Computer Question

[daughtersrus]

My DD set up our wireless router about 2 years ago. We now have a new laptop that I would like to connect to the router. When I find our wireless router, it asks for me to confirm the "network key". I have no idea what that is. It's not the password that was set up. I asked DD and of course, she has no idea what it is. Is there any way to find out what it is from either of the 2 laptops that are currently connected or even the desktop?

Thanks!

 

[golfgal]

My DD set up our wireless router about 2 years ago. We now have a new laptop that I would like to connect to the router. When I find our wireless router, it asks for me to confirm the "network key". I have no idea what that is. It's not the password that was set up. I asked DD and of course, she has no idea what it is. Is there any way to find out what it is from either of the 2 laptops that are currently connected or even the desktop?

Thanks!

Call your internet company and ask them to reset the password or if they have a website you can probably reset it there. They will email you a temporary password most likely then you go online and change it.

 

[disneyfans95]

My DD set up our wireless router about 2 years ago. We now have a new laptop that I would like to connect to the router. When I find our wireless router, it asks for me to confirm the "network key". I have no idea what that is. It's not the password that was set up. I asked DD and of course, she has no idea what it is. Is there any way to find out what it is from either of the 2 laptops that are currently connected or even the desktop?

Thanks!

Well doubt the desktop is wireless, but might be.

You won't get the password off the laptops because that is standard for protection.

Your best bet is to create a new password for the network and then relog in all your wireless devices to allow access. You can do that normally at the admin functions for your wireless router. If you don't remember the log in for the control functions the default is normally username: Admin Password Admin (or leave password blank if admin does not work)

 

[Christine]

My network web key is on the bottom of my router. I have a fairly new router and that's where it is now. On my old router it wasn't.

You can also google the make/model of your router and put in something like router address. It will give you an address like: http://www.192.8.111.3 or some thing that looks like that. If you put that in your internet address bar you can actually access your router and your web key should be listed.

 

[goofy4tink]

My network web key is on the bottom of my router. I have a fairly new router and that's where it is now. On my old router it wasn't.

You can also google the make/model of your router and put in something like router address. It will give you an address like: http://www.192.8.111.3 or some thing that looks like that. If you put that in your internet address bar you can actually access your router and your web key should be listed.

THat's where mine is as well.

 

[lovesmurfs]

My router is 3+ years old, and the key is a long series of numbers on the back with the model information.

 

[daughtersrus]

Well doubt the desktop is wireless, but might be.

You won't get the password off the laptops because that is standard for protection.

Your best bet is to create a new password for the network and then relog in all your wireless devices to allow access. You can do that normally at the admin functions for your wireless router. If you don't remember the log in for the control functions the default is normally username: Admin Password Admin (or leave password blank if admin does not work)

I'm sorry. I'm so computer illiterate.

The desktop is not wireless but the wireless router is on the desktop. It's wired to the desktop using slot#1. The two laptops are wireless.

I tried the password and it's saying that we need the "network key also knows and the WEP or WPA."

It says that "The network password needs to be 40 bits or 104 bits depending on the network configuration. This can be entered as 5 or 13 ascii characters or 10 or 26 hexadecimal characters."

 

[Christine]

I'm sorry. I'm so computer illiterate.

The desktop is not wireless but the wireless router is on the desktop. It's wired to the desktop using slot#1. The two laptops are wireless.

I tried the password and it's saying that we need the "network key also knows and the WEP or WPA."

It says that "The network password needs to be 40 bits or 104 bits depending on the network configuration. This can be entered as 5 or 13 ascii characters or 10 or 26 hexadecimal characters."

Did you check the back of your router yet?

Also, do a google on your router make and model, also type in WEP Key with the query. You can figure this out, I know you can.

You are not any worse than anyone else. I had a HORRIBLE time trying to connect my laptop to a 6 year old router that I had verizon DSL on. In fact, couldn't do it but I learned a few tricks.

My new router has it on the bottom.

 

[daughtersrus]

Did you check the back of your router yet?

Also, do a google on your router make and model, also type in WEP Key with the query. You can figure this out, I know you can.

You are not any worse than anyone else. I had a HORRIBLE time trying to connect my laptop to a 6 year old router that I had verizon DSL on. In fact, couldn't do it but I learned a few tricks.

My new router has it on the bottom.

I checked the router. It has a sticker on the side that says..."Wireless G Router". It also says...FCC ID: with a bunch of numbers/letters. I tried that and still get the same message.

On the bottom of the router there is another sticker. It has what looks like a UPC bar (black line) with some numbers. I tried that as well with the same results. The other two stickers directly below say WLAN/LAN MAC Address with some letters/numbers and WAN MAC Address.

Our internet is DSL with AT&T but I haven't called them.

 

[usnuzuloose]

When I have a problem with my router I call the number for the router co. They charge me 10 dollars and go in deal with the problem. Last time I called it was that they needed to upgrade the software. They are vey good about it. I would rather pay a small fee than give myself a headache. Jo

 

[whatcateydid]

Is your new laptop running on Windows 7? Are any of the other computers on your network using that? I got a new Windows 7 laptop and it just wouldn't accept the network key that had been set up on my boyfriend's Vista laptop and used by my XP one. My brain does not work well with technical things and I can't remember what the problem was, even though it was only about a month ago and I spent about five hours reading about it on the internet! Evidently it's a problem quite a few 7 users have experienced, though. Do you have a set up CD that you got from your provider when you first installed the network? I finally installed that (after five hours of my boyfriend insisting he'd never had one ) and used that to add my laptop to the network, rather than trying to use the Windows software. I had also set up a new network out of frustration prior to this, which might have made a difference. Good luck!

