Member Avatar for rotorouter

We just got a wired internet connection set up in the house. We had a linksys router and tried to connect it to the modem. We can get on the internet through the wire, but when we try to connect wirelessly, it's not working. It askes us for the password, but we don't know if we have one. If we connect without the password, there is limited or no connectivity. We called linksys and they told us to go to , but the usual password (admin) did not work. We tried a whole bunch of other combinations that were recommended, but nothing works. How can we fix this problem and get connected wirelessly?

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As described, the wired link works but the wireless side wants a passphrase and the normal web login didn’t get you in. and are on the right track — there are a few safer checks to try first that often recover the wireless key or show where the problem really is, before making any big changes to the router.

First, try to recover the Wi‑Fi key from a device that has connected before. On Windows run these commands in an elevated Command Prompt to list saved profiles and then show a profile with its key:

netsh wlan show profiles
netsh wlan show profile name="PROFILE_NAME" key=clear

On macOS use Keychain Access and search for the network SSID, then use “Show password” and authenticate. On many modern Android builds you can open saved networks and “share” a network (QR) to reveal the passphrase. On Linux use NetworkManager tools (nmcli connection show) or inspect the system‑connections files.

Second, confirm you’re actually talking to the right access point and that DHCP is working. On Windows run ipconfig /all (or ip addr / ip route on Linux, or the network panel on macOS) and check the IPv4 address and gateway. If the client has an APIPA address (169.254.x.x) or no gateway, it’s not getting DHCP from the AP and that explains “limited” connectivity.

If those recoveries fail, collect what you’ll need to rebuild settings (ISP account info if required, desired SSID/security type, and a new admin password), then reconfigure using modern strong settings: WPA2/WPA3 Personal with AES (or WPA2 if WPA3 unsupported), a long passphrase, firmware up to date, and export/save a router configuration backup if the firmware allows it. If more help is needed, post the exact WRT54G revision and the client OS showing the failure and someone can walk through the next steps.

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Member Avatar for willjackson

the wireless signal the router is actually broadcasting is secured so that none your neighbors and other people can connect to the wireless network for your laptop to connect successfully you need to enter that password. if you dont have that exact password your last option is to access your router to verify the password.

Member Avatar for CimmerianX

Yep, the router is configured with a Wifi Password. This password was set when the router was 1st configured.

Cabling up a PC to the router and hitting will bring up the admin control for the router. Again, this router must have had the admin id/pw changed during the initial config.

If you don't have any of these items, or have forgotten them, then the only thing you can do is reset the router to factory defaults and start over. If you reset, you will lose ALL EXISTING CONFIGS. So make sure you know what you are doing and what is required to get back online. Is the modem bridging a conenection or does it make the PPPoE auth for you? If the router is doing PPPoE auth, make sure you have the id/pw. You reset to defaults with a paper clip inserted into the reset hole while powering on the unit (hold it in for 30 secs).

When you reset, you WILL be offline so make sure you have all the internet resources you need before trying it, including Linksys tech supp # and your ISP tech supp #.

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