i just hooked up my mac mini and it's prompting me to enter my wireless network password to continue. problem is, i can't find the slip of paper I had that info written down on. is there any way to find this on my laptop settings?

i'm on my pc laptop right now, and clicking on my wireless network icon, then clicked properties, then the wireless network tab. clicking properties again brings me to a screen that lists a network key, which is security blacked out. is that the password? if I change it on this computer am I going to fuck up my network? i know my network name, just not the password.

and, what is the 'key index'? to add this new computer do I need to up that to 2?

i need your help to defeat this cyber terrorist.

You might be able to change the existing key on the router. You'll just have to change the key on your PC laptop to reconnect.

so i change the router key via my laptop? forgive my being ignorant. i am.

i am drunk. if you log into the control panel of thine router (192.168.1.1?) you should seem the wirelesss security access settings and what hav you that;lkk set you right.

Here's how you're going to have to do this if you've forgotten your wireless password.

1. Plug your laptop into the router via a network (cat-5) cable.
2. Point your browser to 192.168.0.1
3. Either a) you will be presented with your router's administration application, wherein you can change the WEP key, or b) you will be asked to enter a username and password.

If a) then just change the WEP key in your router, enter the same key in your laptop, and get to surfing.

If b) then find the tiny reset pinhole on your router, stick the end of a paperclip into it for 10 seconds or until the lights blink off, then go to step 2.

and if you forget all the passwords, there should be a button on the router where you stick a pin and it should send the router back to it's default settings.

If a, then how does that affect the mac that I'm having the trouble with getting on the internet? it wasn't asking for a WEP key, but the username/password. pooters!

additionally, I am using an lcd which has worked perfectly before. here was the chain of events:

- started up the mac, the lcd worked fine
- asked for the password, I went downstairs to find the piece of paper
- come back up, mac fell asleep, i woke it up and the monitor still looks fine.
- leave again to look more, come back up and the monitor suddenly has a purple hue about it
- i restart mac, hoping it would be fine, and the purple is still there
- i try calibrating the monitor, to no avail

maybe i just need to download the drivers? of course that brings me to my original question.

christ!

does the monitor have a degauss button?

wait a minute

is this a new mini-mac? if so, the drivers should be somewhat ok and not produce a purple hue......

what did you do robotboy

ok, ok crisis #2 diverted. just had a loose monitor connection. it's fine now. ho ho!

but yeah, gotta figure out number 1. looks like the resetting of the router is the way to go.

yep, mac mini. so far, outside of the internet thing it's pretty bad ass

and actually, i have one of those wide screen lcd's, and this is the first computer i have had that works on the entire screen, rather than just the majority (kind of like a reverse letterbox)

was it asking for a username and password or a ssid and password? this is when you're trying to get on the internet, not configure the router, right?

i haven't tried to reconfigure the router, just to get the mac on the wireless network. it asks for the network name, which I know, and then there's a dropdown box of 'no password', 'wep key', etc etc. so, I use wep key because I assume that's the network password, and i just can't remember it. so, unless i find that paper, i'll probably have to reset it. i already downloaded the manual for it.

Don't bother with WEP; use WPA instead. Link

wpa is better, but the fact is that no one is going to waste their time hax0ring robotboy's network, and WEP is enough to keep out 99.9999% of leeches.

On my mac I have to choose Other from the Airport drop down, and put in the name of my network and choose the Security type (WEP, WPA, etc). Do you know which security you are using?

got the network working and proudly posting this from my mini. I had aaron on AIM and the phone and he was a whirling dervish of network setting up info. and then, he ended the call by saying 'or, you could just bring the modem/router up where the mini is and hard wire.' i got so caught up in setting up the wireless I didn't even think of the most obvious solution, and i feel 100X more stupid because of it.

this thing is pretty goddamned sweet.

awesome dude!