Basic Configuration On Switch - I

Setting the hostname of the switch

As it is with a router, the hostname on a switch is only locally significant. This means that it doesn’t have any function on the network or with name resolution. When you boot the 1900 switch, you will get the standard user mode

Switch>enable
Switch#config t
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
Switch(config)#hostname CCNA
CCNA(config)#

Setting the User Mode and Enable Mode Passwords

In order to prevent unauthorized user connecting the switch, you can set password on switch. Both user mode and privilege mode password can be set as in router. To configure the user mode password, press K at the switch console output. To enter into enable mode, you can use enable command, then you can enter into global configuration mode by entering config t command.

After entering into global configuration mode, user mode and enable mode passwords can be by making use of enable password command.

The below shows the configuration and user mode passwords for 2950 switch.

CCNA(config)#enable password ?
  7      Specifies a HIDDEN password will follow
  LINE   The UNENCRYPTED (cleartext) 'enable' password
  level  Set exec level password
CCNA(config)#enable password level ?
  <1-15>  Level number

Level number 1 can be used to enter the user mode password. And to enter the enable mode password, use level mode 15. The password should have at least four characters but it should not be more than eight.

The example below shows how you can set both user mode and enable mode passwords on the 2920 switch.

CCNA(config)#enable password level 1 CCNA
CCNA(config)#enable password level 15 CCNA1
CCNA(config)#exit
CCNA#

To set user mode passwords for 2950 switch, follow this.

Switch>enable
Switch#configure t
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
Switch(config)#line ?
<0-16> First Line number
console Primary terminal line
vty Virtual terminal
Switch(config)#line vty ?
<0-15> First Line number
Switch(config)#line vty 0 15
Switch(config-line)#login
% Login disabled on line 1, until 'password' is set
% Login disabled on line 2, until 'password' is set
% Login disabled on line 3, until 'password' is set
% Login disabled on line 4, until 'password' is set
% Login disabled on line 5, until 'password' is set
% Login disabled on line 6, until 'password' is set
% Login disabled on line 7, until 'password' is set
% Login disabled on line 8, until 'password' is set
% Login disabled on line 9, until 'password' is set
% Login disabled on line 10, until 'password' is set
% Login disabled on line 11, until 'password' is set
% Login disabled on line 12, until 'password' is set
% Login disabled on line 13, until 'password' is set
% Login disabled on line 14, until 'password' is set
% Login disabled on line 15, until 'password' is set
% Login disabled on line 16, until 'password' is set
Switch(config-line)#password telnet
Switch(config-line)#line con 0
Switch(config-line)#password cisco
Switch(config-line)#exit
Switch(config)#exit
Switch#

Setting the Enable Secret Password

The enable secret password is the most secure password and it supersedes the enable password which means that if enable secret password is set, then there is no need to set enable password.

Note: Enable password and enable secret password are same on the 1900 switch but on 2950 switch the enable secret password and enable password has to be different.

CCNA#config t
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
CCNA(config)#enable password cisco
CCNA(config)#enable secret cisco
Enable secret password is same as enable password
This is not recommended. Re-enter the enable secret
CCNA(config)#enable secret ccna
CCNA(config)#