Forgot your WiFi password? Learn how to change the password on a WiFi router

When connecting equipment for wireless access to the Internet use a password. It is necessary to protect your local network from someone else's access and connection. However, few people scrupulously collects all access keys (to sites, for a router, etc.) and stores them. As a rule, such information is not fixed anywhere, and if it exists in writing, it can easily be lost. Therefore, it is not surprising that sometimes memory fails. So, what should I do if I forgot the password from the WiFi router? Let's consider several options how to get out of the situation.

Cause for concern

The access key to the router may suddenly be required if you want to connect an additional device (smartphone, laptop, tablet computer) or reconnect to the old computer (for example, after repairing it or reinstalling the operating system). Restoring access to your home wireless network is easy enough. The most important thing is not to panic.

Ways of solving the problem

The easiest way to learn the forgotten WiFi password is to look at the hardware settings on the computer monitor. And for this purpose, any device that sees a router: tablet, laptop, PC. If only one computer was connected to the network, it can be connected to the router through a cable, look at the hardware settings, find the password, and then restore the wireless network. This method is suitable if your computer is equipped with the operating system Windows Vista or 64-bit Windows 7 and has the appropriate software. Initially, you must enter the "Control Panel". Select the "Wireless Network Control Center" in it. You will see a list with the name of the network. In its "Properties" there is a tab "Security". In it you need to find the "Network Security Key", opposite this inscription is a string with hidden characters. The password is encrypted in it. To make it visible, you must check the box next to "Display input characters." Now the forgotten password appears on the screen.

Ways of password recovery

If the above method does not help, you can resort to radical methods. For example, change the password on the WiFi router, having previously reset its settings. To do this, press the special button "Reset" on the device case and hold it for 10-15 seconds. As a result, the factory settings will be returned. Then you can replace the password with a new one. For this you need to find the "Tabs" section in the hardware settings, click "Access Control" with the mouse. Now select the "Passwords" line. A field appears in which you will need to enter the old and new device passwords. In the end, you need to confirm the correctness of the operation. To do this, click on "Save" (Save / Apply). Of course, data such as the key to accessing the router are recorded in writing, when concluding a contract with the provider. But, if an important piece of paper is lost by you, then you will have to pick up a passport and go to the office of the company that provides an Internet connection. But at the same time there can be various unforeseen difficulties that will not allow you to restore the account in a short time.

Settings of different router models

Depending on this or that model of the router, there are some nuances. But in any case, when forgot the password from WiFi, it can easily be spy in the settings of the equipment. If you have a TP-Link router, you need to enter the "Wireless mode" menu and select "Wireless security". In this tab you will find what you are looking for. Another option is if the Asus router is connected . In his menu you should find the item "Wireless". It contains the information you need. If you have another problem - to restore the password to WiFi dir 300, - we recommend the following steps. In the wireless network settings, find "Setup" and click on "Wireless Setup". Next to "Enable" and "Enable Wireless" check the box to activate the wireless module in the router. On the PC, look at the network name and enter it into the device settings. Now you need to set the encryption of traffic that comes through Wi-Fi. Then create a new password to connect to the network and save the configuration.

Password recovery software

Another easy way to genius is how to connect WiFi, if you forgot your password - use special utilities. A simple WirelessKeyView program is suitable. It will help you to find the necessary information in your computer so that the hardware issues a key to the router. It is free, takes up little space. You need to download it and install it on your PC. The utility finds all devices connected to the computer and allows you to see the keys of access to them stored on the computer. All data appears on the screen as a list. Which is very convenient: it's easy to find the key that you forgot. The password from WiFi should be searched in the "Key" column. One important point: you can open the program only if it was downloaded with administrator rights. This option with a useful utility does not work only if your router used sorting by mac-addresses. Another convenient program is Wifi Key Finder. It is very similar to the one already described, it also spreads freely on the Internet, absolutely free. Just run it and it scans the computer's memory, finds the saved passwords in it to restore the wireless network. To further information is not lost, it is better to print the list obtained through the program or save the file. The latest version is suitable for the operating system Windows 8.

Advice from professionals

One of the simplest options that allows you to avoid unnecessary movements in the event that you forgot the password from wifi, is to use the web-interface of the router. To access it, you must enter the network address of the device in the browser. Access to the web interface will be provided with a login and password. If you did not change the key, its factory settings will look like this: admin-0000, admin-admin, admin-1234. But, if you have already made changes and lost credentials, then the entire configuration process will need to be repeated anew or resort to the methods already described above. But, choosing the password for the Wi-Fi-router, you need to follow the main rules for its compilation. It should be quite complex and must include numbers and different case letters. Experts do not recommend using wep encryption.