extra characters appear when typing in the password field for the router login
merk3
Enthusiast - Level 3

When i pull up the router login page and start typing in the password, the password field seems to go nuts. It seems to fill in 3 characters for every key press

So i can't tell if i am unable to login because I am mis-remembering the password or if it's actually messing up the password as i type it in.

I've tried this in 3 different browsers and the same thing happens with all 3.

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1 Solution
eljefe2
Master - Level 1

To add to Telcoguru's answer, my solution to avoid confusion when entering the password is to look at the keyboard, not at the monitior.  Smiley Wink

View solution in original post

10 Replies
Telcoguru
Master - Level 1

Don't worry that is normal. It is a security feature so no one can shoulder surf you while you are typing the password.

DonMorris
Newbie

I'm sure that someone with the best of intentions thought this was a security feature, but I fail to see the value. Someone looking over my shoulder sees only bullets on the screen, so they can't read my password there. Watching my fingers, however, they can see what I type regardless of this "security" feature.

What it does do, though, is render my password wallet useless, since it cannot enter the password for me. And pasting the password in is also out. Finally, I can't replace the default password with a longer, more secure, password, since typing it out is tedious—and I can't know if I fat-fingered any additional characters.

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Justin46
Legend

@DonMorris wrote:
....

What it does do, though, is render my password wallet useless, since it cannot enter the password for me. And pasting the password in is also out. ...


Really? I use KeyPass to automate the login into the router, I have the URL, login name, and password stored there, it logs into the router flawlessly every time. And I have tested pasting the password multiple times and it also works every time. So I don't know what your problem with using either technique is, but it most definitely works just fine for me.

But I do think the extra characters is a pretty stupid and useless security feature.

__________________________________
Justin
FiOS TV: Extreme HD, Internet: 50/50, Digital Voice
VMS Enhanced Service: 1 server, 2 clients
Keller, TX 76248 (VHO 1)

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jfalk1
Enthusiast - Level 3

I use LastPass, and the router login is the only device/website where it doesn't work, out of dozens of other stored passwords.  It's not a big deal, since I have it stored in LastPass, and just write it down whenever I need it.  VERY secure,

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Justin46
Legend

@jfalk wrote:

I use LastPass, and the router login is the only device/website where it doesn't work, out of dozens of other stored passwords.  It's not a big deal, since I have it stored in LastPass, and just write it down whenever I need it.  VERY secure,


Huh! That seems strange to me, LastPass is well known and widely used, ought to work IMO. My procedure with KeyPass is to open a new (blank) tab in Firefox and then have KeyPass run the following script:

Auto-Type: {URL}{ENTER}{DELAY 3000}{USERNAME}{TAB}{PASSWORD}{ENTER}

I have the 3 second delay in there because when I accessed the router wirelessly I seemed to need something, and I just made it 3 seconds to be safe, and have never tried taking it out to see what if anything happens now that I always used a wired connection.

__________________________________
Justin
FiOS TV: Extreme HD, Internet: 50/50, Digital Voice
VMS Enhanced Service: 1 server, 2 clients
Keller, TX 76248 (VHO 1)

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merk3
Enthusiast - Level 3

which password manage works might also depend on what browser you are using I'm guessing.

So might want to post the password manage version as well as the browser version and compare that.

Justin46
Legend

@merk wrote:

which password manage works might also depend on what browser you are using I'm guessing.

So might want to post the password manage version as well as the browser version and compare that.


You are absolutely right! I am using Firefox 28.0 and KeePass 1.16 (an older version, have never seen the need to update to a newer level).

__________________________________
Justin
FiOS TV: Extreme HD, Internet: 50/50, Digital Voice
VMS Enhanced Service: 1 server, 2 clients
Keller, TX 76248 (VHO 1)

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eljefe2
Master - Level 1

To add to Telcoguru's answer, my solution to avoid confusion when entering the password is to look at the keyboard, not at the monitior.  Smiley Wink

pisqsig3
Newbie

Hi I've seen this issue before and people saying it is solved, but the solution given is not the problem i'm having.  I am also on a Mac and seeing the extra characters appear when typing in my password.  The problem is that because it is doing this it is maxing out the amount of characters allows in that field and in effect deleting/overwriting the end of my password (which is only 8 characters long) preventing me from logging in.  Is there another solution to overwrite this because i do not use a password manager nor a autosave password feature and i cannot log into my router to update my security. 

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eljefe2
Master - Level 1

I usually use my Windows PC to login to my router but I just signed in with my wife's MacBook Pro and didn't see the extra characters problem.  In addition, there's a box you can check so show the characters you're typing, all the same as when using Windows and IE 11.

System:  OSX 10.9.5

Safari 7.1.4

Router:  MI424WR - I

edit:  My password is also 8 characters long.

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