How to find my WEP key?

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Joined: 19 May 2009
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18 Nov 2010, 7:27 am

Hi, guys. Clueless question here. I am using this laptop with a wireless router, with WEP. Obviously it's working fine. I'm trying to connect with my phone (as Virgin Mobile's 3G network is down), but I have no idea what the WEP key is, and can't figure out how to display it on the laptop.

Help?
TIA

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leejosepho
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18 Nov 2010, 7:46 am

The default key might be on the label/sticker on your modem. But if not, you will have to access the modem through a browser with some address such as 192.168.(something) and find it there. However, the simplest thing for you might be to call your ISP and have someone walk you through making that connection.

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reginaterrae
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18 Nov 2010, 7:50 am

OK, I'll go look at the router shortly (it's in the landlady's house, I'm in an apt over the garage). I'm sure I had written it all down on a sticker and stuck it on the bottom of the router ... but it's not there. She probably threw it away in a fit of tidying.

Thanks, I'll check back in to say if I've got it or not.

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reginaterrae
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18 Nov 2010, 9:24 am

Well, I took a mad stab and entered 192.168.1.1, and found my WEP key there. It seems to be working.

Thanks!

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Asp-Z
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20 Nov 2010, 3:50 am

Now you're in, upgrade your security. WEP is crap. It can hacked in about a minute or two on any modern laptop.

TOGGI3
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20 Nov 2010, 8:17 am

Asp-Z wrote:

Now you're in, upgrade your security. WEP is crap. It can hacked in about a minute or two on any modern laptop.

Most WPA keys can be hacked inside of 20 minutes for $17 these days as well.

http://www.wpacracker.com/

but Asp-Z is right, dont use WEP unless you absolutely have no other option with your network, use WPA(2)

reginaterrae
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20 Nov 2010, 8:24 am

OK, guys, I appreciate the advice. Well, luckily where I live now is past 2 no-outlet signs and 1 dead-end sign, so I'm not nearly as concerned as I would have been back when I lived inside the Beltway. I mean, nobody's gonna pull up on the road out front of my house here and sit in their car hacking away on a laptop, like they might have in my old neighborhood. No casual passing traffic. Plus there's a 2'-deep ditch on the side of the road, right there with no shoulder between.... Nobody can just stop out there. But I'm moving in December and will look for a more secure modem/router than what my landlady has here.

Cheers
RT

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TOGGI3
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20 Nov 2010, 8:27 am

reginaterrae wrote:

Northern VA here. I keep wondering if we should try to have a metro region WP gathering one day.

reginaterrae
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20 Nov 2010, 8:29 am

That'd be cool. I'm south of Annapolis, now, but still work in DC. I hope to go full-time in that job very soon and if so will be moving back closer to town.

I think there is a metro DC Aspie group in f2f ... there might be a yahoo group for it or something? I can't remember ... never pursued it.

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Asp-Z
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20 Nov 2010, 1:16 pm

TOGGI3 wrote:

Asp-Z wrote:

Now you're in, upgrade your security. WEP is crap. It can hacked in about a minute or two on any modern laptop.

Most WPA keys can be hacked inside of 20 minutes for $17 these days as well.

http://www.wpacracker.com/

but Asp-Z is right, dont use WEP unless you absolutely have no other option with your network, use WPA(2)

Yes, WPA sucks too. WPA2 is where it's at.

Technically WPA2 can probably be hacked too, but it's likely to be a bigger job and a hacker is unlikely to bother if you're in an area full of networks secured by outdated encryption like WEP.

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