A Comprehensive Guide to Set Passwords on Cisco Routers!

By Amit Kataria

                            Nevertheless, security and preservation is highly crucial now-a-days. When almost everything is driven by the Internet, the chances of hacking and security breach also increase. A lot of IT experts hold the knowledge of extracting confidential information, as it is a legal professional requirement. However since it is difficult to trust people in such an increasingly immoral society, it is wise to take preventive measures and thereby avoid unwanted hassles.

Talking in terms of CISCO router, not having a password for it means serious threat to your privacy. Without passwords, extracting personal information becomes as easy as it is when you casual browse the Internet and out of nowhere lose your entire data and network infrastructure. If you do not have passwords for CISCO routers, it may enable anyone to make configuration changes they want, as well as let them shutting you out of your own network.

In just two minutes you can set passwords for your Cisco routers, which ensures a more secure router and network infrastructure. Along with a Cisco router, you wither need an Ethernet cable or console cable.

Connection Procedure

You first need to connect the CISCO router with a console or an Ethernet cable. In case of console cable, connect it to the console port of your computer. You then have to link it to the console port on the CISCO router that reads "Console," (CISCO 2600 Series Cabling and Setup) in blue writing.

An Ethernet cable needs to be connected to the computer's Local Area Network (LAN) port, which is usually located on the side of a laptop or at the rear of a desktop computer. It then needs to be connected to the Ethernet port labeled "ETHERNET 0/0" (CISCO 2600 Series Cabling and Setup) on the CISCO router.

Configuring Port Settings

Moving to step second, you are required to use the console port to access the CISCO router via the Hyper Terminal program. This program comes preinstalled with the Windows operating system. From the Start menu, select "All Programs" >"Accessories">"Communications" and click on the shortcut to Hyper Terminal.

The following port settings need to be used when prompted by Hyper Terminal:

· Bits per second: 9600

· Data bits: 8

· Parity: None

· Stop bits: 1

· Flow control: None

As an alternative, you can open a command prompt window by selecting "Run" from the Start menu. Type "cmd," in the space provided and press "Enter". In the command prompt, enter the command "telnet" followed by the IP address of the router. An example of the command line is: C:\telnet 123.156.204.12.

Command Usage

- Prior to making any changes, enter the privileged mode of the router and use the following command. You also need to ensure that the "Router>" is the default router prompt for a CISCO router.

Router>enable

- Once you enter the enable command, it will change your CISCO router prompt to:

Router#

- In order to enter the configuration mode of the CISCO router, the following command needs to be used:

Router#config

- Once you successfully enter the configuration mode, the following message will be received:

"Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z."

- After you enter the configuration mode of the CISCO router, the following prompt will be visible:

Router(config)#

Password Setting

- Now you need to set the enable password by using the command "enable password". For example, for the password "Changeme2", the command will be as follows:

Router(config)#enable password Changeme2

It is crucial that you use a strong password base when setting the enable password. The enable password is a virtual terminal password that protects access to the router over a network interface. This password is visible in the router configuration and is not stored encrypted on the CISCO router.

- We now come to the last step of setting the password. You need to set the enable secret password with the "enable secret" command.

For instance, for "Newpswd4" as the password, the command will be:

Router(config)#enable secret Newpswd4

While making password settings, it is advisable that you use a different passwords for "enable secret" and "enable password". The enable secret password is more secure and encrypted than the enable password. One can also not view the enable secret password in the CISCO router configuration.

This was a very small aspect of a technical procedure in the Cisco domain. To learn complete technologies, you need to pursue comprehensive certifications. These days a lot of institutes impart Cisco related trainings, such as CCNA courses, CCNP programmes, CCIE trainings etc. Cisco is also pretty much in demand so you can think of a certification in this area.

This article has been written with the aim of providing significant technical information to relevant IT professionals. Amit Kataria, a video editor at Koenig Solutions, has drafted this informational piece. Koenig is the world's # 1 offshore IT training service provider that offers several training programmes to students around the world. Some of these include Cisco training, Project Management training, Microsoft courses, Linux certifications, Oracle programmes etc.

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