IOS [ Internetwork Operating System]

Cisco IOS is the kernel of cisco routers and most switches. Cisco IOS is a proprietary
kernel that provides routing, switching, internetworking, and telecommunication
features.
Cisco IOS software is responsible for:
a. Carrying network protocol and functions
b. Connecting high speed traffic between devices
c. Adding security to control access and stop unauthorized network use.
d. Providing scalability for ease of network growth and redundancy

You can access cisco IOS through the console port of a router, from modem to aux
port, even through telnet and SSH.

First place to connect router is through its console port. Console port is usually an RJ-
45 connection located at the back of the router.
In-band Connection – Through the program telnet.
Out-of-band Connecion – Outside of the network.
CISCO Router

Cisco 2851
Types Of Memory
• ROM – ROM Stores 4 component – POST, BootStrap program, ROMMON and
minIOS.
• Flash Memory – Flash is a non-volatile memory. It’s like a hard disk of router and it
stores IOS images.
• RAM – Stores operational information like running configuration, ARP, routing etc.
Everything in RAM is erased, if router is rebooted or powered off. RAM is volatile
memory.
• NV-RAM – Is permanent memory and stores start-up configuration files.
Connection to Switches

Connection to Router
Entering CLI
• User Mode [Exec Mode
User mode is the first/normal mode post logging into router. This mode allows users to
execute only the basic or monitoring commands like ping, view configuration, etc.
• Privileged Mode
Privileged mode allows users to view, restart etc which is used for troubleshooting purpose.
In privileged mode you can run more commands including user mode command. It is
password protected mode that can be enabled. It is also known as master mode and
system mode or kernel mode.
• Global Configuration Mode
Allows you to change the device configuration like hostname, authentication, set IP etc.
From this mode you can also access submodes for example the interface mode. They
affect the running-configuration of the router.
– Interface Mode
In this mode only the configuration of Interface is done. Assigning IP address to an interface,
bringing up the interface are the common task done in this mode.
– Routing protocol configuration mode
Routing engine level within configuration mode like RIP, OSPF, IGRP etc
– Line configuration mode
Line command specifies which line or group of lines you want to configure by entering the
line configuration mode like console, vty, tty etc.
The user execution mode:
router>
Entering into privilege mode from user execution mode:
router>enable
router#
Exiting from privilege mode to user execution mode:
router#disable
router>
Entering in global configuration mode from privilege mode:
router#configure terminal
router(config)#
Exiting from global configuration mode to privilege mode:
router(config)#exit
router#
Entering into interface mode from global configuration mode. Here we have to
specify the router’s interface.
router(config)#interface fa0/0
router(config-if)#
Exiting from interface mode to global configuration mode.
router(config-if)#exit
router(config)#
Exiting from interface mode to privilege mode.
router(config-if)#end
router#
Basic CLI commands
Using Pipe - |
Pipe is output modifier. From the long list of output before it display you choose what you
want to focus. For e.g.
Serial Interface command

By default, cisco router serial interface are all DTE [Data Terminal Equipment] devices,
which means that you must configure an interface to provide clocking, if you need
to act like a DCE device. You would not provide clocking on production T1
connection because you would have CSU/DSU connected to your serial interface.
To check if router’s serial interface has a DCE [Data Communication Equipment] cable
connected
Router#Show controllers S0/0
Configuring Serial Interface
• If you type show Interface g0/0 and notice that port is administratively down, what
command would you execute to enable the interface?
• If you want to set the user mode password to router for the console port, what
command would you type?
• If you wanted to set the enable secret password to CISCO, what command would you
type?
• How would you set the name of the router to R001?
• Saving and Erasing router configuration?
• Setting up Hostname, Description, Banner and IP address?
• Which of the following connection method available to connect to a router is
considered out-of-band?
– Serial Port
– HTTP Port
– VTY Port
– Aux Port
• Which command will show you whether a DTE or a DCE cable is plugged to serial 0?
– Sh int s0
– Sh int serial 0
– Sh controller S0
– Sh serial 0 controller
• Which command will configure all the default VTY port on a router?
– Router# line vty 0 4
– Router(Conifg)#line vty 0 4
– Router(config-if)#line vty 0 4
– Router(Config)#line vty 0 4
Internal Component of CISCO Router
Component Description
BootStrap Stored in the microcode of the ROM, the bootstrap is used to bring a
router up during initialization.

