Q I have a Netgear router, to which I try to connect to as ‘Apple Network 6ac86d’. When setting up my iPad WiFi, I am asked not just for a password, which I understand is the WPA password set in the router, but it also asks for a User Name. How can I find out what my User Name is?

A You need to be watchful when connecting in this way to understand exactly which service is prompting you for information to complete its sign-on process. Unfortunately not all services identify themselves clearly, and you can readily become confused and enter, say, your iCloud details for the router connection, which will of course not work.

If this dialog is being generated from the WiFi connection process, then you should try entering the SSID for the User Name. In this Netgear model, as on most, this is shown on the outside of the router.

You can also check details like this by connecting your Mac to the router using Ethernet cable, and pointing your browser at the router’s default IP address, typically 192.168.0.1. Log into its admin interface using the default user name and password of ‘admin’ and ‘password’ respectively.

Updated from the original, which was first published in MacUser volume 28 issue 12, 2012.