[Thurman]

Suddenly my laptop doesn't want to work with my wireless router. When I try to use the laptops internal repair program, that I have used before, to get the connection straight it asks me for my "WEP key". UH, I don't even know what a WEP key is, much less what mine may be. Is there any way to find out what my "WEP key" is so I can continue to get reconnected? The desktop is still working fine and the little green lights on the router are blinking as they have always done. Thanks, David

 

[Scuba_Dave]

You need to access the router for the WEP key
Possibly whoever set this up put it in?
Each router is different

 

[DangerMouse]

You should be able to find the WEP key by accessing your wireless router. Usually to do this you connect to the router using an ethernet cable, open up a web browser (such as firefox or internet explorer) and in the address bar type 192.168.1.1. (This does not work for all routers) Some routers may have a default ip of something like 10.0.0.1. Check your routers manual or google your router to find the default ip. You may also be prompted for a password. The default username and password are usually username: admin and password: admin.) You should now have the setup screen for your router. Go to the "wireless" tab and you should see your WEP key, however it may be encrypted. If it is just change the WEP key to whatever you want.

orrrr....
http://download.cnet.com/Wireless-WEP-Key-Password-Spy/3000-2085_4-10559819.html

DM

 

[perpetualjon]

Here's one of MANY on YouTube that explain how to crack a WEP key. That's why it should NEVER be used! It's trivial to do. WPA is the ONLY safe method of securing a wifi connection. Even MAC address filtering can be broken.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiPWUykw3uU

Enjoy!

 

[Thurman]

O.K. I tried the 192.168.1.1 thingy, and it went nowhere with my router. I tried the Youtube video instructions, NAH, that didn't work either. So I tried the "pretty girl" approach. I called that 1-888-ATT please help me number and asked for a pretty girl to help me, yes I did. I got me one. Well, at least she sounded pretty. It took and hour and 40 minutes to get into my computer with her doing some type of random access of the laptop. She hung in there and finally got everything working again. THEN- -she advised me to remove the "AT&T self-help tool" from my computer. This is what started the whole problem. Every time I got a message telling me that was an update for the AT&T Self-Help Tool and I would let it download my computer went to hell. She advised me that they are having problems with this tool and to just remove it from all of my computers until they get this fixed. I did, and so far so good. Thanks for your advice guys, David

 

[perpetualjon]

BTW, I would never advise using a WEP setup. Besides being trivially easy to break into, they have a terribly long key you must use. WPA is the way to go. The "passphrase" can be a simple plain text entry (although I'd suggest something with a variety of characters), and it is, at this point, totally uncrackable.

 

[JScotts25]

Glad you got it solved. I used to end up in a similar situation (couldn't remember router pw) every 6 months or so when my router resets itsself.

But I found a solution to that: I store the router's WPA key as a phonebook entry in my cell phone. I just label it as something generic (i.e. not "router pw") that only I would remember. This way it is handy any time you need it. Much better than a post-it note that is bound to be lost when you really need it

 

[skipjack]

FYI: Usually the AT&T 2Wire DSL routers default the WEP key to the number printed in brackets on the bottom of the router.

 

[GoFins]

If you reset you router by doing a factory reset each brand usually has an easy id password that you can find on the net. Its usually like admin/admin or admin/password. Make sure you change these once you are set up.