Module 2

Introduction to Routers

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 Cisco IOS Software
• As with a computer, a router or switch cannot
function without an operating system.
• The Cisco Internetwork Operating System (IOS)
• Also now used in the Catalyst switches
• IOS provides
– Basic routing & switching functions
– Access to networked resources
– Network scalability

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 Accessing the Command Line Interface
• The command line interface (CLI) is accessed
through a console session.
• A console uses a low speed serial connection
directly from a computer or terminal to the console
connection on the router.

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 Router Configuration Modes
• The Cisco CLI uses a hierarchical structure.
• This structure requires entry into different modes
to accomplish particular tasks.
• Each configuration mode is indicated with a
distinctive prompt and allows only commands that
are appropriate for that mode.

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 Router Configuration Modes
• The IOS provides a command interpreter service
known as the command executive (EXEC).
• After each command is entered, the EXEC
validates and executes the command.
• As a security feature the Cisco IOS software
separates the EXEC sessions into two access
levels.
• These levels are user EXEC mode and privileged
EXEC mode.

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 User EXEC Mode
• The user EXEC mode allows only a limited number
of basic monitoring commands.
• This is often referred to as a view only mode.
• The user EXEC level does not allow any commands
that might change the configuration of the router.
• The user EXEC mode can be identified by the >
prompt.

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 Privileged EXEC Mode
• The privileged EXEC mode provides access to all
router commands.
• This mode can be configured to require a
password.
• Configuration and management commands
require that the network administrator be at the
privileged EXEC level.
• Global configuration mode and all other more
specific configuration modes can only be reached
from the privileged EXEC mode.
• The privileged EXEC mode can be identified by the
# prompt.
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 Privileged EXEC Mode
• To access the privileged EXEC level from the user
EXEC level, enter the enable command at the >
prompt.
• If a password is configured, the router will then
ask for that password.
• For security reasons, a Cisco network device will
not show the password that is entered.
• When the correct password is entered, the router
prompt will change to #.

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 IOS software and features
• Cisco continues to develop different IOS software
images to optimize the Cisco IOS software that
these various platforms require. Each image
represents a different feature set that serves the
various device platforms, available memory
resources, and customer needs.
• Use the Cisco Software Advisor to obtain current Cisco
IOS software information.

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 IOS software and features
• The naming convention for the different Cisco IOS
releases contains three parts:
– The platform on which the image runs
– The special features supported in the image
– Where the image runs and whether it has been
zipped or compressed

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 IOS software and features
• One of the main considerations when selecting a
new IOS image is compatibility with the router
flash and RAM memory.
• Use the show version command on the Cisco
device to check the current image and available
flash.

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IOS version
•Platform
•Feature set
Boot ROM •Location to be
version used for loading
the IOS
Router up
time
System image file
Last restart & location
method

Number & type of

interfaces on the
router

Configuration
register setting
 This command will show all of the Cisco
IOS image files – not just the one that the
router booted from.
Might compare to a directory listing

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 Three Operating Environments
• The ROM monitor performs the bootstrap process
and provides low-level functionality and
diagnostics. It is used to recover from system
failures and to recover a lost password.
• It can only be accessed by way of a direct, physical
connection through the console port.
• When the router is running in boot ROM mode,
only a limited subset of the Cisco IOS feature set
is available.

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 A Router Starts Up
When a Cisco router powers up, it performs a power-on
self test (POST).

Step 1 Hardware check

Step 2 Bootstrap loader in ROM

executes

Step 3 Operating system loads

The configuration file is loaded if

Step 4 one is found in NVRAM

No configuration is in NVRAM, it
Step 5 looks for TFTP server, then
SETUP from console
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 Steps in Router Initialization

1
2
3

1
2
3

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 Setup Mode
• Setup mode is not intended to be used to enter
complex protocol features in a router.
• The purpose of the setup mode is to permit
administrators to install a basic configuration for
routers when a configuration cannot be obtained
from another source.
• In the setup mode, default answers appear in
square brackets [ ] following the question.
• Press the Enter key to use these defaults.
• During the setup process, Ctrl-C can be pressed at
any time to terminate the process.

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 Setup Mode
• The router will enter setup mode when:
– The contents of NVRAM have been erased with the
“erase start” command
– When the router is “out of the box” and has not been
initially configured
– After deleting the backup configuration and reloading
the router
• You can make the router enter setup mode by entering:
Router#setup

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 Understanding LED indicators on the
router

•This green light means that the system is on and has

initialized properly.
•An interface LED indicates the activity of the
corresponding interface.
•A problem may be indicated if an LED is off
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 Items Needed to Initially
Configure a Router

Rollover cable
DB-9-to-RJ-45 on
the PC serial port

Router
Console
port

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 Two Levels of Access
• To enter commands and configure a Cisco router, a
user must log into the router to access the user
interface.
• For security purposes, a Cisco router has two levels
of access.

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 Two Levels of Access
• To enter privileged EXEC mode, type enable at the
> prompt.
• If a password has been set, enter it at the
password: prompt.
• Two commands can be used to set a password
used to access privileged EXEC mode:
- enable password password
- enable secret password
• If both commands are used, the enable
secret command takes precedence.

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 Logging into the router
• Once into the privileged EXEC mode, it becomes the “jumping
off place to go to other configuration modes:
Router>enable
Password: xxxxxx
Router#configure terminal
Router(config)#interface serial 0
Router(config-if)#exit
Router(config)#line con 0
Router(config-line)#login
Router(config-line)#exit
Router(config)#exit Ctrl-Z or end may
be used at any time to
Router#disable return to privileged
Router> mode from anywhere
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 ROUTER MODES
Router > User mode

Router # Privileged mode

Router(config)# Global configuration mode

From the global configuration mode, you can enter specific
configuration modes
Router(config-if)# Interface configuration mode

Router(config-line)# Line configuration mode

Router(config-router)# Router configuration mode

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 Using the Help System
• ? shows available commands for a particular mode
• There are different commands for user and privileged, and
even different commands for global mode.
• show ? Would give a list of show commands
• s? would give all commands that begin with the letter “S”
• If you can’t remember the command but know what it
starts with, use the ? after the first letter or two.

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 Using the Help System

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 Using the Help System
• The --More-- prompt indicates that there are
multiple screens of output.
• When a --More-- prompt appears, press the
Spacebar to view the next available screen.
• To display just the next line, press the Return or
Enter key.
• Press any other key to return to the prompt.

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 Using the Help System

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 Editing Commands
<Ctrl><A> Move to beginning of line
<Ctrl><E> Move to the end of the line
<Esc><B> Move back one word
<Ctrl><F> Move forward one character
<Ctrl><B> Move back on character
<Esc><F> Move forward one word
$ Sign means that the line has scrolled to the left
To disable enhanced editing mode, type
terminal no editing at the privileged EXEC
mode prompt.
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 Router Command History

Maximum number of commands in the history

buffer is 256

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