Router Fundamentals

Introduction

Cisco Router
CPU and memory management
LAN interface
WAN interface

Tools and techniques for basic router configuration

Describe the purpose and basic operation of the IOS

Identify various IOS features
Identify the methods to establish a command-line interface (CLI)
session with the router
Move between the user command executive (EXEC) and privileged
EXEC modes
Establish a HyperTerminal session on a router
Log into a router
Use the help feature in the command line interface

Routers

Router is a dedicated computer system

have both LAN and WAN interfaces.

to segment or interconnect LANs.

Routers are the backbone devices of large intranets and of

the Internet.
Operate at Layer 3 of the OSI model, making decisions
based on network addresses.
Two main functions of routers are selection of best path and
switching of packets to the proper interface.
Routers accomplish this by building routing tables and
exchanging information with other routers

CPU and RAM

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

CPU executes instructions in the operating system

OS specially written for router

Among these functions are system initialization, routing functions,

and network interface control.
1st generation of Cisco Router use Motorola 68020 CPU
High-end routers may have multiple CPUs.

Random Access Memory (RAM)

Cisco router use static RAM for performance

RAM is used for

routing table information

fast switching cache
running configuration
packet queues.

The contents of RAM are lost when power is removed

Flash Memory

Flash memory is used for storage of a full Cisco IOS

software image.

Some early version of IOS has a size of 16Mbytes

normally acquires the default IOS from flash memory. Flash is
programmable
Allows updating of IOS software without replacing the ROM chip
These images can be upgraded by loading a new image into flash.
Retained on power down
Multiple versions of IOS can be stored

Flash is relatively slow

In most routers an executable copy of the IOS is transferred to RAM

during the boot process.
similar to boot from Hard disk
In other routers the IOS may be run directly from flash.

NVRAM and ROM

Nonvolatile random-access memory

(NVRAM)

Small size. Stores backup/startup

configuration files
Content is not lost when router is
powered down or restarted

ROM

Contains small house-keeping programs

POST (Power On Self Test) are hardware

diagnostics during router bootup and
loading the Cisco IOS software from flash
to RAM
bootstrap program (loads the Cisco IOS)

ROMs are not erasable. They can only

be upgraded by replacing the ROM chips
in the sockets.

Ports / Interfaces

The three basic types of

connections on a router are

LAN interfaces
WAN interfaces
Management ports.

The LAN and WAN connections

provide network connections
through which frame packets are
passed.
The management ports provides
a text-based connection for the
configuration and troubleshooting
of the router

LAN and WAN interface of Routers

Routers can be used to segment or interconnect

LANs.
Two main functions of routers
are

selection of best path and switching of packets to the

proper interface.
Routers accomplish this by building routing tables and
exchanging information with other routers.

Routers are the backbone devices of large intranets

and of the Internet.
Router operates at Layer 3 of the OSI model,
making decisions based on network addresses.
Routers have both LAN and WAN interfaces.
Located

on motherboard or on a separate module

Connections through which packets enter and exit

Management Port Connections

The common management interfaces two ports

console (CON) port
auxiliary (AUX) port.

These are EIA-232 asynchronous serial ports.

The computer must run a terminal emulation program to provide a textbased session with the router. Through this session the network
administrator can manage the device.
The console port is recommended for this initial configuration.
The CON port is preferred over the AUX port for troubleshooting. This is
because it displays router startup, debugging, and error messages by
default.
The console port can be used for disaster and password recovery
procedures.

Once the initial configuration is entered through the CON or AUX port,
the router can be connected to the network for troubleshooting or
monitoring

Console Port

All Cisco routers include a 232 asynchronous serial

console port (RJ-45).
Cables and adapters are needed to connect a
console terminal to the console port.
To connect a PC running terminal emulation
software to the console port, use the RJ-45 to RJ45 rollover cable with the female RJ-45 to DB-9
adapter

Connecting LAN Interfaces

In most LAN environments, the router is connected

to the LAN using an Ethernet or Fast Ethernet
interface.
The router is a host that communicates with the
LAN via a hub or a switch. A straight-through cable
is used to make this connection.
In some cases the Ethernet connection of the
router is connected directly to the computer or to
another router. For this type of connection, a
crossover cable is required.
The correct interface must be used. If the wrong
interface is connected, damage can result to the
router or other networking devices.

