To configure a Cisco 2950 switch You will need to connect a device, such as a laptop, to the console port on the switch. You will need to connect the device to the switch via a serial connection at 9600 bps. Serial ports were once common on laptops, but are uncommon today. However, you can buy devices that connect to newer laptops by a USB port, which provide a 9-pin serial connector at the other end, which can be plugged into the corresponding connector on a Cisco console cable.
Once you have the physical connection established between the device you will use to configure the switch, you will need to set the appropriate parameters within a communications program on the configuring device, e.g. 9600 bps. For a PC, you can use the Hyperterminal program that comes with versions of Windows from Windows 95 to Windows XP. Or you can use the free PuTTY program, which supports telnet, SSH, and serial connections.
When you boot the switch it will ask whether you want to enter
the initial configuration dialog. A switch or router without an
existing configuration will pause indefinitely at this point and
wait for your input. The device determines whether it has an
existing configuration or needs to be configured by testing for
the existence of a file named startup config. This
file holds all the configuration information for the device.
If the file exists, the device reads it and loads the configuration from it. If the file doesn't exist, the router prompts you as to whether you wish to enter the initial configuration dialog.
% Please answer 'yes' or 'no'. Would you like to enter the initial configuration dialog? [yes/no]: yes
To proceed answer "yes" to the question "Would you like to enter the initial configuration dialog" If you answer "no", you will exit the System Configuration Dialog and go to the user mode command prompt. The router or switch will not be configured.
Next, if you answer "yes", you are prompted as to whether you wish to go
through the Basic Management Setup process. When you answer "yes",
the device begins the setup dialog, which is a series of menulike questions
that gathers enough information to make the device operational.
At any point you may enter a question mark '?' for help. Use ctrl-c to abort configuration dialog at any prompt. Default settings are in square brackets '[]'. Basic management setup configures only enough connectivity for management of the system, extended setup will ask you to configure each interface on the system Would you like to enter basic management setup? [yes/no]: yes
To proceed, answer "yes" to the question "Would you like to enter basic
management setup?" If you answer "no", you will be taken to the extended
setup process, instead.
You will next be asked to provide a name for the device. The name can be up to 30 characters in length.
Configuring global parameters: Enter host name [Switch]:
You will next be queried for the enable secret,
the enable password, and then the virtual terminal
password.
The enable secret is a password used to protect access to privileged EXEC and configuration modes. This password, after entered, becomes encrypted in the configuration. Enter enable secret: secret1 The enable password is used when you do not specify an enable secret password, with some older software versions, and some boot images. Enter enable password: secret2 The virtual terminal password is used to protect access to the router over a network interface. Enter virtual terminal password: secret3
You will then be asked whether you wish to configure Simple Network Management (SNMP) support on the device. If you answer "yes", you will be prompted for the community string, which is similar to a password, to use for the device. If you just hit Enter, you will get the default value of "public". But, since that default value is widely known, it is advisable to specify something else, which can't be easily guessed.
Configure SNMP Network Management? [no]: yes
Community string [public]: secret4You will then be shown the current interface summary for the device.
You will see --More-- between pages of the output, which
allows you to see the complete interface summary without it scrolling
by before you have had a chance to view it. You can hit the
spacebar or Enter when the display is paused at the
--More-- prompt to see the rest of the interface summary.
Current interface summary Any interface listed with OK? value "NO" does not have a valid configuration Interface IP-Address OK? Method Status Protocol Vlan1 unassigned NO unset up down FastEthernet0/1 unassigned YES unset down down FastEthernet0/2 unassigned YES unset down down FastEthernet0/3 unassigned YES unset down down FastEthernet0/4 unassigned YES unset down down FastEthernet0/5 unassigned YES unset down down FastEthernet0/6 unassigned YES unset down down FastEthernet0/7 unassigned YES unset down down FastEthernet0/8 unassigned YES unset down down --More-- FastEthernet0/9 unassigned YES unset down down FastEthernet0/10 unassigned YES unset down down FastEthernet0/11 unassigned YES unset down down FastEthernet0/12 unassigned YES unset down down FastEthernet0/13 unassigned YES unset down down FastEthernet0/14 unassigned YES unset down down FastEthernet0/15 unassigned YES unset down down FastEthernet0/16 unassigned YES unset down down FastEthernet0/17 unassigned YES unset down down FastEthernet0/18 unassigned YES unset down down FastEthernet0/19 unassigned YES unset down down FastEthernet0/20 unassigned YES unset down down --More-- FastEthernet0/21 unassigned YES unset down down FastEthernet0/22 unassigned YES unset down down FastEthernet0/23 unassigned YES unset down down FastEthernet0/24 unassigned YES unset down down
You will then be prompted to select the interface from which you will
manage the device. If you intend to only manage the device from a system
connected to one particular interface, you can select it. Selecting a
particular interface can be useful for security reasons, but it would
be better to select Vlan1, if you would like to be able
to manage the switch from a device connected to any interface. If you
select Vlan1 you will be able to manage the switch from any
interface that is in Vlan1. Since, by default, all interfaces
are in Vlan1, that means any interface on the switch. If
you need an explanation of how VLANs work see the Wikipedia article,
Virtual LAN (VLAN).
Enter interface name used to connect to the management network from the above interface summary: Vlan1
You will then be prompted as to whether you wish to configure an IP
address on the interface and, if so, the IP configuration information
for the interface. If you don't understand how to use
subnet masks,
just hit Enter to take the default value of 255.255.255.0
Configuring interface Vlan1:
Configure IP on this interface? [yes]: yes
IP address for this interface: 192.168.0.4
Subnet mask for this interface [255.255.255.0] : 255.255.255.192
Class C network is 192.168.1.0, 26 subnet bits; mask is /26
Would you like to enable as a cluster command switch? [yes/no]: no
Since I don't have a cluster of switches, I choose no for the
prompt "would you like to enable as a cluster command switch? You
can find information on switch clusters at
Managing Clusters of Switches.
Once you hit Enter after answering the prompt about the cluster
command switch option, you will see "The following configuration command script was created:" followed by the configuration information you specified. You will
then be prompted as to whether you wish to save that information. Hit enter,
which selects the default option of 2 to save the information.
[0] Go to the IOS command prompt without saving this config. [1] Return back to the setup without saving this config. [2] Save this configuration to nvram and exit. Enter your selection [2]: Building configuration... [OK] Use the enabled mode 'configure' command to modify this configuration. Press RETURN to get started!
References:
Created: Monday July 27, 2012