Wireless Router Password

I am out of the country at the moment and will remain so for 3 months. I have a couple staying in my house while I am away. They have asked for the password to the wireless router. I have no objection to them having it, but I don't have a record of it with me and it is on the back of the router which is securely locked away in my absence.

Would the password be recorded on either my or my wife's laptop which we have with us? I assume it must be recorded somewhere because once we've logged on to the router with the correct password the first time all subsequent log ons go through automatically.

If I am right in this could someone tell me where the password is located and how I go about recovering it?

Many thanks in advance,
Clio

Think you'll find the answer here - you could have got an answer much more quickly just by googling it

Another article that might help.

Edited by ian72 (Wed 15-Jun-16 07:23:08)

Sometimes they are unique and set per device; and are not in any online reference......

If you use chrome web browser goto to settings saved passwords and look for the router IP address; other browsers may have the same "saving of passwords"

Ian

Chrome won't generally store the WiFi password, it would store the router login password. See my post which has info on retrieving the WiFi password from a Windows device. Wireless passwords should not be stored in ANY online reference.

I misread the OP, or the OP was not clear enough...I did not see wifi password...just router password.

Chrome does not, as you say, store the wifi password.

Wireless passwords should not be stored in ANY online reference

Tell that to microsoft....windows 10 "shares" you wifi key with contacts

Wireless passwords should not be stored in ANY online reference

Tell that to microsoft....windows 10 "shares" you wifi key with contacts

Only if you are dumb enough to allow Windows/Microsoft to share anything.

Indeed, mine doesn't. Plus, it isn't an online reference but used to allow people you know to login automatically - hopefully Microsoft have stored them encrypted.

As others have said - the WiFi password is unlikely to be available in clear text.

Are they currently connecting to the router using a wired connection? If so, you may have that password stored and you could, if you wish, allow them to access the WiFi side that way and to change the password - provided they tell you what it is!

On win 7+ the password is available in clear text - as per my links in my first response. It isn't available in clear text in the registry or in online databases.

Does the OP run Win7 or above?

I was looking at a Win7PC earlier and could not see it - however, I will try again.

I have no idea because they haven't come back to the thread since I posted it...

Win 7 it should be possible to get the network information and to tell it to show it as characters following what I posted - I haven't got anything here I can test it on so it is possible they removed the option in an update but I am certain it used to be there.

I did have ... however, I have been battling with a Win7 to Win10 upgrade since 9:00 this morning!

I will have a look on Win10 later!

I can readily see my router's WiFi password on my Win10 Pro laptop.

We are surely talking about the router login password not the wifi security key?

I wouldn't have thought so , no.

They could connect via ethernet without the need for the router password, to me it sounds like they want to use WiFi.

It is the WAP key that is printed on the back of the router, not the admin password , and nobody should be running WiFi with the default key, it should have been changed.

I am tipping most users keep the default pw, I do not see a huge risk keeping it default.

That WiFi PW is printed on the router and on several routers I have seen it is also on the box and instruction sheets where it can be read and copied by anyone.

Packaging gets tipped in the bin ..........

All advice I have seen has always been to change the WAP key immediately and make it a decent length/complexity.

That's really just stupidity to throw out documentation with your password.

Usually it is on the router and on a card in the original box.

Even thrown out it is unlikely your neighbours will rummage the garbage hoping for a BT home hub box. It is likely to end up at a landfill where users have no idea of the originating location.

I personally feel it is poor advice to recommend changing the password, as users often choose dictionary words or easy to remember passwords which are easier to brute force.

The only security tip I have is to disable WPS as I have personally got a 64 digit WPA2 password in 25 seconds via WPS flaws.

In reply to a post by BatBoy:

We are surely talking about the router login password not the wifi security key?

I'd be very surprised at that. I can see no valid reason for a temporary occupant of a house needing the router admin password. They certainly wouldn't get it in this house. If so minded they could log in, change the WiFi network key and stop me accessing my own broadband link.

No, I'm sure it's the WiFi password (network key) which, as the OP said, is on the back of the router which is locked away.

Personally I've never had an ISP supplied router so my network key is a generated one by KeyPass and is long and all but impossible to remember.

You can get it from windows quite easily.

https://www.microsoft.com/surface/en-us/support/netw...

Yes, the answer I gave in the first post in response to the thread...

REading the first post again...it does indeed sound more like the login password for the router

Have just gone on to a Win10 Pro machine here - which has previously used the three WAPs. In two cases the field is blank and it asks for the password/code with the third it says information has changed and a new version/update is needed. All three should be the same and have not changed for years!

This worked for me on Windows 10. Showed all Modems Routers I had used and gave Wireless key for each
http://www.howtogeek.com/233159/how-to-find-your-wi-...

Yep, that's what I did and got shown the WiFi network key

G'day Folks,

Very many thanks for the replies. I forwarded the useful ones to my house-sitters; they started with the How-to-Geek link from "flippery" and it worked a treat. They're now on-line and I am much relieved.

Again, many thanks to you all,

Clio