I totally admit to not being" WiFi network set up savvy". You can tell by the way I worded the statement. But am I missing something on this one - and I probably am ... if the OP is trying to connect his iPhone to his own WiFi network that he was using with a Mac (if that is what he was doing) - would he not be able to recover that password by using Keycahin Access like I described?
I used Keychain Access (on my MacBook) to recover passwords to previously joined networks at a friend's house and at my brother's house so I could use my iPad and iPod Touch there without having to ask for the passwords again.