What is a network security key and how to find it?

A network security key is the password for your Wi-Fi network. If a device asks for one, it wants the same password you would type on your phone or laptop to join that network. You can find it on any device that is already connected, on the label of your router, or in your router’s admin page.

This guide shows where to find the key on every common device, how to fix the “network security key mismatch” error, and how to change the key safely.

What is a network security key?

A network security key is the secret that lets a device join a protected wireless network. On a home network it is a passphrase set on the router by you or your internet provider. Windows calls it a “network security key” in its connection prompt, but you will also see:

Wi-Fi password or wireless password
WPA key, WPA2 key or WPA passphrase
Pre-shared key (PSK)
WEP key (on very old networks)

When you type the key, your device and the router use it to prove they know the same secret, then derive fresh encryption keys for the session. The password itself is not sent over the air, and traffic between your device and the router is encrypted from then on.

On WPA2 and WPA3 networks, the passphrase is 8 to 63 characters long. Many routers ship with a random default key printed on a sticker, which is fine as long as nobody else has seen it.

The key protects only the wireless link to your router. It does not protect you from phishing or malware, and it does nothing once traffic leaves the router, which is why it is only one part of good cybersecurity.

Types of network security keys

The key type depends on the security mode set on the router. Your device lists it as the “Security type” in its Wi-Fi details.

WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy)

WEP came with the original 802.11 standard in 1997. It uses the RC4 cipher with 64-bit or 128-bit keys, which are 40-bit or 104-bit secret keys plus a 24-bit value added by the system. A WEP key is 10 or 26 hexadecimal characters (or 5 or 13 text characters). Serious flaws were published in 2001, and WEP can be cracked in minutes with free tools. If your router still offers WEP, do not use it.

WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access)

The Wi-Fi Alliance introduced WPA in 2003 as a stopgap fix for WEP that could run on existing hardware. It uses TKIP, which still relies on RC4, has known weaknesses, has been deprecated, and is not allowed in WPA3. Treat original WPA as unsafe.

WPA and its successors come in two flavors. Personal (PSK) uses one shared passphrase and is what home networks use. Enterprise gives each user their own sign-in through a RADIUS server and is common in offices and universities.

WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access 2)

WPA2 arrived in 2004 and has been required on Wi-Fi certified devices since 2006. It uses AES encryption through a protocol called CCMP, with 128-bit keys. It is still acceptable when WPA3 is not available. Its main weakness is that an attacker who captures a connection handshake can guess the passphrase offline, so short or common passwords can be cracked. If your router offers TKIP or “WPA/WPA2 mixed” mode, pick the AES option instead.

WPA3 (Wi-Fi Protected Access 3)

The Wi-Fi Alliance introduced WPA3 in June 2018, and WPA3 is now mandatory for new Wi-Fi certified devices. Its improvements include:

SAE handshake: WPA3-Personal uses Simultaneous Authentication of Equals, which blocks offline password guessing.
Forward secrecy: someone who learns the password later cannot decrypt traffic they recorded earlier.
192-bit mode: an optional WPA3-Enterprise mode for highly sensitive networks.
Transition mode: WPA2 and WPA3 devices can share one network.

Wi-Fi Enhanced Open is a separate certification, not a WPA3 mode. It encrypts traffic on open networks that have no password.

Security type	Encryption	Status in 2026
WEP	RC4	Broken, never use
WPA	TKIP (RC4)	Deprecated, avoid
WPA2-Personal	AES (CCMP)	Acceptable, use a long passphrase
WPA3-Personal	AES with SAE	Best choice for home networks

How to find your network security key on Windows 11 and 10

You can only see the key on a PC that has already saved the network. Microsoft documents these steps in Find your Wi-Fi network password in Windows.

Windows 11: use Settings

For the network you are connected to right now:

Open Start and select Settings.
Go to Network & internet and open the Properties of your Wi-Fi connection.
Next to Wi-Fi network password, select Show. On older Windows 11 builds this button is called View Wi-Fi security key.

For a network you saved earlier:

Go to Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi > Manage known networks.
Select the network.
Select Show next to Wi-Fi network password (or View Wi-Fi security key on older builds).

Open Settings > Network & Internet > Status > Network and Sharing Center.
Next to Connections, select your Wi-Fi network name.
In Wi-Fi Status, select Wireless Properties.
Open the Security tab and tick Show characters.
The password appears in the Network security key box.

You can also open it from Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center, which works on Windows 11 too. This method only shows the network you are connected to.