Cisco Internetwork Operating SystemTM

(IOS)

Like a computer, the router can not operate with out

an operating system. Cisco calls there the IOS. Its
functions are:
Basic

routing and switching functions

Reliable and secure access to networked resources
Network scalability

When a Cisco router powers up, it performs a

power-up self test.
During

this self test, the router executes diagnostics from

ROM on all hardware modules
These diagnostics verify the basic operation of the CPU,
memory, and network interface ports. After verifying the
hardware functions, the router proceeds with software
initialization.

Router Start up steps

Checks hardware - POST

Loads bootstrap

A bootstrap is a simple set of instructions that tests hardware and initializes the
IOS for operation.

Loads operating system

The location is disclosed in the boot field of the configuration register.
When it is loaded and operational, the operating system locates the hardware
and software components and lists the results on the console terminal.

Loads configuration file

The configuration file saved in NVRAM is loaded into main memory and
executed one line at a time.
Start routing processes, supply addresses for interfaces

Set up mode

Should use setup to bring up a minimal configuration

Router Start up steps (2)

Establish a HyperTerminal session

All Cisco routers include a 232 asynchronous
serial console port (RJ-45).
Cables and adapters are needed to connect
a console terminal to the console port.
A console terminal is an ASCII terminal or
PC running terminal emulation software such
as HyperTerminal.
To connect a PC running terminal emulation
software to the console port, use the RJ-45
to RJ-45 rollover cable with the female RJ-45
to DB-9 adapter

Command line interface

The two basic modes : User and Privileged
modes.
User mode

Limited

mode used for checking the routers

status, looking at routing tables
You cannot configure the router
Once youve typed the password to enter user
mode, you will see the > prompt. The word
Router will be the name of the router.

Command line interface (2)

Privileged mode
Does everything User mode does
Full power to configure the router
In user mode, you enter the command enable
and then the privileged password

Switch between user & privilege mode

To return to the user EXEC mode

from the privileged EXEC mode, the
disable command or exit may be
entered.
To return to the privileged EXEC
mode from the global configuration
mode, type exit or Ctrl-Z.
Ctrl-Z may also be used to return
directly to the privileged EXEC mode
from any sub-mode of global
configuration.
router#disable
router>exit

Global Configuration mode

ROUTER#CONFIGURE TERMINAL
ROUTER(CONFIG)#
The global configuration mode can only be
accessed from the privileged EXEC mode. The
following are specific modes that can also be
accessed from the global configuration mode:
Set

the Hostname
Set enable password
Set enable secret password
Set console and virtual terminal passwords
Set routed and routing protocols
Configure interfaces with IP addresses, subnet mask

Show command

show version

show startup-config

shows information about the Flash memory device

show interfaces

displays the active configuration file

show flash

displays the backup configuration file

show running-config

show IOS software image, version,indicates configuration register

settings, bootstrap ROM version, Router up time, last restart
method,system image file and location, and router platform

displays statistics for all interfaces configured on the router

show protocols

shows the status of all configured Layer 3 protocols

Getting Help on a Command

To get a list of commands

available in either user
mode or privileged mode,
enter a ? at the prompt.
Router> ?
Router# ?
The ? can be used with a
partial command to learn
all the available
commands that match
what you entered.

Summary

Router
LAN

interfaces: Ethernet, fast-ethernet, token-ring

WAN interfaces: serial
Management console: aux, console

Functions of Routers
Path

determination and switch packet to the designated

interface

Cisco Routers
IOS
User

(EXEC) mode, Privileged (Enable) mode

Basic house keeping command: erase, reload, show