Strange OS changes --re: Router

This is a bit long --- please be paient --

When I installed a wireless router several years ago, I faild to
save (or else have misplaced) my wireless router password. So, about
two weeks ago, I went to Google and asked for "recover wireless
password". Featured on the first page of search results was a You Tube
video claiming to show how to do the recovery.
First it said go to: START/Programs/ Run/ipconfig. Then, it said,
there will a display of data the last line being an IP address. Then
it said, go to that address and another screen will be displayed with
the last line being the desired router password.
Well I did all that but there was no entry on that last line.
So, as some of you probably know, I've been trying to find out if
there really is a way to recover it. Yesterday, for kicks, I tried
to repeat the You Tube instructions.
Here's where it gets really curious! For some reason MS(?) has
changed the XP system! "ipconfig" has been disabled! It produces a
screen for about a third of a second and then it disappears. I tried
the same on a Vista machine and there ipconfig has been disabled too!
Then I went looking for the You Tube video ---it also seems to be
gone. Then I went to the IP address which the first attempt gave me.
It no longer gives anything!
And, a generic Linksys address (192.168.1.1) which presumably gives
one factory settings for a provided model also doesn't work!
Anyone want to explain all this??

On 3/1/2013 10:01 AM, wrote:
> This is a bit long --- please be paient --
>
> When I installed a wireless router several years ago, I faild to
> save (or else have misplaced) my wireless router password. So, about
> two weeks ago, I went to Google and asked for "recover wireless
> password". Featured on the first page of search results was a You Tube
> video claiming to show how to do the recovery.
> First it said go to: START/Programs/ Run/ipconfig. Then, it said,
> there will a display of data the last line being an IP address. Then
> it said, go to that address and another screen will be displayed with
> the last line being the desired router password.
> Well I did all that but there was no entry on that last line.
> So, as some of you probably know, I've been trying to find out if
> there really is a way to recover it. Yesterday, for kicks, I tried
> to repeat the You Tube instructions.
> Here's where it gets really curious! For some reason MS(?) has
> changed the XP system! "ipconfig" has been disabled! It produces a
> screen for about a third of a second and then it disappears. I tried
> the same on a Vista machine and there ipconfig has been disabled too!
> Then I went looking for the You Tube video ---it also seems to be
> gone. Then I went to the IP address which the first attempt gave me.
> It no longer gives anything!
> And, a generic Linksys address (192.168.1.1) which presumably gives
> one factory settings for a provided model also doesn't work!
> Anyone want to explain all this??

No

Quite normal behavior.


But to make it work, you might want to try running command.com first
and then run IPCONFIG.

That way the window stays open instead of closing when the program
terminates.

On 01 Mar 2013, wrote in alt.windows-xp:

> When I installed a wireless router several years ago, I faild to
> save (or else have misplaced) my wireless router password.

Which password? The password to get into the router setup, or the
wireless passkey needed to connect to the wireless network? Please
be specific and detailed.

> So, about two weeks ago, I went to Google and asked for "recover
> wireless password". Featured on the first page of search results
> was a You Tube video claiming to show how to do the recovery.
> First it said go to: START/Programs/ Run/ipconfig. Then, it said,
> there will a display of data the last line being an IP address.
> Then it said, go to that address and another screen will be
> displayed with the last line being the desired router password.

That's not accurate. The address you're looking for is labeled
"Default Gateway". It is not necessarily the last line. The Default
Gateway is the address of the router.

What do you mean "go to"? Please be detailed and specific. What you
*should* mean is 'enter that IP address into your web browser.' That
will take you to the setup utility on your router. You will have to
enter the router password in order to view or change the router
settings, including the wireless network
password/passkey/passphrase. You will have to negotiate the setup
utility's menus to find where to change the security settings - it
will not be "the last line".

> Here's where it gets really curious! For some reason MS(?) has
> changed the XP system! "ipconfig" has been disabled! It produces a
> screen for about a third of a second and then it disappears. I
> tried the same on a Vista machine and there ipconfig has been
> disabled too!

This is not at all curious. This has been the normal behavior with
Windows for decades. If you enter IPCONFIG into the Run box, a
command window opens up briefly then closes before you can read the
command's return. It's always worked that way. In order to see the
results of the command, you have to first open a command window by
entering CMD in the run box. Then issue your command IPCONFIG at the
prompt.

> Then I went looking for the You Tube video ---it also seems to be
> gone. Then I went to the IP address which the first attempt gave
> me. It no longer gives anything!

What you mean you "went to"? How did you do that. Please be
specific and detailed.

Did you read the Linksys manual that several kind people found for
you?

Nil wrote:
> On 01 Mar 2013, wrote in alt.windows-xp:
>
>> When I installed a wireless router several years ago, I faild to
>> save (or else have misplaced) my wireless router password.
>
> Which password? The password to get into the router setup, or the
> wireless passkey needed to connect to the wireless network? Please
> be specific and detailed.
>
As it took a month for the OP to finally tell us the make and model of
his router, don't hold your breath.

--
Tciao for Now!

John.

On 01 Mar 2013, wrote in alt.windows-xp:

> The fact remains ---- neither IP adress given by ipcongig is
> operable. The last one is also given elsewhere as a location where
> factory installed user name and password are given for Lynksis
> Routers.

You still aren't answering direct questions. The questions people ask
of you are important. If you really are looking for help, you must
answer them. If you're not really interested in help, by all means,
keep avoiding them.

