Wireless LAN Question

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I am planning on reformatting my hard drive soon. I am concerned about the "Security" for the wireless LAN software.

I used to have problems with it connecting to the base so I called Time Warner Cable, which is the provider of my cable connection. The tech guy that came put a security key on the connection along with the fixing of the connection. I would prefer to not call and have them come again since it costs money and is just a pain in the butt.

The Security consists of four ten character keys. What is the best way to uncover these keys? Do I need a password cracker? If so, which is the best one?

The software that is being used is the Netgear MA111 Wireless Configuration Utility.

Thanks for any and all help.

 

Give me a little more info and I'll try to help:

1) What operating system...I'm assuming XP?

2) What physical pieces of equipment are we talking about? PC, Cable Router (wireless?), any other pieces of networking equipment?

3) What do you mean when you say the security key on the connection? Is this through software that's actually installed, or is it accessed through a web browser?

4) What is the make and model of your base unit? I'm assuming you're connecting your USB wireless device to your computer, which then communicates with the wireless base, which then goes though the cable model? Sound about right?

What I'm thinking here is that a WEP key was set on the wireless router, and that you access that router via telnet or through a browser. You don't know the key, and it was entered in to your MA111 as well, so if you reformat the drve, your wireless is hosed.

If you can't figure out the key, just go through the menus and copy down every setting. Then you can reset the router, and you can then set the key to something you'll remember. I'm not sure how comfortable you are with any of that, but I can't think off hand of where you'd be able to find that key on your computer.

Let me know if you need more help.

 

Why would you need to "crack" your own security codes? You should have access to them. Didn't the tech guy give them to you?

Also, as Shalladeth pointed out, a little more info would help.

 

Ah, sorry about the lack of information.

@Shalladeth:

1) You are correct, I am using Windows XP.

2) I am talking about my PC, the wireless router and the wirless adaptor.

3) It is through the software that is installed onto my system. Through my web browser, I cannot access the security key that I need, nor does it have one on the pages that is brought up when I go into it through my browser.

4) The base unit is a 2Wire Home Portal 180. It is connected to my PC downstairs (not the one that I'm going to format) by a cat5e cable. The unti that is connected to the computer that is going to be formatted is a Netgear MA111, which connects to the USB port.

The security key was only entered onto the computer that shall be formatted, from what I can tell and access at this point. Since this is the case, yes, my wirless will be hosed.

@Kitrax:
The tech guy did not give me the security codes for some reason. I wish he had given me the codes, but alas, he did not.

 

You need to be able to get into the router to view the keys. The four 10 character keys (64 bit WEP security) entered for your wireless adapter would have to match those set on the router for the connection to work.

Ok, took a quick glance at 2wire's website, and you may be able to view the security settings by typing http://gateway.2wire.net on the address line of your browser. I also noticed this:

Hope some of this helps! You can always reset your router back to it's factory settings, but I have no idea what other configuration settings that might wipe out. You might just be better off calling the tech guy back and complaining that you were never given the keys...it might prevent you from having to pay for the return visit.

 

Sorry for the delay and thank you for all the advice.

I entered the appropriate keys into my wireless adaptor and it worked. Sort of.

It connects, to an extent. It recognizes that there is a router there. When I do IPConfig, it says that there is no media connected and does not recognize a default gateway. It is just blank.

When I go to status, by right-clicking the wireless connection icon in the taskbar, for the data transmitted it says 171 has been sent and 0 received. It has been on for a day and a half now.

Any ideas?