Any Windows version: use Command Prompt

The command line shows the key for every saved network, including ones you are not connected to.

Open Command Prompt or Terminal as administrator.
List your saved networks:

1	netsh wlan show profiles

Show the key for one network, replacing X with the exact network name:

1	netsh wlan show profile name="X" key=clear

Look under Security settings for the line Key Content. That is the password.

Microsoft’s netsh wlan reference lists these commands. The key is shown only with administrator rights, and work networks that use individual sign-ins have no shared key to show.

If Windows connects but you have no internet, the key is not the problem. See what to do when Wi-Fi says “No internet, secured”.

How to find your network security key on a Mac

Macs store Wi-Fi passwords in the keychain. Where you view them depends on your macOS version.

macOS Sequoia and later: Passwords app

Apple’s guide to finding your Wi-Fi password on Mac lists these steps:

Open the Passwords app and sign in with Touch ID or your Mac password.
Click Wi-Fi in the sidebar.
Select the network.
Hold the pointer over the dots next to Password to reveal it. Click the dots to copy it.

You can also click Show Network QR Code so another device can scan it and join.

macOS Ventura and Sonoma: System Settings

Choose Apple menu > System Settings > Network > Wi-Fi.
Scroll down and click Advanced to see known networks.
Click the More button (three dots) next to the network, choose Copy Password, and paste it somewhere to read it.

Older macOS versions: Keychain Access

Open Keychain Access from Applications > Utilities, or search for it with Spotlight.
Select the System keychain (or iCloud if you sync passwords) and search for the network name.
Double-click the network and tick Show password.
Enter an administrator name and password when asked.

How to find your Wi-Fi password on iPhone and iPad

Since iOS 16 and iPadOS 16.1, you can view saved Wi-Fi passwords directly, according to Apple Support.

For the network you are on now:

Open Settings > Wi-Fi.
Tap the Info button (the “i”) next to your network.
Tap the Password field and confirm with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode.

For a network you joined before:

Open Settings > Wi-Fi and tap Edit in the top right corner.
Authenticate, then tap the Info button next to the saved network.
Tap the Password field.

On iOS 18 and later you can also open the Passwords app, tap Wi-Fi, choose the network and tap the password field.

How to find your network security key on Android

Android 10 and later can share a saved network as a QR code. Menu names vary by phone maker. On Google Pixel and most phones that follow Google’s Android steps:

Open Settings > Network & internet > Internet.
Tap your Wi-Fi network (or the gear icon next to it).
Tap Share and confirm with your PIN, pattern or fingerprint.
A QR code appears. On Pixel phones the password is also printed as text below the code.

On Samsung Galaxy phones, go to Settings > Connections > Wi-Fi, tap the gear icon next to the connected network, then tap QR code. Samsung usually shows only the code, but scanning it with another phone’s camera or Google Lens will typically display the password.

Android 9 and earlier have no built-in way to view a saved password. Use the router label or admin page instead.

How to find the network security key on your router

Check the router label

Look on the bottom or back of your router or gateway. The default key is usually printed next to the network name and labeled Wi-Fi password, network key, WPA key or PSK. If someone changed the password after setup, the label no longer works.

Log in to the router admin page

Connect to the router over Wi-Fi or with an Ethernet cable.
Find the router’s local address. On Windows, open Command Prompt, run ipconfig, and look for Default Gateway. Common addresses are 192.168.0.1 and 192.168.1.1. This is not the same as your public IP address, which websites see.
Type that address into your browser and sign in with the router’s admin username and password (often on the same label).
Open the section called Wireless, Wi-Fi, Wireless Security or similar.
The key appears in a field such as Password, Passphrase, Pre-shared Key or WPA Key.

Many newer routers use a phone app instead, with the key under its Wi-Fi settings. If you cannot sign in at all, a factory reset (see your router’s manual) restores the default key on the label. It also erases your other settings, so treat it as a last resort.

How to fix a network security key mismatch error

A “network security key mismatch” or “The network security key isn’t correct” message means the router rejected the key your device sent. Try these fixes in order.

