A network security key is a code or passphrase that allows you to connect your computer or mobile device to a private network.
Network security key is a type of network password or passphrase in the form of a physical password, digital signature, or biometric data that is used to provide authorization and accessibility to the wireless network or device on which the client requests to connect.
The security key also provides for establishing a secure connection between the requesting client and the service network or wireless device such as routers, etc. These protect our network and devices from unwanted access.
The security key is of various types and is widely used in all our day-to-day services, such as online banking, money transactions in the form of OTP (one time password), online shopping, access to the service of Internet, login to the mail account or any other. network device etc
Types
The most common types of network security keys are Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) and WiFi Protected Access (WPA/WPA2).
WEP
A WEP key is a security code for WiFi-enabled devices. WEP keys allow devices on a network to exchange encrypted messages with each other while preventing them from being easily decrypted and read by outsiders.
WEP keys are a sequence of characters taken from the numbers 0 through 9 and the letters A through F. For example, a WEP key might be F45HI00WR3.
The required length of a WEP key could be 10, 26, or 58 characters, depending on which version of WEP is running. WEP keys can be automatically generated for ease of use. There are websites that generate random WEP keys that are hard to guess.
WEP keys fell out of public favor when people began to realize that they are easy to crack, potentially leaving your network open to hackers.
WPA/WPA2
WPA and WPA2 are stronger network security keys than WEP. A WPA comes with a password/passphrase that you can get from the owner of the network. If you have a WiFi router at home, the password you sometimes see printed on the side is the WPA key.
Typically, with these types of networks, the owner can reset the WPA key to be whatever password or passphrase they want.
WPA2 is an even more secure version of WPA because it uses the AES algorithm, a newer, faster, and more advanced algorithm than previously used.
What is the best network security?
As we indicated earlier, the WPA network security key is better than WEP because it is more secure.
The WEP key can be easily cracked by anyone by cracking the challenge frames. Therefore, this method of encryption and authentication is less practical and WPA, which is a more secure method, has evolved.
WPA2 is usually the recommended version for businesses, which tend to need more security measures. However, keep in mind that to use WPA2, you may need hardware with more processing power.
Where to find the security key?
The easiest way to find it is to simply go around the router and look for the WPA2-PSD. You will also find the name of your WiFi network here.
However, please note that users can change the username, WiFi password, and the router’s password is the default one provided by your Internet provider. So, if you’ve changed and forgot what your network security key is, here’s how you can find it:
In Windows 10
The steps to find the network security key in Windows 10 are:
- Go to Control Panel, open Network and Internet, and then open the Network and Sharing Center.
- Once you have opened the Network and Sharing Center, find and click on the name of your WiFi network.
- A new “Wi-Fi Status” window will appear. Click the “Wireless Properties” button.
- Go to the “Security” tab and check the “Show characters” checkbox. You will now be able to see your network security key.
On MacOS
- Open Spotlight search by pressing Command + Space or the search icon at the top right of the screen.
- Type “Keychain Access” and press “Enter” or “Return” to launch the app.
- On the left side, under “Keychains,” go to “Systems.”
- Find the WiFi network for which you need a network security key in the list and double-click it to open another window.
- Click the “Show Password” checkbox.
- A new window will open asking for your Mac administrator username and password. Type it in and Keychain Access will show you your network security key.
On the router
The network security key plays a very important role in connecting your devices to the router so that you can access the Internet.
If someone changes the network security key or you forget your network security key, you will not be able to access Internet services such as surfing the Internet, watching movies online, or playing online games.
The router’s network security key is labeled on the hardware and is marked as “security key”, “WEP key”, “WPA key”, or “passphrase”. You can also get it from the manual that came with the router when you bought it.
You can also view the router’s network security key by logging into your default settings on your web interface.
Let’s see how to find the security key on different types of routers.
Linksys WRT1900ACS
On my Linksys WRT 1900ACS my network security key is in WiFi and WiFi Settings under WiFi Password.
Tp link
The security key in a TP-Link router is in the Wireless and Wireless Security.
D-Link
On a D-Link router, the key is in the Wireless Settings section of Manual Wireless Network Setup and in the Pre-Shared Key box.
Net gear
The security key in a Netgear router can be found under Wireless in the Password box.
Assus
On an Asus router, it is found on the Router Settings page under Network Key.
On mobile devices
Smartphones are very helpful in running a business. By providing access to email, text, phone, internet, and apps, you can run much of your business from anywhere.
Mobile phones can connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi and the mobile network, so you can enter passwords and network keys and save them on your phone. If you forget a network key, you can easily look it up on your phone. You will need root authorization on the phone to access the file with the saved network keys.
Android
To find the network security key on an Android mobile, the first thing we have to do is download and install the “WiFi Password” application on the mobile. This app is available for Android devices, for free on the Google Play Store.
Once installed, you will receive a notice indicating that the application is only limited to displaying the WiFi passwords stored on your phone so that you can consult them at any time.
Once this message is accepted, the main window of the application will be loaded, where all the WiFi networks that you have stored on your Smartphone and to which you have previously connected will be listed. To save these passwords, you must take a screenshot.
iphone
Finding your network security key on an iPhone is much easier and does not require root access.
- Access the settings menu of your iPhone, touch iCloud and Keychain. This enables the keychain feature.
- Go back to the Settings menu and enable Personal Hotspot. On your Mac, connect to your iPhone’s Personal Hotpot.
- Press the CMD and Space keys on your Mac to open the Searchlight utility. In the search field, type keychain access and press Enter.
- Type the name of your Wi-Fi network (the SSID), then double-click the SSID.
- Select the Show password check box. You may need to enter your Mac’s administrator password to allow the password to display.
On other operating systems
To view the network security key on other operating systems such as Linux, the steps are as follows:
- Access the Linux terminal
- Enter the following code “sudo cat /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/network_name | grep psk = »without quotes and changing network_name to the name of the network to query
- In the following line of code, you will get the Wi-Fi key
