Basic Cisco Router Configuration

Basic Router Configuration 

The administrative functions such as assigning host Names, banners, setting password and interface Configuration allow you to configure a router in the network. These functions allow easy troubleshooting and maintenance of routers. 

follow the steps to configure basic router.

Connecting to a Cisco Router

The Cisco router runs Internetwork Operating System (IOS) that manages hardware interface and security of the router. You can configure the router, verify its configuration, and access Cisco IOS through the router ports and Telnet. 

Cisco Routers have two main ports:

Console port - Allows you to obtain local administrative access to the router. This port is located behind the router as an 8 pin holder called RJ-45. You can connect the console port to the computer using rollover cable (8 wire cable).

Auxiliary port - Allows you to connect modem to the router. You can connect the modem using a straight through cable.

The Telnet program allows you to connect any active interface such as Ethernet or serial to a router. Telnet programs acts as a device that communicates with the host computer.

Connect router to PC with console cable and start configuration. 

Step:1 Verifying Router IOS version

R1#show version

R1#show flash

Step:2 checking running configuration

Router>enable

R1#show running-config

Step:3 Assigning Hostname

The hostname command allows you to change the router hostname. The default hostname assigned during router installation is Router. The hostname command operates at the configuration mode in the CLI of the router.

Router#configure terminal

Router(config)#hostname R1

R1(config)#exit

Step:4 Setting up banner (optional)

A banner is a message displayed to all the users when they access the router through Telnet, console and auxiliary ports. The banner can be used to display information about the router itself or nay kind of security message. Cisco routers allow you to enter the banner message using the banner command. You can include a banner message to prohibit unauthorized users from accessing the network. The command requires a delimiter character that appears at the end of the banner text to indicate that the banner is finished. To configure Banner type, the following commands

R1#configure terminal

R1 (config)#banner motd 'Welcome to Techxio.com'

Step:5 Setting Passwords 

The router has three types of ports, console, telnet and auxiliary. You can configure passwords for each port, these passwords work for the user exec mode. You can also configure passwords for the privileged mode using the enable password and enable secret commands,

Console passwords 

Console passwords allow you to access the router console. To set the password you must switch to the console port using the line console command.

R1#configure terminal

R1(config)#line console 0

R1(config-line)#password P4ssw0rd

R1(config-line)#login

R1(config-line)#exit

Setting up router enable mode password

R1(config)#enable password P4ssw0rd

R1(config)#

Setting up router password for telnet access

R1(config)#line vty 0 5

R1(config-line)#password P4ssw0rd

R1(config-line)#login

R1(config-line)#exit

(0 5 > 6 user can access router at a time)

Setting up router password for Auxiliary Port

R1(config)#line aux 0

R1(config-line)#password P4ssw0rd

R1(config-line)#login

R1(config-line)#exit

R1(config)#exit

Step:6 Configuring IP address on an Interface

You must plan your network before configuring the IP addresses. You need to calculate the subnet mask for the network. After calculating the subnet masks, you have to decide the router IP addresses. To configure IP addresses for the router, you have to configure the interface.

A router may consist of multiple interfaces such as:

Ethernet - Provides an interface that operates through an Ethernet card. 

Serial - Provides a general interface that can be used with any type of device. Serial interface operation through serial ports.

You can check the status of the interface using the show config command. The show interface command allows you to check the interface status.

R1#show ip interface brief

Assigning IP address to the Fast Ethernet port

R1(config)#interface Fast Ethernet 0/0

R1(config-if)#ip address 192.168.1.1 255.255.255.0

R1(config-if)#no shutdown

R1(config-if)#exit

Assigning IP address to the serial port

R1(config)#interface serial 1/0

R1(config-if)#ip address 192.168.2.1 255.255.255.0

R1(config-if)#no shutdown

R1(config-if)#clock 6400

R1(config-if)#exit

Step:7 Saving configuration in startup (NVRAM)

R1#copy running-config startup-config

Verifying Router Configuration

After you configure the router, you can verify the configuration using the show running-config command. You can use the show startup-config command to verify the configurations that would be used on reloading the router. The commands such as pig, telnet, show cdp and traceroute allow you to troubleshoot the configuration if required. Few other command that enable you to see the router configuration are:

R1#show interface

R1#show ip interface

R1#show ip interface brief

R1#show protocols

R1#show controllers 

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Basic Cisco Router Configuration