Check the key character by character. Passwords are case sensitive. Watch for look-alikes such as 0 and O, 1 and l, and extra spaces.
Forget the network and reconnect. A saved old password is a common cause after someone changes the key. On Windows go to Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi > Manage known networks, select the network, choose Forget, then reconnect. On iPhone tap the Info button and Forget This Network.
Restart the router and device. Unplug the router, wait at least 30 seconds, plug it back in, and give it a few minutes to start.
Check the security mode. Older devices may not support WPA3. If an old laptop fails while phones connect fine, enable WPA2/WPA3 transition mode on the router.
Update the Wi-Fi driver. In Device Manager, expand Network adapters, open your Wi-Fi adapter’s properties and compare the driver with the latest one on your PC maker’s website.
Reset network settings. On Windows 11 use Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings > Network reset. On Windows 10 use Settings > Network & Internet > Status > Network reset. You will need to re-enter Wi-Fi passwords afterward.

These steps follow Microsoft’s Wi-Fi troubleshooting guide. If the key is accepted but pages will not load, the issue is usually DNS rather than Wi-Fi. Our guide on fixing “DNS server not responding” covers that case.

How to change your network security key

Change the key if it was shared with people who should no longer have access, or if you suspect someone is using your network without permission. There is no need to change it on a fixed schedule.

Connect to the router and sign in to its admin page or app, as described above.
Open the Wireless Security or Wi-Fi settings.
Set the security mode to WPA3-Personal, or WPA2/WPA3 transition mode if you have older devices. Use WPA2-Personal (AES) only if WPA3 is not offered.
Enter a new passphrase in the Password or Pre-shared Key field.
Save or apply. Every device will disconnect.
Reconnect each device with the new key, including smart TVs, speakers, cameras and printers.

What makes a strong key: length matters more than symbols. Four or five unrelated words are strong and easy to type on a TV remote. Aim for at least 12 characters, avoid names, addresses, birthdays and the router brand, and store it in a password manager.

The FTC’s home Wi-Fi guidance recommends WPA3 or WPA2 Personal, plus these steps while you are in the admin page:

Change the router’s admin password. It is separate from the Wi-Fi key.
Update the router firmware, or turn on automatic updates.
Turn off WPS, remote management and UPnP if you do not use them.
Set up a guest network for visitors and smart home devices.

For more on locking down a home setup, read our guide to securing your home wireless network for teleworking.

Does a network security key protect you on public Wi-Fi?

Only partly. A key protects the link to a router whose owner you trust. On a cafe, hotel or airport network, everyone may share the same key, and the network owner can see which sites your devices connect to. We explain what they can see in can a Wi-Fi owner see what you search.

Most websites already use HTTPS, which encrypts page content. A VPN adds a layer: it encrypts all traffic between your device and the VPN server, so the local network sees only an encrypted connection to that server, and it hides your IP address from the sites you visit.

EonVPN is a VPN for Windows. It hides your IP address, encrypts your traffic with AES-256-GCM over the OpenVPN protocol, and includes DNS leak protection on Windows so your DNS lookups do not bypass the tunnel. Learn more about how DNS leaks happen and how a VPN prevents them.

A VPN also has limits:

It does not stop phishing pages, malicious downloads or malware.
It does not make a weak router password stronger or secure the router itself.
It does not make you anonymous to sites you log in to.
The VPN provider handles your traffic instead of the network owner, so choose one you trust.

For a fuller picture, see does a VPN protect you from hackers. Businesses with remote staff should also read our remote work security guide, since a VPN is only one part of network security.

FAQs

Is the network security key the same as the Wi-Fi password?

Yes. On home networks, the network security key, Wi-Fi password, WPA key and pre-shared key all mean the passphrase you type to join. On work networks that use WPA2-Enterprise or WPA3-Enterprise, you sign in with your own username and password instead of a shared key.

Where is the network security key on my router?

It is usually on a sticker on the bottom or back of the router, labeled Wi-Fi password, network key or WPA key. If the password was changed after setup, check the wireless settings in the router’s admin page or app.

How do I find my network security key without a connected device?

Check the router label first. If the key was changed, connect a computer to the router with an Ethernet cable and read the key from the admin page’s wireless settings. As a last resort, a factory reset restores the default key on the label.

Why does my device say the network security key is incorrect?

Most often the password was typed wrong or the device saved an old one. Retype it carefully, then forget the network and reconnect. If it still fails, restart the router, check that your device supports the router’s security mode, and update your Wi-Fi driver.

Can someone hack my Wi-Fi if they know the security key?

Knowing the key lets someone join your network and see other devices on it. On WPA2 networks, a person with the key can also decrypt traffic of other users in some cases, which WPA3 prevents. If someone you do not trust has your key, change it and review the list of connected devices in your router’s admin page.

What is a network security key and how to find it?

What is a network security key?