How do I hide my router's password? Windows 7 'Starter'__

Anonymous

Hi,

We just got a Lenovo S10 Netbook with Win 7 'Starter' version for my daughter and I have a question about configuring the Wifi access. This is my first exposure to Win 7, so I'll describe things as best I can.

I clicked on the "Internet Access" icon in the tray and up came the list of Wireless Network Connections. I selected the one for our WPA-PSK encrypted router and cut and pasted my ~30 character 'Network Security Key' (passphrase/password) and, bingo, I was connected to the internet and websurfing just fine.

Here is my question. How to I permenently hide my router's 'Network Security Key'?

When I go back to the Wireless Network Connections and right click my router and select 'Properties" and go to the "Security" tab, there is a small check box labelled "Show Characters" that will toggle back and forth between a string of dots and the 'plain text' 'Network Security Key' for anyone to read. I'm not willing to keep her set up to use our network if anyone with access to her Netbook can look up my router's WPA password.

I have quite a few devices connected wirelessly to our network, but this is the only one where I can see the password in plain text. The others only show a string of stars or dots to 'encrypt' the display of the password.

I will appreciate any help and so will the daughter that hopes to keep accessing the internet.

many thanks, BDT

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Anonymous

AFAIK you can't override that, although I could be wrong about that.

As far as others getting your wireless key from her netbook make sure your daughters account is astandard user account and that she does not have administrator permissions. That way if she tried to see the wireless security properties for your wireless network she can't unless she enters the administrator password. In the example screen shot if I am logged in as a standard user and try to check the Show characters checkbox UAC pops up and requests my administrative user password.

http://cid-25ab668da65c8fbe.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/Windows%20images/Showcharacters.png

In all cases make sure the administrative user accounts are password protected with a strong password and access to those is severely restricted.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/Why-use-a-standard-user-account-instead-of-an-administrator-account

FWIW I run as a standard user 99% of the time on my Windows 7 laptop. My wife runs as a standard user 100% of the time on her XP Pro desktop. When I setup my PCs I create an administrative user, ie. Root in my case, and the required number of standard users for each machine. All are password protected. Root is only used to install programs, change system stuff, security settings, etc...etc...etc...

MS-MVP Windows Desktop Experience, "When all else fails, read the instructions"

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62 additional answers

@CmdrKeene 90,631 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2011-09-07T03:23:20+00:00

They probably assumed if you're typing it, you already know what it is. I think the engineer who created that was designing for privacy from someone looking over your shoulder, but wanted you to be able to see the key if you wanted it so you could be sure you typed it right (some of those WEP keys are long and difficult to type already).

I don't think they ever imagined that someone would demand "give me your computer, I'll type it for you because I don't trust you knowing it " scenario.
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Anonymous

2011-09-16T18:40:22+00:00

Why would you reply to a question with a question.....it's obvious why you would want to hide a wireless password. There are several reasons one would want to do this.

One of which being ..... having control of the internet in order to limit online time for your kids who think they're smarter than you are by simply looking at the network wireless security tab and unhiding charachters.......they then have full access to the internet ........i don't really want to have to lock my screen everytime i get up to go to the washroom.

It's always sound advice to not have access to passwords ........passwords should be remembered by users......not by the program you're using
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@CmdrKeene 90,631 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2011-09-16T22:52:46+00:00

Too bad every router sold today has the industry standard "push to connect" button, which lets you immediately connect without typing any password at all (pushing the button on the router serves to confirm that you are in fact the owner of the wifi network, and skips the password process -- even if a wifi password is set). Keeps your neighbors out at least.
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