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Windows XP forum: WEP Network security Key (how do I display the characters)

by: sescadman May 2, 2010 7:29 AM PDT

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WEP Network security Key (how do I display the characters)

by sescadman - 5/2/10 7:29 AM

I just bought a new laptop and, go figure one of the very first things I do not have written down is the wireless network security key.
I have WEP in the setting in windows XP.
How can I VIEW my key?
I have a dsl router, a wireless printer, and I dont want to reconfigure everything from scratch.

HELP


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Well

by Jimmy Greystone - 5/2/10 8:49 AM

In Reply to: WEP Network security Key (how do I display the characters) by sescadman

Well, worst case, WEP is EXTREMELY easy to crack. You should be able to download a program that can sniff the network and break the password in a couple of minutes if all else fails.

If you have any control at all over the encryption scheme, make the move to WPA, or even better WPA2. At least those take a little more than trivial effort to crack.


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sounds very techie

by sescadman - 5/2/10 9:30 AM

In Reply to: Well by Jimmy Greystone

Is there not some way on my system to view what i have entered as my Key?
Example: Start, Run, CMD
Something like that perhaps to locate my entry????

Steve


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Actually, that's first set up in your router

by Steven Haninger - 5/2/10 9:53 AM

In Reply to: sounds very techie by sescadman

and not your PC. You might check for a clear text passphrase in your router's security settings. Typically these will be either 13 or 26 characters...or so I recall. If you cannot read the passphrase in the router, setting up WPA/WPA2 is a good idea and not all that difficult as long as all of your hardware supports it.


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I agree

by MarkFlax Moderator - 5/2/10 12:14 PM

In Reply to: Actually, that's first set up in your router by Steven Haninger

When I set up my first wireless network through a wireless router, I did this via the router set up page.

Typically, depending which router you are using, this is accessed via your web browser. For example, with my Netgear router I have to access the router setup pages by typing in 192.168.1.1 into the browser address bar, and hitting Enter.

Unless you have already changed the login details, the default is usually something like Admin/Password. I changed the password immediately from that, although I could not change the login name from Admin.

Once you're into your router setup pages, you can check the wireless settings there.

Mark


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If that sounds techie

by Jimmy Greystone - 5/2/10 12:31 PM

In Reply to: sounds very techie by sescadman

If that sounds techie, then you should probably pay someone to do this for you. And like I said, if you have control over the encryption scheme being used, and you're not just trying to connect to say an apartment complex wifi connection, this is an EXCELLENT opportunity to convert everything to WPA or WPA2, so that someone can't break into your network with trivial amounts of time and effort.


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If you forgot the key in your router ...

by Kees Bakker Moderator - 5/2/10 12:14 PM

In Reply to: WEP Network security Key (how do I display the characters) by sescadman

use your router management console to define a new one and use that from now on.

Kees


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