# forgotten my Wireless network key



## Dombo

Hi,

Can anyone help me. I installed a wireless network router last year and encrypted it with a network key which now for the life of me I can't remember. 
I have bought my 9 year old son his first PC and installed a Belkin network adaptor which installed perfectly well but of course when trying to access my network it requests the network key.

My router is a netgear DG834G I have no difficluty accessing the wireless network with my laptop that has a netgear wireless card or my own desktop that uses a d-link adaptor however they were all set up at the same time last year when I knew the network key!

All pc's operate windows XP home.

Many thanks in anticipation of someones advise.


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## wacky.banana

Why don't you set the reset button on the router so it defaults back to factory settings, then set it up from scratch again with a new key.

You can then save a map of your system and keys somewhere where you can lay hands on if needs be. You could always encrypt your key and keep the encrypted version somewhere.

Hope this helps.

WB


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## TerryNet

wacky.banana is correct, but it's even quicker to just assign a new encryption key.

I keep the key in a text file on my desktop of each computer. Nobody else has access to them.


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## JohnWill

I tape it to the bottom of the router. If they have physical possession of my router, I suspect my wireless key is the least of my problems!


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## Bob Cerelli

Or even hide it as a text file somewhere on the computer. Then you can open it and copy and paste it in. A lot faster that way. The desktop is a bit of an obvious place. Unless having it so open is not a security concern.


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## Dombo

Thanks to everyone for their responses, I am not at all familiar with the IT technical side of things and the router was set up by a specialist. Assigning a new encrytion key sounds like a good option, how do I do this?

Dombo


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## Bob Cerelli

Check with the instructions that came with the router.

Typically you connect to the router from you web browser, go to the Wireless area and at least set up WEP security. Then you would need to enter that same key on the computer. That's where I like to copy and paste to a text file and keep it somewhere I'll remember on the computer.


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## Zappattazz

First, go to the Netgear website and do a search of the support section for your model or just click here:

http://kbserver.netgear.com/products/DG834G.asp

You should know which version model you have (this is good for when you want to update the firmware) -- I just typed "reset button" into the search box at top-right of page and clicked "Search Now" button which brought me to this page:

http://kbserver.netgear.com/inquira/default.asp?ui_mode=answer&prior_transaction_id=1812261&action_code=5&highlight_info=16777923,240,251&turl=http%3A%2F%2Fkbserver.netgear.com%2Fkb_web_files%2Fn100651.asp&answer_id=312164913#__highlight

After you've reset the password to something which is "easy for you to remember but difficult for anyone else to guess (combo of upper case letters, lower case letters, numbers, special characters, etc.)", I would suggest securing your network using these methods:

http://kbserver.netgear.com/kb_web_files/n101191.asp


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## Dombo

Thanks to everyone for their advise. I managed to log on to the netgear router via control panel and then once I clicked on wireless settings I could see the WEP keys that were set up. I have done as advised and copied them and hidden them securely, and bingo I was able to connect my sons PC to our network. He is one happy 9 year old!


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## Bob Cerelli

Good job. Now you have them tucked away in case you need them again.


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## jonasdatum

TerryNet said:


> wacky.banana is correct, but it's even quicker to just assign a new encryption key.
> 
> I keep the key in a text file on my desktop of each computer. Nobody else has access to them.


 ??? You keep them in a text file? On your computer's desktop screen? For each computer? Did you use some sort of encryption?


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## Bob Cerelli

It did seem a bit of a security risk.


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## TerryNet

Yes, I keep the keys in an unencrypted text file on the desktop. Maybe you folks were so shocked by this security risk that you didn't read the next sentence, reproduced below.

"Nobody else has access to them."

By "them" I mean the computers. The few people who can get into my house when I'm not around are trusted, and, if they wanted, or anybody breaking into the house, could do far more damage than unauthorized access to my wireless networks.


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## Bob Cerelli

The details are always good to know.


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## jonasdatum

TerryNet said:


> Yes, I keep the keys in an unencrypted text file on the desktop. Maybe you folks were so shocked by this security risk that you didn't read the next sentence, reproduced below.
> 
> "Nobody else has access to them."
> 
> By "them" I mean the computers. The few people who can get into my house when I'm not around are trusted, and, if they wanted, or anybody breaking into the house, could do far more damage than unauthorized access to my wireless networks.


 How does nobody else have access to them? That is my question? Even if you restrict access to the user ID; if the file is unencrypted they can read it off the drive. I've done myself when recovring data from an old NT drive of mine.


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## TerryNet

"How does nobody else have access to them?"

Come on, jonasdatum, you quoted my entire post--how about reading it? 

For the strictly literally oriented, "nobody" is inaccurate.

There are various relatives, neighbors, friends and occasional workmen or workwomen who could get access to my PCs. If they amuse themselves by memorizing my wireless encryption keys rather than my personal data or financial data or email or secure site passwords, that's fine with me.

People could break into my house when I'm away. If they do that, I'm more worried that they might steal my router or PCs than I am about them stealing the keys that let me communicate wirelessly among them.

None of my private data is in shared folders and I use a firewall; so if somebody steals my keys and joins my wireless network they'll gain little more than internet access. Almost all the private data I might send over the internet is done with my desktop connected via ethernet, so don't be concerned about wireless packet sniffers.

In short, I constantly do risk analysis for my own situation and act accordingly. I think everybody else should also.

JohnWill said, "I tape it to the bottom of the router." How about telling him how risky that is--I mean, even the computer illiterate could get the secret to his encryption.


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## JohnWill

Well, they'd have to know to look under the router!


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## Mulizza

I have read the posts above...but, I tried to copy the key, and all it did was delete the encrypted key. Thank goodness I knew to hit cancel...otherwise, I would have lost it on that computer!
I am trying to set up a wireless network addition, my printer, and I have the key in my laptop's network setup, and on my desktop, the original setup computer....is this where I may copy the key? 
Tell me how to save the encrypted key to text, please (in other, simpler words!)

Thanks!
Melissa from Alabama


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## JohnWill

You can't save the encrypted key to text. Even if there were a way, that would be against the TSG Rules, we don't provide any help hacking passwords here.


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## Mulizza

What did you mean, then, when (someone) said to save as text file? You just meant if you start all over again when resetting the router?


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## TerryNet

When I say that I save as a text file I mean that I TYPE the password into a text file and save the file. Then I can either read the file or (often) copy the password from it and paste it into the wireless utility instead of typing it again. I think that Bob meant the same thing.

And, yeah, I try to do that typing after I have set the router and before I forget what it was!


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