Configure and verify initial switch configuration including remote access management

Exam: Cisco 200-301 - Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)

The basic configuration of a switch involves configuring network setting and setting password on a switch. After performing basic configurations on a switch, you can customize and manage a switch using the device manager.

Perform Basic Configuration for Catalyst Switch through UI

The prerequisites

The prerequisites for the basic configuration of catalyst switch through UI (User Interface) are: A Windows PC with Windows XP/2000 or later version installed on it, a web browser application installed on PC, and a crossover cable to connect PC to the switch.

To perform the basic configuration on switch, you need to follow the steps given below:

1. Make sure that nothing is connected to switch and then power the switch. The POST (Power on self test) starts on the switch.

2. Press Setup button on the switch and connect the switch to the PC with crossover cable.

3. Wait for the SETUP LED to turn green to start a browser session on the PC. The setup window appears automatically on PC.

If Setup window does not appear automatically then you need to find out the default gateway configured on your PC and then type it in your web browser window to go to the setup window to view the setup window.

You can find out the default gateway by typingIP configcommand. The default gateway is required because a switch configures its management address as the default gateway for the LAN adapter card.

The setup window displays the following fields:

Management Interface (VLAN): Keep the default setting (1) for this field. The management interface or VLAN is the logical interface to manage the switch. It is used to establish an IP connection to the switch. The IP address is never configured on the switch port directly. Rather it is configured on the management VLAN, which is by default VLAN 1.
IP Assignment Mode: SelectStaticoption if you want the switch to always use the IP address that you assign to it else use DHCP if you are using a DHCP server on your network and want the switch to automatically obtain an IP address from a DHCP server. For this example, select Static option.
IP Address: Provide the IP address for the switch. Configuring an IP address on the switch is not necessary for the functioning of switch. However, it is important to configure the IP address on the switch is to manage it through VLAN. As mentioned above, the IP address can be assigned to the switch only through VLAN. It cannot be assigned directly on the switch port.
Subnet Mask: Select the subnet mask from the drop-down list.
Default Gateway: Provide the IP address of the router. The default gateway allows you tomanage the switchremotely.The remote management would allow hosts from outside the management VLAN to access the switch for administrative purposes.
Username: Provide a unique username.
Password: Enter a password and then confirm the password by retyping the password in theConfirm Passwordfield.
Optional Settings: Provide a Host Name for the switch. The date and time fields are automatically populated with your PC’s date and time.

4. Click Submit to save the initial configuration of the switch that you have made.

Configure switch using Command Line Interface

You can configure the switch through Command line interface also by typing the following commands at the<Switch> prompt:

1. Go to the privileged exec mode of the switch by using enable command.

Switch> enable

Password: testpass

Switch#

2. Set the system time.

Switch# clock set 20:09:01 3 July 2014

3. Verify the time.

Switch# show clock

20:09:06.079 UTC Thu July 3 2014

4. Go to global configuration mode.

Switch# configure terminal

Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.

Switch (config)#

5. Configure hostname for the switch and then press enter.

Switch (config)# hostname Switch1

6. Set location information on the switch.

Switch1 (config)# banner motd c 2000, N. Glebe Road, Cheektowaga, 89131 c

7. Configure secret password, and press Return.

The secret password is encrypted.

Switch1 (config)# enable secret testsectpass

8. Configure an enable password, and press Return.The enable password is in plain text.

Switch1 (config)# enable password testenblpass

9. Configure a virtual terminal (Telnet) password, and press Return.

Switch1 (config)# password termpass

Switch1 (config)# line vty 0 15

10. Configure the interface that connects to the management network.

Switch1 (config)# ip routing

Switch1 (config)# interface gigabitethernet 3/24

Switch1 (config-if)# no switchport

Switch1 (config-if)# no shutdown

Switch1 (config-if)# ip address 10.14.122.107 255.0.0.0

Switch1 (config-if)# exit

11. Exit from global configuration mode:

Switch (config)# exit

Switch #

12. Verify your configuration.

Switch1# show run

13. Configure a default route.

Switch1(config)#ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 172.16.10.11

14. Verify the IP information by using the show ip interface brief and show ip route commands.

Switch1# show ip interface brief

Interface IP-Address OK? Method Status Protocol

Vlan1 10.4.220.206 YES manual up up

FastEthernet1 unassigned YES unset up up

!--- Output suppressed.

Switch1# show ip route

Codes: C - connected, S - static, I - IGRP, R - RIP, M - mobile, B - BGP

D - EIGRP, EX - EIGRP external, O - OSPF, IA - OSPF inter area

N1 - OSPF NSSA external type 1, N2 - OSPF NSSA external type 2

E1 - OSPF external type 1, E2 - OSPF external type 2, E - EGP

i - IS-IS, L1 - ISIS level-1, L2 - ISIS level-2, ia - ISIS inter area

* - candidate default, U - per-user static route, o - ODR

P - periodic downloaded static route

Gateway of last resort is 172.16.10.11 to network 0.0.0.0

172.16.10.0/24 is subnetted, 1 subnets

C 172.16.11.0 is directly connected, Vlan1

S* 0.0.0.0/0 [1/0] via 172.16.11.11

Switch1#

15. Save the running configuration:

Switch1# copy system:running-confignvram:startup-config

You have now successfully completed the initial configuration on the switch.

Exam Question

Which of the following options would you configure on a switch to manage the switch remotely?

IP address
VLAN
Default gateway
Subnet Mask

Answer: C

The switch can be configured to be managed remotely by configuring default gateway on the switch.

Related IT Guides