 

[Imzadi]

I called Verizon tech support, (my Internet provider) when I had a problem. Twice, two people spent 15 minutes walking me through it all, resetting stuff. I'm paying for their service. That's what they are there for. It's in their best interest to make sure I can actually use their service.


Oh, one thing to try, there should be a yellow cord that came with the router stuff. It's the ethernet cable. It has weird thick plugs at both ends. They look like the clear plastic phone plugs but thicker. One goes into one of the computer jacks and the other into the router. This is essential. That is HOW the router & laptop can communicate to each other, in order to find a common wireless connection. (Or something like that.) They needed to be physically connected by the wire first. Verizon made me find it first before they could help me do anything.

 

[mickilee]

whats is the name of your wireless router? i can walk you threw it

 

[disneyfans95]

I called Verizon tech support, (my Internet provider) when I had a problem. Twice, two people spent 15 minutes walking me through it all, resetting stuff. I'm paying for their service. That's what they are there for. It's in their best interest to make sure I can actually use their service.


Oh, one thing to try, there should be a yellow cord that came with the router stuff. It's the ethernet cable. It has weird thick plugs at both ends. They look like the clear plastic phone plugs but thicker. One goes into one of the computer jacks and the other into the router. This is essential. That is HOW the router & laptop can communicate to each other, in order to find a common wireless connection. (Or something like that.) They needed to be physically connected by the wire first. Verizon made me find it first before they could help me do anything.

OP's issue is not with the network being down, just adding a new wireless device to the network. Since she does not know the password, she needs a reset.

Just call your ISP and have them talk you through it. Now if you did not get your modem thru them (hard to know of your DD got a new one, or used theirs to set up the network), they might not help you much

 

[mickilee]

you can do a hard reboot on the wireless router. You will lose all info and will have to put it all back in. Take a pin, turn over router , stick pin in the small hole, hold for 5 seconds. this hard reboots it.

or

typed 192.168.1.1. into browser
Username: admin
Pass: password or leave empty.. or .. admin

click "wireless settings"
at the bottom it says "security encryption (WEP) key" and there will be many boxes with numbers. whichever one has a bubble filled in next to it is the WEP key


or
There is a simple way to retrieve your WEP key out of your computers registry. Press start, then run and type in "regedit" without the quotes. Look for: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WZCSVC\Parameters\Interfaces\ and you should find your wep there.

 

[SetzKitten]

you can do a hard reboot on the wireless router. You will lose all info and will have to put it all back in. Take a pin, turn over router , stick pin in the small hole, hold for 5 seconds. this hard reboots it.

or

typed 192.168.1.1. into browser
Username: admin
Pass: password or leave empty.. or .. admin

click "wireless settings"
at the bottom it says "security encryption (WEP) key" and there will be many boxes with numbers. whichever one has a bubble filled in next to it is the WEP key

This. On some routers, when you push in the reset button, you have to push it in, hold it for a few seconds, then unplug the router. When you plug the router back in, it will have the original settings. Also on my router, the username is empty and the default password is admin. You can look online for your router model to see what the default password is.

 

[daughtersrus]

whats is the name of your wireless router? i can walk you threw it

I'm not sure what I did but whatever it was, I lost the entire network. The desktop wouldn't work (I called AT&T and they could only help me reboot the DSL modem after I disconnected the wireless router.) The desktop works fine now that it's no longer connected to the router but both of my DDs are going to be mad when they come home from work tonight and find out that their laptops won't work.

The wireless router that we have is made by My Essentials. It says "wireless G router" version 1000.

Anyone know how to get the network back up and running so that DDs can use their laptops?



I knew that I should have never tried to do this.

 

[Chuck S]

Since you have internet access on the desktop, maybe the http://www.myessentialssupport.com/ page can help you.

 

[rwdavis2]

Connect the desktop back to the router. Open an internet browser enter 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1 into the browser's address bar. This should take you to the router's admin screen. Do what the previous poster said. The problem you are having is that the key you need is essentially a password to encrypt data over the wireless network to prevent others from seeing the data or loggin onto your network.

Also, go to the router manufacturer's website and check there for support. I would tink they should be able to guide you through resetting the router. Do you still have the owner's manual? That too should help.
Bob

 

[bicker]

This is a problem that Verizon FiOS tech support should have been able to help you with, because they typically provide the router. (By contrast, if you have cable Internet, the router is not provided as part of the service, only the modem is. Subscribers can add a router in themselves, but therefore tech support can't support it.)

Keep in mind that if you go through the process of resetting the router back to the default encryption password, and the router was actually set to a different password prior to the reset (which would have been a good idea), then the devices you had on your system already will lose connection to your home network.

So following the instructions others have given you above, if you do reset the password (either through a factory reset or otherwise), plan to go in and change the encryption password to something that you can remember (but others cannot figure out). You really don't want people who know the typical default passwords being able to connect to your home network, so you really do not want to use the default password.

Once you've changed the encryption password, you'll need to make that change in all your network devices.