Please help, need to find WPA key.

[WhiteBoy]

I am settign up my new XBOX 360 Slim to my wireless network for live for the very first time. When I select the network it says " Enter the WPA key for the selected network". Where can I find this WPA key and how many digits is it? Thanks for any help.

[MaCruz]

It's a code that was generated by your wireless network..

If you did not store it somewhere. You can reset it..

I'm not an expert but someone will chime in and go into detail with it.

[brettallica]

You need to get into the administration panel of your router on your network, if you haven't written down or saved that key otherwise. Depending on the router make and model, it could be anywhere, but it is most likely in a setting called "wireless" and perhaps a sub-category called "wireless security" (or something like that.

[brettallica]

I have my own key that I have memorized, so whenever a new wireless device enters my network, I can let it in by typing in the key into that device when I attempt to join the network. I also have MAC filtering on, so I have to enable that device for access to my network, which is done through the router; but it doesn't sound like that's an issue for you right now (i.e. it sounds like your MAC filtering is off).

[WhiteBoy]

Should I go to "wireless network setup wizard" or "network connections"?

[Septimus Prime]

Originally Posted by brettallica

I have my own key that I have memorized, so whenever a new wireless device enters my network, I can let it in by typing in the key into that device when I attempt to join the network. I also have MAC filtering on, so I have to enable that device for access to my network, which is done through the router; but it doesn't sound like that's an issue for you right now (i.e. it sounds like your MAC filtering is off).

Why do you use WPA and MAC filtering? I just filter and roll with it.

Anyway, if you can't find your WPA key using your router's admin panel, one thing you can try is a hard reset on the router itself. As far as I know, most routers have a small button that you need to push with a pin to reset them back to factory settings. Try looking for that. Consult your manual.

[brettallica]

Originally Posted by Septimus Prime

Why do you use WPA and MAC filtering? I just filter and roll with it.

Anyway, if you can't find your WPA key using your router's admin panel, one thing you can try is a hard reset on the router itself. As far as I know, most routers have a small button that you need to push with a pin to reset them back to factory settings. Try looking for that. Consult your manual.

Because I'm a network Nazi! Just for kicks, I even allow my network to be broadcast, so others in my neighborhood can see it, but can't get on. I love it.

[master_8ball]

Originally Posted by WhiteBoy

Should I go to "wireless network setup wizard" or "network connections"?

No you need to go to your internet browser and view the router setup as a webpage, at least thats how mine is... the webpage is usually like an ip address and not like http://www.... someone else would know better than I, I could help you out more if I was at home.

[brettallica]

He is correct. You need to go to your router admin panel, which is **likely** 192.168.1.1. Not every router is set up like this, but many are by default. If you don't know the address of your router, it might be on the side of your router. Further, if you don't know and don't have any idea about this stuff, there's probably a password on the side of the router as well that will allow you to access that panel.

[WhiteBoy]

Okay I got it going guys. I just pushed the reset button on thr back of the router and then reinstalled the router with the disk and made a WPA key.

Thanks for the help.

[Anthony P]

Originally Posted by WhiteBoy

I am settign up my new XBOX 360 Slim to my wireless network for live for the very first time. When I select the network it says " Enter the WPA key for the selected network". Where can I find this WPA key and how many digits is it? Thanks for any help.

it is like a password, it is the key that was entered when someone set up your wireless router. The easiest way to get it is to google wpa key and find some freeware that will get it off your PC. On most routers and PCs it is hidden (i.e. shows up as **********) if you don't want to reset it (if you do reset it you would need to enter the new key on all the wireless devices)

[Anthony P]

Originally Posted by Septimus Prime

Why do you use WPA and MAC filtering? I just filter and roll with it.

you can easily spoof mac addresses. If there is no encryption all someone has to do is wait for a few packets and get the MAC address of your device. Then they can give the same address to their PC and have complete access to your network (at which point he can try and brake into the router and add his Mac address)

[Anthony P]

Originally Posted by brettallica

He is correct. You need to go to your router admin panel, which is **likely** 192.168.1.1. Not every router is set up like this, but many are by default. If you don't know the address of your router, it might be on the side of your router. Further, if you don't know and don't have any idea about this stuff, there's probably a password on the side of the router as well that will allow you to access that panel.

you can easily find the IP address by going to the command prompt and writing ipconfig it is the gateway IP

[brettallica]

Originally Posted by Anthony P

you can easily find the IP address by going to the command prompt and writing ipconfig it is the gateway IP

You are correct, sir. I was trying to KISS it: keep it simple. I don't think this user is really ready for such a technique. I was going for the easiest and quickest way to get him up and running, so I left that out. Definitely a solid technique, though.

Turns out, he figured it all out anyway by resetting the router and starting fresh. That's also a good way to do it.

[Septimus Prime]

Looks like he followed my advice in the end, since I think I had the simplest solution of them all (press a button. Done).

Originally Posted by Anthony P

you can easily spoof mac addresses. If there is no encryption all someone has to do is wait for a few packets and get the MAC address of your device. Then they can give the same address to their PC and have complete access to your network (at which point he can try and brake into the router and add his Mac address)

I figure, for my home network, someone with both the means and the will to do something like that would be incredibly rare. That's quite a lot of work to go through to just leech some free Internet (as opposed to someone with that kind of knowledge and resource simply setting up his own network), and standard filtering will block out 99.9% of potential leechers anyway.

Maybe if I were a company with actual assets to lose, I'd go the extra mile, but at work I just let the IT people handle it.

[Anthony P]

Originally Posted by Septimus Prime

Looks like he followed my advice in the end, since I think I had the simplest solution of them all (press a button. Done).

best idea if you don't have much/anything but if, like many, there are many devices it can be a pain (you go to use your PSP, ipad, iphone,touch, PS3, 360, PC and it has the old encryption key and does not work).

I figure, for my home network, someone with both the means and the will to do something like that would be incredibly rare. That's quite a lot of work to go through to just leech some free Internet (as opposed to someone with that kind of knowledge and resource simply setting up his own network), and standard filtering will block out 99.9% of potential leechers anyway.

Maybe if I were a company with actual assets to lose, I'd go the extra mile, but at work I just let the IT people handle it.

it is up to you. And you are right, for the casual user, it will block them, but anyone can find the tools online and it takes a couple of minutes. So it is not a deterrent to anyone that is willing to go a small step further. That was the only thing that I was pointing out.