POST[Power on Self- Stored in the microcode of the ROM. It is used to check the basic
Test] functionality of the router hardware and present interface.

ROMMonitor[ROMMO Is used for manufacturing testing and troubleshooting.

N]

MiniIOS Called RXBoot or bootloader by CISCO. A small IOS in ROM for

maintenance purpose, like bringing up interface , load cisco IOS into
flash memory etc.
RAM Used to hold operational information like running-config, ARP cache ,
routing table etc.

ROM Holds the bootstrap, POST and mini IOS

FLASH Memory Stores cisco IOS by default

NVRAM Stores startup-configuration and configuration register is stored in

NVRAM.
Router Boot Sequence
• When router is powered on. It first run hardware diagnostic called Power on Self Test
[POST]
• If diagnostic is successful, then the bootstrap program loads and reads the
configuration register, bootstrap program finds and load the IOS image.
• If bootstrap fails to load IOS from all possible location, then ROM is loaded with
temporary version of IOS for troubleshooting. ROM cannot be rewrite or erased
• If IOS is found in flash memory then it load in RAM and look for start-up configuration
file.
• If IOS does not find the startup configuration file, it tries to load the configuration file
from the TFTP server. If TFTP server also does not respond then IOS is entered in the
initial configuration mode. In this mode, users are asked questions to quickly configure
the router.
• If IOS gets a start-up configuration file in NVRAM then it is loaded into RAM and it
becomes a running configuration file

Default Configuration register value = 0x2102 [ 0x2102 to 0x210F indicate load IOS from
Flash]
0x2142 value causes the router to ignore the start-up config. Used for password recovery.
Switch Boot Sequence
• When switch is powered On, switch loads a POST. POST checks CPU, DRAM and the
portion of the flash device that makes up the flash file system.
• Next, Switch loads the boot loader software. Boot loader performs low level CPU
initialization . CPU register which control where physical memory is mapped, the
quantity of memory and it’s speed.
• Next, it initialize the flash file system on the system.
• Finally, boot loader locates and load a default IOS into memory and hands control
of the switch over to the IOS.
Understanding Configuration Register
16 bits(2byte) of the configurtion register are read from 15 to 0, from left to right.
Default configuration on cisco router is 0x2102.

Software Configuration Meaning

Check the current configuration registry value

Recovering lost password

 Trivial File Transfer Protocol [ TFTP]
TFTP is the stripped down, stock version of FTP. It doesn’t give you full features like
FTP and no authentication. It’s insecure compared to FTP
TFTP uses UDP and default listening port is 69.

Backing up the CISCO IOS

Copy Source Destination
 Erasing router/switch configuration

Restoring or Upgrading Router IOS

COPY Source Destination

Backup of CISCO router/switch configuration

 Restore router/switch configuration from TFTP

CISCO IOS File system [ IFS]

IFS allows you to work with directories just as you would work with command
prompt . Most commonly commands you use are:
Mkdir
Rmdir
Copy
Delete
Erase
Show
Cisco Discovery Protocol [CDP]
CDP is a cisco proprietary protocol to help administrator collect information about
both locally attached and remote devices. You can gather hardware and protocol
information about neighbor devices, which is useful for troubleshooting.

CDP timer is how often packets are transmitted out all active interface
CDP holdtime is the amount of time that device will hold packet received
from neighbor device.
Show CDP entry * - Command display the same
information as “Show CDP neighbors detail”
To turn off Cisco Discovery Protocol [CDP]

Verify post disabling CDP

To enable CDP again back on interface

 Link Layer Discovery Protocol(LLDP) is a nonproprietary discovery protocol that
provides pretty much the same information as CDP but works in multivendor
networks.
It also enhanced to specifically address to voice application and the version is called
LLDP-MED(Media Endpoint Discovery).

IP HOST Table:
A host table provides name resolution only on to the router that it was built upon.
Default TCP port number is 23. The command to build the host table on a router is
as follows:
IP HOST host_name ip_address

The perm in the Flags column means

that the entry is manually configured. If
its said temp it would be an entry that
was resolved by DNS.