Find Your WiFi Password when You Forgot It

Do you need to give your wireless password to a friend or guest, but can't remember it? Are you locked out of your own network because your computer decided to forget the password? If you need to retrieve your wireless password, you have a couple of different options, or you can reset your router and start from scratch. See Step 1 below to learn how.

Steps

Windows

  1. Open the Network Connections window. Windows saves the passwords for the networks that you connect to. To see your saved passwords, open the Network Connections window by right-clicking on your network icon in the System Tray and selecting "Open Network and Sharing Center". Click the "Change adapter settings" link in the left menu.
    • Alternatively, you can press the Windows key + R, type ncpa.cpl, and press Enter to open the window.
  2. Right-click on your wireless adapter. This may be labeled "Wi-Fi", or it may have the manufacturer's name. Select "Status" from the menu.
  3. Open the connection's Properties window. Click Wireless Properties, and then click the Security tab.
  4. Reveal the characters. Check the "Show Characters" box and your wireless password will be displayed. If you don't have the option to reveal the characters, move on to the next step.
  5. Download WirelessKeyView. This is a freeware program from NirSoft that scans your Windows registry and extracts all the saved wireless keys. It does not work for Mac OS X. You can download WirelessKeyView for free from the NirSoft website.
    • WirelessKeyView comes in a ZIP file which will need to be extracted. WirelessKeyView does not need to be installed.
  6. Run the program. Open the WirelessKeyView program and run the application. The WirelessKeyView window will open.
  7. Locate your password. All of the network names that you have connected to with your computer will be displayed in the left column. Locate the network that you want to retrieve the key for, and then look at the "Key (Ascii)" column. This is the wireless password for that network.
    • In Windows XP, a WPA-PSK key cannot be displayed in ASCII format. Instead, use the key from the Hex column. This key will work just like the regular ASCII key, but will be significantly longer.

Mac

  1. Open the Utilities folder. This folder is located in the Applications folder. You do not need to be connected to the network in order to retrieve the password.
  2. Open the "Keychain Access" program. The Keychain program stores all of your system and online passwords and login information.
  3. Find your network. Sort the Keychain list by the "Name" category and double-click the network that you want to retrieve the password for.
  4. Display the password. Check the "Show password" box. Enter your administrator password and the wireless password will be revealed.[1]

Accessing the Router

  1. Connect a computer to the router via Ethernet. In order to access the router, you will need to be connected to the network. If you've forgotten the Wi-Fi password, the only way to connect to the network is to plug a computer into the router via Ethernet.
    • If you cannot connect to the router via Ethernet, you may need to reset the router to its default settings and then connect via the factory-set Wi-Fi password.
  2. Open the router configuration page. All routers can be accessed through a web browser. You can open the configuration page by typing the router's IP address into your browser's address bar. Below are some general default addresses based on manufacturer, but you can find the exact one in your router's documentation or by looking the model up online. Note that it is possible to change the address in the router's settings:
    • Netgear: 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1
    • Linksys: 192.168.1.1
    • D-Link: 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1
    • Belkin: 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.2.1
    • Apple: 10.0.0.1 or 192.168.1.1
  3. Log in to the router. After entering the correct address, you will be asked for the username and password. The default username is usually admin, and the default password is usually admin, password or blank. Most people change these after configuring the router, however, so if you can't remember the username and password you may need to reset the router.
    • If you didn't change the default username and password, it should be printed in the router's documentation or on the router itself.
  4. Navigate to the "Wireless" section. Once you are logged into the router, find the "Wireless" or "Wi-Fi" section. This can usually be accessed by clicking a tab at the top of the page or finding it in the navigation menu.
  5. Find the password. On the "Wireless" page, you will see your wireless network name (SSID) as well as the security or encryption type. This could be WEP, WPA, WPA2 or WPA/WPA2. Near the security options, you should see the "Passphrase" or "Password" field. This is your wireless password.

Resetting the Router

  1. Find the router reset button. If you cannot remember the login information for your router, you can reset it to factory defaults. This will erase all of your wireless network settings, and you will have to reconfigure your network. Anyone that is currently connected to the network will be disconnected.
    • The router reset button is typically located on the back of the router, near the ports. You may need to use a paperclip to push the button.
  2. Press and hold the reset button. Press and hold the router reset button for at least 30 seconds. This will ensure that the router completely resets. The lights on the router should flash to indicate the the router has been reset.
  3. Reconfigure your network. Once the router has been reset, you can log in using the default login information and reconfigure your wireless network. If you can't find your default login information, you can look up the model online. Most routers have the default information printed on a sticker affixed to the router.
    • Open the Wireless section of the router configuration page to set up your wireless network. Unless you have a specific reason, you should always choose WPA2 as the encryption method.
    • Create a strong password that contains letters, numbers, and symbols. Make sure that the password is not based off any personal information.
    • While you are configuring the router, change the login information. This can usually be found in the Advanced menu under the Administration section.

Tips

  • Your ISP may have placed your WiFi password on a sticker that's on the bottom of your modem. Double-check there before you take any other steps.

Warnings

  • It is not possible to retrieve the wireless password using your Android or iOS device.
  • Make sure that you aren't trying to locate a password for a network that you are unauthorized to use.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://osxdaily.com/2010/12/10/forgot-wireless-password/
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