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Epsode Four PDF

This document provides a summary of basic switch configuration commands and examples to manage a Cisco switch. It explains how to navigate between command modes, set passwords, reset the switch to factory defaults, set the IP address and default gateway, add interface descriptions, clear the MAC address table, and use show commands to view switch information and interface status. Configuration topics covered include setting local authentication, enabling virtual terminal lines, and saving the running configuration.

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63 views

Epsode Four PDF

This document provides a summary of basic switch configuration commands and examples to manage a Cisco switch. It explains how to navigate between command modes, set passwords, reset the switch to factory defaults, set the IP address and default gateway, add interface descriptions, clear the MAC address table, and use show commands to view switch information and interface status. Configuration topics covered include setting local authentication, enabling virtual terminal lines, and saving the running configuration.

Uploaded by

abenezer milkias
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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EPSODE THREE

SWITCH
CONFIGURATION
Basic Switch Configuration Guide with
Examples
This tutorial explains basic switch
configuration commands in detail with
examples. Configuration and commands
explained in this tutorial are essential
commands to manage a Cisco switch
effectively.
•
Learn how to configure and manage a
Cisco Switch step by step with this basic
switch commands and configuration guide.

To explain basic switch configuration


commands, I will use packet tracer
network simulator software. You can use
any network simulator software or can use
a real Cisco switch to follow this guide.
•
Navigating between different switch command
modes

Cisco switches run on proprietary OS known as


Cisco IOS. IOS is a group of commands used for
monitoring, configuring and maintaining cisco
devices.
For security and easy administration, IOS
commands are divided in the set of different
command modes. Each command mode has its
own set of commands. Which commands are
available to use, depend upon the mode we are in.
Following table lists necessary commands to navigate between

different IOS modes with examples.


witch provides two types of context
sensitive help, word help and command
syntax help.
Word help
Word help is used to get a list of available
commands that begin with a specific letter.
For example if we know that our command
begins with letter e, we can hit enter key after
typing e? at command prompt. It will list all
possible commands that begin with letter e.
Command syntax help
Command syntax help can be used to get the list
of keyword, commands, or parameters that are
available starting with the keywords that we had
already entered. Enter ? (Question mark) after
hitting Space key and prompt will return with the
list of available command options. For example to
know the parameters required by show ip
command type show ip ? and prompt will return
with all associate parameters. If prompt returns
with <CR> only as an option, that means means
switch does not need any additional parameters
to complete the command
How to set password on a Catalyst switch

Passwords are used to restrict physical access to switch.


Cisco switch supports console line for local login and VTYs
for remote login. All supported lines need be secure for
User Exec mode. For example if you have secured VTYs
line leaving console line unsecure, an intruder can take
advantage of this situation in connecting with device. Once
you are connected with device, all remaining authentication
are same. No separate configuration is required for further
modes.
VTY term stand for virtual terminal such as telnet
or SSH. Switch may support up to thousand VTYs
lines. By default first five (0 - 4) lines are enabled.
If we need more lines, we have to enable them
manually. 2960 Series switch supports 16 lines.
We can set a separate password for each line, for
that we have to specify the number of line. In our
example we set a common password for all lines.
Two global configuration commands are used to
set local user database.
Both commands do same job. Advantage of
using secret option over password option is
that in secret option password is stored in
MD5 encryption format while in password
option password is stored in plain text format.

Along with User Exec mode we can also


secure Privilege Exec mode. Two
commands are available for it.
How to reset switch to factory defaults

During the practice several times we have to reset switch to


factory defaults. Make sure you don't run following
commands in production environment unless you
understand their effect clearly. Following commands will
erase all configurations. In production environment you
should always takes backup before removing
configurations. In LAB environment we can skip backup
process.
How to set IP address in Switch

•IP address is the address of device in network. Switch


allows us to set IP address on interface level. IP address
assigned on interface is used to manage that particular
interface. To manage entire switch we have to assign IP
address to VLAN1( Default VLAN of switch). We also have
to set default gateway IP address from global configuration
mode. In following example we would assign IP
172.16.10.2 255.255.255.0 to VLAN1 and set default
gateway to 172.16.10.1.
How to set interface description

Switches have several interfaces. Adding description to interface is a


good habit. It may help you in finding correct interface. In following
example we would add description Development VLAN to interface
FastEthernet 0/1.
How to clear mac address table
Switch stores MAC addresses in MAC address table.
Gradually it could be full. Once it full, switch
automatically starts removing old entries. You can
also clear these tables manually from privileged exec
mode. To delete all entries use following command
show version
show version command provides general information
about device including its model number, type of
interfaces, its software version, configuration settings,
location of IOS and configuration files and available
memories.
show mac-address-table
•Switch stores MAC address of devices those are
attached with its interfaces in CAM table. We can
use show mac-address-table command to list all
learned devices. Switch uses this table to make
forward decision.
show running-config
•Configuration parameter values are created, stored,
updated and deleted from running configuration.
Running configuration is stored in RAM. We can use
show running-config command to view the running
configuration.
show startup-config
Any configuration stored in RAM is erased when devices is
turned off. We can save running configuration in NVRAM. If
we have saved running configuration in NVRAM, it would
be automatically loaded back in RAM from NVRAM during
the next boot. As switch load this configuration back in
RAM in startup of device, at NVRAM it is known as startup-
config.
show vlan
show vlan command will display the VLANs. For
administrative purpose, switch automatically create VLAN 1
• and assign all its interfaces to it. You can create custom
VLANs from global configuration mode and then assign

them to interfaces.
show interface
show interface command displays information about
interfaces. Without argument it would list all interfaces. To
get information about specific interface we need to pass its
interface number as an argument. For example to view
details about FastEthernet 0/1, use show interface
fastethernet 0/1.
First line from output provides information about the status of interface.
The first up indicates the status of the physical layer,
and the second up indicates to the status of the data
link layer.
Possible interface status
up and up :- Interface is operational.
up and down :- Its data link layer problem.
down and down :- Its physical layer problem.
Administratively down and down :- Interface is
disabled with shutdown command.
Possible values for physical layer status
Up :- Switch is sensing physical layer signal.
Down :- Switch is not sensing physical layer signal.
Possible reasons could be cable is not connected, wrong
cable type is used and remote end device is turned off.
Administratively down :- Interface is disabled by using
shutdown command.
Possible values for data link layer status
Up :- The data link layer is operational.
Down :- The data link layer is not operational. Possible
reasons could be a disabled physical layer, missed keep
alives on a serial link, no clocking or an incorrect
encapsulation type.
how ip interface brief is a extremely useful command to get
quick overview of all interfaces on switch. It lists their status
including IP address and protocol.
THE END OF CHAPTER !!!!!!!!!!

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