Welcome to Cisco IOS

Micah Cerasani

Apr 24, 2023 — 1 min read

Hello and welcome to Cisco IOS! In this tutorial, we'll go over the basics of navigating Cisco IOS and some common commands that you'll need to know.

First, let's talk about the command line interface (CLI). The CLI is where you'll enter all of your commands to interact with Cisco IOS. To access the CLI, you'll need to connect to your router or switch through a console cable or SSH (Learn how to set up SSH here).

Once you're connected, you'll see the prompt, which typically looks something like this:

Router>

The prompt shows you the current mode you're in. There are two main modes in Cisco IOS: user mode and privileged mode. User mode is indicated by a ">" prompt, and privileged mode is indicated by a "#" prompt.

To enter privileged mode, you'll need to enter the "enable" command and provide the enable password (if one has been set). For example:

Router> enable Password: Router#

In privileged mode, you'll have access to all of the router's configuration options.

Now, let's talk about some basic commands you'll need to know. One of the most important commands is "show." This command displays information about the current configuration of the router. For example, to see the current configuration of the interfaces, you can use the following command:

Router# show interfaces

Another important command is "configure terminal," which allows you to enter configuration mode and make changes to the router's configuration. For example, to configure an interface, you would use the following commands:

Router# configure terminal Router(config)# interface gigabitethernet0/0 Router(config-if)# ip address 192.168.1.1 255.255.255.0 Router(config-if)# no shutdown Router(config-if)# exit Router(config)# exit Router#

This set of commands configures the interface "gigabitethernet0/0" with an IP address of 192.168.1.1 and enables the interface.

There are many more commands in Cisco IOS, but these basic commands should give you a good starting point for navigating the CLI.

Thanks for reading, and happy networking!

The View from Here

I may be a place I’m not necessarily supposed to be. More to follow; stay tuned… Here's the Rest...so...EDITED If you've ever looked up to the skyline here in Seoul, you've no doubt seen loads of items similar to the one

Edgerouter X Radius Server Authentication

What the heck is RADIUS? RADIUS (Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service) is a protocol used to manage and secure network access. In simple terms, it's a system that helps ensure that only authorized users can connect to a network. Think of is as a server that network devices

To Bot or Not to Bot?

The debate over AI is far from settled. Competing views on appropriate use of generative AI chatbots range from allowing full, unfettered implementation to blocking their use altogether. Some advocate age restrictions. I wrote on the topic of AI in this post and have not been persuaded into a changed

Itching for Answers

Ah, spring! The season of renewal, blooming flowers, and... allergy-itchy skin and eyes? Yes, you read that right. I find myself battling not with the complexities of network configurations but with the irritating discomfort of dry skin and a bit of python code. At least pythons don’t bite, am

Read more

The View from Here

Edgerouter X Radius Server Authentication

To Bot or Not to Bot?

Itching for Answers