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Passing The CCNA and CCNP Exams: Setup Mode |
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CCNA and CCNP candidates need to know all about Setup Mode,
why a router goes into that mode, and as you'll see, how to
get out of that mode. Practicing Setup Mode at work is a good
way to get fired, though, so you need to practice this on
your CCNA / CCNP home lab or rack rental. In this article,
we'll take a look at a Cisco 2500 router going into setup
mode and a few tips that will help you pass the exams and
excel at your job.
First, why does a router go into Setup Mode in the first
place? When a Cisco router boots up, the router looks into
Non-Volatile RAM (NVRAM) for the startup configuration file.
If such a file is not found, and the router has not been programmed
to look to a TFTP server for this file, the router enters
setup mode.
The most common reason for a router not to have a startup
configuration file is that the file's been erased. We will
now erase this file on our 2500 router. As you'll see, the
Cisco router warns us about erasing NVRAM and makes us confirm
this choice, which it acknowledges with the OK message.
R1#write erase
Erasing the nvram filesystem will remove all files! Continue?
[confirm]
[OK]
Erase of nvram: complete
R1#
The router will now be reloaded. There is a slightly misleading
message displayed during reboot:
R1#reload
Proceed with reload? [confirm]
00:15:21: %SYS-5-RELOAD: Reload requested
System Bootstrap, Version 11.0(10c)XB1, PLATFORM SPECIFIC
RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1)
Copyright (c) 1986-1997 by cisco Systems
2500 processor with 14336 Kbytes of main memory
Notice: NVRAM invalid, possibly due to write erase.
That notice doesn't mean the NVRAM is corrupt or unusable;
this message means the NVRAM doesn't have a startup configuration
file.
The router will continue to boot and finally present you
with this prompt:
--- System Configuration Dialog ---
Would you like to enter the initial configuration dialog?
[yes/no]:
Almost every WAN engineer I know answers "no" to
this question, because Setup Mode is a long, clumsy way to
set up a router (in my humble opinion). We will answer "yes"
in order to see this mode in action.
--- System Configuration Dialog ---
Would you like to enter the initial configuration dialog?
[yes/no]: y
At any point you may enter a question mark '?' for help.
Use ctrl-c to abort configuration dialog at any prompt.
Default settings are in square brackets '[]'.
Basic management setup configures only enough connectivity
for management of the system, extended setup will ask you
to configure each interface on the system
Would you like to enter basic management setup? [yes/no]:
y
Configuring global parameters:
Enter host name [Router]: R1
The enable secret is a password used to protect access to
privileged EXEC and configuration modes. This password, after
entered, becomes encrypted in the configuration.
Enter enable secret:
% No defaulting allowed
Enter enable secret:
Already, there's something about Setup Mode that you might
not like. This mode forces you to set an enable password and
an enable secret password. As you continue in this mode, you'll
see this mode ask you questions about every single interface
on the router, even if you're not planning to use that interface.
Using Setup Mode really does get quite old after a while,
again in my opinion.
One of the most important things about Setup Mode is knowing
how to get out of it without saving the configuration. One
way is at the very end of this mode, where you can answer
"no" to "Do you want to save this configuration?"
I personally never make it that far! Instead of waiting until
the end of Setup Mode, we can use the CTRL-C key combination
to abort this mode and ignore the changes.
Configuration aborted, no changes made.
Press RETURN to get started!
Setup Mode is not a mode that CCNA and CCNP candidates get
a great deal of practice with, but you will be tested on your
knowledge about it both in the exam room and on the job. And
once you start configuring a router with this mode, you'll
be glad you know how to get out of it!
About the Author:
Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage,
home of free CCNA and CCNP tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study
Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages. For a FREE copy
of his latest e-books, “How To Pass The CCNA” and
“How To Pass The CCNP”, visit the website and download
your free copies. You can also get FREE CCNA and CCNP exam
questions every day! Pass the CCNA exam with The Bryant Advantage!
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