doggone password, the one who set it up a year ago can't remember, and Grampa doesn't have it either. I can pull up the network settings on my laptop but the password is encrypted and just shows as a bunch of dots.

Anyone know how to get the password out of the system? Running Windows XP by the way. I'd attach a screen shot of the Network Connection Properties window but I did a screensave and dumped it into Word and it exceeds the AK max. file size. :sigh:

Any help appreciated!
Click to expand...

Try plugging directly into the router via the USB cable. Some times, physical access to the device will get you access.

Btw, you're looking for the encryption key, right? The admin password, as somebody else mentioned, is different. If you never changed that, then try going to 192.168.1.1 and entering the default, which, again as somebody mentioned, is probably 'admin' 'admin'. From the admin console, you should be able to view the encryption keys on the device.

HTH,

bs
 
You may be able to export your wireless settings "profile" from a working computer, and import to one of the non-working computers.
 
It's probably 192.168.1.1 admin/admin - if that doesn't connect type IPCONFIG at a dos prompt and use the address that's labeled DEFAULT GATEWAY.

No harm in writing the password and encryption key on the router. If they're in the house you're hurtin' already.
 
Yes we are looking for the encryption PW, but one of the kids knew that IP address and we did try to get on there. It did not respond to admin admin, so the installer (gosh dern brother in law! :D ) must have changed that. I did not think about exporing the settings. We can try the USB method too. :thmbsp:
 
When you finally do figure out the password, or create a new one, write it on the router in an inconspicuous place with a Sharpie so no one will have to go through this again...

Works for me...
 
Same as RickB says, reset the router and thenwrite the new password on the router wit ha sharpie. Make sure you change the admin password from admn because there are types of malware that probe your router with the "admin / admin" combo looking for ones that people haven't changed.
 
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