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Component Description
RAM Random access memory contains the software and data structures that allow the
router to function. The principle software running in RAM is the Cisco IOS image
and the running configuration.
ROM Read-only memory contains microcode for basic functions to start and maintain
the router.
Flash memory Flash is primarily used to contain the IOS software image. Some routers run the
IOS image directly from Flash and do not need to transfer it to RAM.
NVRAM Non-volatile random access memory is mainly used to store the configuration.
NVRAM uses a battery to maintain the data when power is removed from the
router.
Configuration The configuration register is used to control how the router boots up.
Register
Interfaces The physical connections to the external world for the router. These interfaces
include the following types:
When power is initially applied to a router, events occur in a particular process order:
When a Cisco router powers up, it performs a Power-On Self Test (POST). During this self test, the router
executes diagnostics to verify the basic operation of the CPU, memory, and interface circuitry.
After verifying the hardware functions, the router proceeds with software initialization.
Some startup routines act as fallback operations that are able to perform the router startup should other
routines be unable to do so. This flexibility allows Cisco IOS software to start up in a variety of initial situations.
If no valid configuration file exists in NVRAM, the operating system executes a question-driven initial
configuration routine referred to as the system configuration dialog. This special mode is also called
the setup dialog.
As discussed earlier, for security purposes, the EXEC has two levels of access to commands:
• User mode - Typical tasks include those that check the router status.
• Privileged mode - Typical tasks include those that change the router configuration.
When you first log in to the router, you will see a user-mode prompt. EXEC commands available in user mode
are a subset of the EXEC commands available in privileged mode. For the most part, these commands allow
you to display information without changing router configuration settings.
To access the full set of commands, you must first enable privileged mode with the enable command and
supply the enable secret password. Your EXEC prompt will then show as a pound sign (#) while you are in this
mode.
From the privileged level, you can also access global configuration mode and the other specific
configuration modes. These modes include interface, sub-interface, line, router, route-map, and several
others.
What are the CLI Command Modes?
The first method of configuration presented was the setup utility. Setup allows a basic initial
configuration to be created. For more complex and specific configurations, we can use the command
line interface to enter terminal configuration mode.
Accessing the Modes
Error
message Message Meaning How to Get Help
% Ambiguous You did not enter enough Reenter the command followed by a question mark (?)
command: "show characters for your device with no space between the command and the
con" to recognize the question mark. The possible keywords that you can
command. enter with the command are displayed.
% Incomplete You did not enter all of the Reenter the command followed by a question mark (?)
command. keywords or values with a space between the command and the question
required by this command. mark.
% Invalid input You entered the command Enter a question mark (?) to display all of the
detected at '^' incorrectly. The caret (^) commands or parameters that are available in this
marker. marks the point of the mode.
error.
Viewing the Configurations
The show running-config and show startup-config commands are among the most used Cisco IOS
software EXEC commands. They allow an administrator to see the current running configuration in RAM on the
router or the startup configuration commands in NVRAM that the router will use on the next restart.
Recognizing the Active and Backup Configurations
Confusion can sometimes occur between these two commands. Learning to recognize what you are
viewing will help.
To do.
• Show
• Copy
• Hostname
• Password
Configuring Router Passwords You can secure your router by using passwords to restrict access. Passwords
can be established both on individual lines and to the privileged EXEC mode. Passwords are case sensitive.
Procedure for Configuring Router Passwords The procedure outlined in the following table describes how to
configure passwords on a router.
Router(config)#line console 0
Router(config-line)#login
Router(config-line)#password cisco
2. Set a login password on incoming Telnet sessions by The numbers 0 4 specify the number of Telnet
using the line vty 0 4 command followed by the login sessions allowed in the router. You can also
and password subcommands . set up a different password for each line by
using the line vty port number command.
Router(config)#line vty 0 4
Router(config-line)#login
Router(config-line)#password sanjose
3. Set restricted access to the privileged EXEC mode Disable the privileged EXEC mode password
using the enable password global command. using the no enable password command.