Initial configuration of cisco switch

You’re new to the world of Cisco networking and You want to know how to initially configure your cisco switch. You’re in the right place.

I am going to give you the steps you need to take in order to have your Cisco Switch up and running in no time.

First of all you need to connect the Cisco Switch to a computer, because the PC is the device that can show the output coming from the Switch.

You need a console cable to connect the PC to the Console port of the Switch like you see in this figure below.

That console cable has an RJ45 connector that’s going to connect to the console port of the Switch. The console cable also has a serial RS232 connector which connect to the serial port of the Computer. But nowadays most of the computers don’t come with a Serial port. So you may need to buy a USB serial adapter

in order to connect your console cable to the PC.

Now you need to install a terminal program on the PC. This terminal program is what can get the output from the Switch. There are many Terminal programs out there. But let me give you the one i think are the most popular. Here they are :

Teraterm you can download it here

Putty you can download it here

Once you install the terminal,you need to apply the right settings

as you see below.

Bits per sec : 9600

Data bits : 8

Parity : none

Stop bits : 1

Flow control : none

This settings are what the Terminal need to properly emulate the switch .

Now leave the terminal open and power on the Switch you should see this output below

As you see the Switch ask you press RETURN to get started !

So just press the ENTER key and you will be presented with this output.

This is what we call User Exec Mode. There are three modes you can use with the Switch to configure it or to take a look at the configuration.

The User Exec Mode is what i call the Read only mode. Because in this mode you can just do some basic show commands.

So if you want to be able to do all the show commands you need to be on what we call the User Privilege Mode. From the User Exec Mode you can get to the User Privilege Mode by typing the enable command.

Once you type this command you will be presented with this output.

The last mode you will definetly need to know is the Global Configuration Mode. This mode as the name imply allows you to configure the Switch. Put in mind that they are several submodes to the Global Configuration Mode. To get this mode you have to be on the User Privilege Mode and type configure terminal . Once you accomplish that you will be presented with this output.

Now you are on the Global Configuration Mode. Here we can start configuring our Cisco Switch.

But since you are new maybe you don’t know where to get start. So i am going to give you the step by step you need to follow to do the initial configuration.

First - Assign a hostname to the Switch by using the hostname command as you see below

Second- Assign a password to protect access to the User Privilege Mode by using the enable secret command as you see below

Third – configure password to protect line console by getting to the line console configuration mode as you see below

Fourth - configure password to protect line vty for Telnet connection by getting to the line vty configuration mode as you see below

Fifht - Enable Telnet from the line vty configuration mode using the login command as you see below.

Sixth – You need to give the Switch an ip address so you will be able to remotely access it via Telnet. On the Switch there is an virtual interface called interface vlan1, so when i say virtual interface i mean it’s an interface you cannot see or touch so you have to just imagine it. To give ip address to this interface vlan1 you go to the interface vlan1 Configuration Mode as you see below

That’s all the basic configuration you need. Now you can unplug your cable and try to remotely access the Switch via Telnet. One note i would like to make is Telnet is not a secure connection because everything is sent in clear Text, so if you want to be on the safe side use what we call The SSH (Secure Shell) connection. You may ask the question why i didn ‘t show you the configuration for SSH. The reason is i have reserved a topic just for that.