Steps To Retrieve Or Change WiFi Router Password In Case You Forgot It

There are many reasons why would you need to access and either retrieve or change the WiFi router password. One of the main reasons is that you lost or forgot your WiFi password. Another common reason is that there are other people who gained unauthorized access to your WiFi router. The latter can cause you a lot of trouble because it can affect now the speed of your Internet access. Worst, if your connection is metered bandwidth, then you have to shoulder the cost of your monthly bill.

Whatever reasons you may have, this article will try to suggest some steps on which you can retrieve or change your WiFi Router password – especially if you forgot it.

Before we proceed, ALWAYS remember that you changing your WiFi router password SHOULD NOT be an option. It is imperative that you should change it REGULARLY.

Retrieve your WiFi password from your Windows 10 PC

This method might not give you the exact password you are looking for to gain access to your WiFi router’s console. However, there is a chance that your WiFi password may be the same as with the router’s admin console when you created it initially.

In Windows 10, you can retrieve the WiFi password by getting it from your computer’s settings. But do note that this method will only work when you are connected to the WiFi network where you forgot your password. So, you need to inspect which WiFi you are trying to connect.

1. First, you need to click the WiFi icon which you can find in your Windows taskbar. If you cannot see it, try to click the caret icon (it looks like an upward-pointing arrow-head – ^) to show you the other icons. This method is most likely to work also on other Windows versions like Windows 11.
2. Then, click the “Network & Internet settings” link. Normally, you can find this at the bottom of the WiFi list or menu.
3. A new window will open and by default, it will show you your network status. Click the “Wi-Fi” link that is located in the left panel of the window.
4. Then on your right panel, under the “Related settings“, click the “Change adapter options“. This will open another window showing all your network connections.
5. Right-click your active WiFi connection, then select and click the “Status” option.
6. Then on the new window pop-up, click the “Wireless Properties” button.
7. Next, after another pop-up window opens, click the “Security” tab.
8. Under the Security tab, you will find the “Network security key” field. And on this field, you will see the obscured set of dots which is actually your WiFi connection password. To uncover and see your WiFi connection password, tick the small checkbox field beneath that is labeled “Show characters“. If you are not the administrator user of the computer, you will be asked for a password.

The video below will show you the steps done above which will work on Windows 10, Windows 11, and above.

Check your WiFi password from the manual, box, or from your modem router

Many of us, as a force of habit, once we purchase something and unbox it, we immediately toss the box and manual straight into the trash bin. While some, will read first the instruction from the manual, at the end of the day, that manual will still go into the trash.

Sometimes, we don’t realize that we might need some vital information from it – like your router connection details and password.

Probably, that is why most manufacturers stick those important details beneath your modem router. Or sometimes the manufacturers will not include those credentials anymore in the manual, instead. The manufacturers will ask you to check the credentials from your router.

So, if you happen to misplaced the manual or have forgotten to keep your modem router’s credentials, then just check the router itself. Below is an example where you can find the WiFi credentials – including the username and password.

Resetting The Modem Router’s Password

In the event that you already changed the default factory settings of your router before, including the password, and forgot them, then you can just reset it.

To reset your router back to the factory settings, while it is powered on, find the reset button in your router. Then press and hold the reset button for a few seconds. Wait until the router rebooted itself.

Once it is rebooted, then try again to connect to your router’s admin console with the factory settings.

When you reset your router back to the factory settings, it is more likely that you will need to set it up again to connect to the Internet. And in most cases, you will need to connect your router directly to your PC via ethernet – with the use of a LAN cable.

Finding Your Router’s IP Address To Connect To Admin Console

In order for you to change or update your WiFi router password, you will need to connect to the router’s admin console. And to do that, you will need to locate your router’s IP password. Each router has its own internal IP network and here are the common IP addresses:

• 192.168.0.1
• 192.168.1.1
• 10.0.0.1
• For TP-Link modem router users who created their accounts from the TP-Link website, you can access your router’s console by going to http://tplinkwifi.net/ (or http://192.168.0.1 or http://192.168.1.1)

There are ways you can find your WiFi router’s local IP address if the list above isn’t working. For Windows 10 (at least), here are the 2 ways you can obtain your WiFi IP address. But first, you need to make sure that you are connected to your modem WiFi router – either via ethernet or wireless.

Finding Your Router’s IP Address From Windows 10/11 Settings

In order to find and obtain your router’s IP address from the Windows 10 or Windows 11’s settings, follow the steps below:

1. Press the Windows button from your keyboard and type Settings.
2. Look for the Network & Internet link, then click it.
3. In the main window, on your right panel, scroll down until you see the View hardware and connection properties. Click that menu option.
4. Under the View hardware and connection properties window, you will see all your connection properties – including your Ethernet/LAN and WiFi connections. Scroll down until you see your current WiFi connection details.
5. Check the IP address from the Default gateway details. This is commonly your WiFi router’s default IP address. For example, if you will see the value 192.168.0.1 from the Default gateway, then this is what you need to obtain.
6. Open a web browser and then type the IP address you obtained from the default gateway (you may prefix the IP address with http://) and then press enter.

Finding Your Router’s IP Address From Windows 10/11 DOS command console

Here’s another option for you to obtain your router’s IP address on Windows 10 or Windows 11. The approach may appear a little conventional but the end result is pretty much the same as the previous steps we provided.

1. Press the Windows button from your keyboard and type Command Prompt.
2. Then in your command prompt console, type and enter ipconfig /all. This command will show you all your network connections.
3. Scroll down until you find your WiFi connection. Then check the Default gateway IP address value from the result.

Obtain the default factory username and password of your modem router

In a worst-case scenario where you forgot your router’s username and password, and either the factory default credentials are not in the router, don’t throw yet your router. There’s still a way to recover it.

Here are a few ways to get the default factory username and password of your WiFi modem router if everything fails.

1. Contact your vendor or reseller where you bought your WiFi router password. Ask them if they can provide you with the details you need.
2. Check the official website of your modem router. Most popular modem router providers put up a support or FAQ page to provide you with the details you are looking for. For example, TP-Link, they have FAQ pages like if you want to change the admin password on the TP-Link ADSL router.
3. You can also find other online websites that have an online database where they collect and stores the WiFi router passwords from different manufacturers. Here are some of those example websites:
   • Router Passwords
   • 192.168.1.1 Router Configuration Center

For the last option we’ve mentioned, you can go to their website and find your router from the dropdown menu. For example, for the site Router Passwords, then select the router you wished to obtain the WiFi router password. Then click the Find Password button.

Keep Your WiFi Router Password If You Cannot Remember It

To conclude, it can be quite frustrating if things are not working. Especially when you need them urgently – like you needed to connect to the Internet but you forgot your password.

So, in order to avoid this kind of dilemma in the future, find a way to safe-keep your WiFi router password. Either you write them down on your and make sure you remember where you keep that note. Or use a password manager app like LastPass to save your credentials. Even modern web browsers have this capability, you can also try them.