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Working with Cisco: Initial Setup

Understanding Physical Indicators on Cisco Switch

a) System: Indicate primary power supply of the switch
b) RPS: Redundant Power Supply, i.e. secondary power supply of the switch.
NOTE: “Solid Green” in normal conditions, “Amber” indicates malfunctioning.
c) Modes:
a. Stat: This mode indicates whether the port is in use or not.
b. Util: Shows overall utilisation of the switch resources/power.
c. Duplex: Lit up ports that are on “Full Duplex” and ports that are not lit up considered as “half Duplex” mode.
d. Speed: Lit up ports with “100 Mbps” and leave it unlit at “10 Mbps”.

Getting Connected

a) Get a console cable:
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Fig 1 Console Cable
b) Plug the serial end into the back of your PC.
c) Plug the RJ-45 into the console port of the switch.
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Fig 2: Console port
d) Get a terminal program
- HyperTerminal
- PuTTY
- Tera Term
- Minicom
- Securecrt
e) Set it to connect via COM port with:
- Baud Rate: 9600
- Data Bits: 8
- Parity: None
- Stop Bits: 1
- Flow Control: None
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Fig 3: HyperTerminal
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Fig 4: PuTTY

Getting Started:

Observe the boot process

Can you figure out the following?
1) Model of the device
2) IOS version
3) Memory on the device.
4) Total number and type of interfaces
5) Size of NVRAM (Non-volatile memory)
Answer them here:
NOTE: The Cisco devices prompt for initial setup wizard after booting up.
SAY “NO” TO IT.
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a) Knowing where you are? Understanding IOS command modes:
DeviceName> USER MODE (Under-privileged mode)
DeviceName# PRIVILEGED MODE
DeviceName(config)# GLOBAL CONFIGURATION MODE
b) First things first...Looking for help:
Our saviour : “?” (the question mark)

Typing a “?” and hitting “Return” key will display all the available command options.
Our friend: “^” (Carat)
The position of the carat in the command line shows the point of error in command.
c) How to save time? Use of different short cuts:
- Use of UP/DOWN arrow key: To scroll through the previously typed commands on the prompt.

- Use of “TAB” key: To automatically complete any partially typed command but it has to be valid and unique.
- Use of “Ctrl + a”/”Ctrl + e”: “Ctrl +a” is use to jump to the start of the prompt and “Ctrl + e” to the end of the typed command.
- Use of abbreviations (Short Forms): Cisco IOS allows executing partially typed commands as long as they are unique and valid.

Well that's it. I think it was a bit intense to cramp up all this in the initial setup but trust me all this is required to be done to make it up n running.. initially.. Oo yess there's a lot more to it..

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