- How, exactly, are you "going to" these addresses? Please be specific
and detailed.

- What happens when you "go to" these addresses? Please be specific
and detailed.

- Did you read the manual that people were so kind as to direct you
toward?

- What does "operable" mean? What, exactly, happens? Please be specific
and detailed.

- What do you mean by "the last one"?

- Did you read the manual that people were so kind as to direct you
toward?

- What password are you looking for, the router's password, or the
wireless network access password? Please be specific.

- Are you using a wired connection?

- Did you read the manual that people were so kind as to direct you
toward?

On 01 Mar 2013, John Williamson <>
wrote in alt.windows-xp:

> As it took a month for the OP to finally tell us the make and
> model of his router, don't hold your breath.

Oh, trust me, I'm not. I don't expect any good answers from him. I'm
convinced that it's all a game, and I'm curious to see how long he can
keep answering without answering. It's kind of impressive, actually -
not everybody can talk at length without saying anything.

Pfsszxt wrote:

See Nil, he's back.

> For some reason MS(?) has changed the XP system! "ipconfig" has been
> disabled! It produces a screen for about a third of a second and then
> it disappears. I tried the same on a Vista machine and there ipconfig
> has been disabled too!

ipconfig and many other utilities are console-mode programs. They don't
have a GUI (nice pretty window). They spew any output to stdout
(standard output) which is the console. The "console" is a screen
presented by a program where output gets directed (stdout), where input
comes from (stdin), and where errors are shown (stderr).

If you run a console program like you have, Windows opens a console
(shell) for that program, runs the program, and then closes the console
(exits the shell) because the program isn't running anymore.

If you want the console to remain open after the console-mode program
terminates then you load a console using a program, like the command-
line interpreter. The one you probably have has a filename of cmd.exe.
You'll find shortcuts for it in the Start menu, probably called
something like Command Prompt. When you run cmd.exe, you'll see a
console appear and stay there. You then run your console-mode programs
inside that shell. When they exit, the program that loaded the console
(cmd.exe) is still running. You can either enter 'exit' to exit that
shell and the console disappears or click the X titlebar button.

So, what YOU need to do is:

- Run 'cmd.exe'.
That loads a shell with a console.
- Run 'ipconfig <parms>'.
When it exits, its output (stdout) is still displayed because the
console remains (from cmd.exe still running).

The only reason it is curious to you is that you aren't old enough in
experience with operating systems to have used MS/IBM DOS where you
didn't get pretty windows. You just got a black screen with a blinking
cursor and maybe a line showing the current/working directory.

> And, a generic Linksys address (192.168.1.1) which presumably gives
> one factory settings for a provided model also doesn't work!
> Anyone want to explain all this??

Oh, "doesn't work". Yep, there's only one thing that happens in that
case, uh uh. Something happens but you won't say. An error message
shows up, a program crashes, or some behavior. Something DOES happen.
You're just not telling us ... again lacking the details.

What web browser are you using? What DOES happen when you enter
http://192.168.1.1/ in its address bar? Are you wired connected to the
router?

Oh, forget it. I'm not going down this bumpy dark road again.
Bye bye.

On 3/1/2013 8:01 AM, wrote:

> This is a bit long --- please be patient --
>
> When I installed a wireless router several years ago, I failed to
> save (or else have misplaced) my wireless router password. So, about
> two weeks ago, I went to Google and asked for "recover wireless
> password". Featured on the first page of search results was a You Tube
> video claiming to show how to do the recovery.
> First it said go to: START/Programs/ Run/ipconfig. Then, it said,
> there will a display of data the last line being an IP address. Then
> it said, go to that address and another screen will be displayed with
> the last line being the desired router password.
> Well I did all that but there was no entry on that last line.

If this line is blank, then the computer is not connected to the WRT54G
router, either directly by cable or by remote wireless. Hook up the
computer or laptop directly by cable to the router. From the Command
Prompt, type "ipconfig" (minus the quote marks) and enter. The last
line should now probably read this: 192.168.1.1

<<snipped>>

> Here's where it gets really curious! For some reason MS(?) has
> changed the XP system! "ipconfig" has been disabled! It produces a
> screen for about a third of a second and then it disappears. I tried
> the same on a Vista machine and there ipconfig has been disabled too!

As someone else wrote, "ipconfig" is an old DOS command. It can only
be run from the Command Prompt.

<<snipped>>

> And, a generic Linksys address (192.168.1.1) which presumably gives
> one factory settings for a provided model also doesn't work!

Using the Linksys address (e.g., 192.168.1.1) requires the computer to
be connected to the router. Run an ethernet cable from the computer to
the router. Use a browser (e.g., IE, Firefox, Chrome, etc.), type the
address in the address line and enter. If the router is protected by an
administrative password, the pop-up screen will ask for it.

If this password is lost, then follow the instructions here:

http://homekb.cisco.com/Cisco2/ukp.a...pid=96&slnid=3

A complete reset to factory defaults will then occur.

Open (or download and open) the User's Guide for the WRT54G and
proceed. The User's Guide (a *.pdf file) can be downloaded here:

http://support.linksys.com/en-us/support/routers/WRT54G

(Be sure to specify the right version number.)

> Anyone want to explain all this??

Not really. But if you do not know what you are doing, then call a tech
for a house call.

GR