CCNA Exploration Network Fundamentals

Chapter 11

Configuring and Testing Your Network

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Objectives
Define the role of the Internetworking Operating System (IOS)
Define the purpose of a configuration file

Identify several classes of devices that have the IOS embedded

Identify the factors contributing to the set of IOS commands available to a device Identify the IOS modes of operation Identify the basic IOS commands

Compare and contrast the basic show commands

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Configuring Intermediary Devices

Internetworking Operating System (IOS) and the related configuration files are used to configure the devices

Rollover cable Terminal emulator program

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IOS
IOS is the system software in Cisco devices
basic routing and switching functions reliable and secure access to networked resources network scalability

Stored in flash memory

contents in memory are not lost when the device loses power allows the IOS to be upgraded to newer versions

Supports different feature sets

security addressing interfaces routing QoS managing resources

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Access Methods
Console
also known as the CTY line uses a low-speed connection to a computer or terminal a management port that provides out-of-band access used to access a device when the networking services have not been started or have failed initial configuration of the device password recovery disaster recovery procedures and troubleshooting when remote access is not possible

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Access Methods (contd)

Telnet or Secure Shell (SSH)
Telnet sessions require active networking services on the device network device must have at least one active interface configured with a Layer 3 IPv4 address establish a password for virtual terminal line (VTY) connection SSH provides stronger password authentication than Telnet and uses encryption when transporting session data

AUX
establish a CLI session remotely via a telephone dialup connection using a modem connected to the AUX port can also be used locally when there are problems using the console port

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Configuration Files
Configuration files contain the software commands used to customize the device Startup configuration file
used during startup to configure the device stored in NVRAM loaded into RAM

Running configuration file

used to operate the device stored in RAM changes to the running configuration must be saved

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IOS Modes
CLI uses a hierarchical structure for the modes
user executive mode (user EXEC) privileged executive mode (privileged EXEC) global configuration mode specific configuration mode

Each mode is used to accomplish particular tasks

a set of instructions available for that mode only

Each mode is distinguished with a distinctive prompt Hierarchical modal structure can be configured to provide security
different authentication can be used to control the level of access

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IOS Mode Hierarchical Structure

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Command Prompts
Each mode is uniquely identified by a command-line prompt
prompt is composed of words and symbols to the left every prompt begins with the device name by default
user executive privileged executive global configuration interface

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IOS Primary Modes

User EXEC mode
limited capabilities but is useful for some basic operations first entrance into the CLI of a router allows only a limited number of basic monitoring (view-only) commands by default no authentication required to access the user EXEC mode identified by the prompt ending with the > symbol

Privileged EXEC mode

allows the execution of configuration and management commands identified by the prompt ending with the # symbol by default privileged EXEC requires no authentication global configuration mode and all other specific configuration modes can be reached from this mode
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Moving Between User EXEC and Privileged EXEC Modes

The enable and disable commands are used to change the CLI between the user EXEC mode and privileged EXEC mode
IOS prompts for a password if password authentication is configured
password is not displayed when typed

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Command Structure
Command is the initial word entered in the command line
commands are not case-sensitive

Following the command is one or more keywords and arguments

keywords describe specific parameters to the command interpreter an argument is a value or variable defined by the user an argument can be any text string of up to 80 characters

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IOS Command Conventions

Convention Description
Boldface text indicates commands and keywords that are entered literary as shown Italics [X] | [X | Y]
{X | Y}

Italic text indicates arguments where the user supplies values Square brackets enclose an optional element (keyword or argument) A vertical line indicates a choice within an optional or required set of keywords or arguments Square brackets enclosing keywords or arguments separated by a vertical line indicate an optional choice Braces enclosing keywords or arguments separated by a vertical line indicate a required choice

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IOS Command Examples

Router> ping IP address
the argument is the IP address

Switch> traceroute IP address

the argument is the IP address

Router(config-if)# description string

the argument applied to the interface is the text string the text string is 80 characters long

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CLI Help
Context-sensitive help
provides a list of commands and the arguments associated with those commands within the context of the current mode enter the question mark, ?, at any prompt without the Enter key get a list of available commands at the CLI prompt display a list of commands or keywords that start with a specific character or characters determine which options, keywords or arguments are matched with a specific command

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CLI Help (contd)

Command syntax help
when a command is submitted by pressing the Enter key, the command interpreter parses the command from left to right if the interpreter understands the command, the requested action is executed and the CLI returns to the appropriate prompt if the interpreter cannot understand the command being interpreted, it will provide feedback describing what is wrong with the command

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CLI Help (contd)

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Hot Keys and Short Cuts

CLI Line Editing Tab Backspace Ctrl-D Ctrl-K Esc D Ctrl-U or Ctrl-X Ctrl-W Ctrl-A Left arrow or Ctrl-B Completes a partial command name entry. Erases the character to the left of the cursor. Erases the character at the cursor. Erases all character from the cursor to the end of the command line. Erases all character from the cursor to the end of the word. Erases all character from the cursor back to the beginning of the command line. Erases the word to the left of the cursor. Moves the cursor to the beginning of the line. Moves the cursor one character to the left.

Esc B
Esc F Right arrow or Ctrl-F Ctrl-E Up arrow or Ctrl-P Ctrl-R or Ctrl-l or Ctrl-L

Moves the cursor one word to the left.

Moves the cursor one word to the right. Moves the cursor one character to the right. Moves the cursor to the end of the command line. Recalls commands in the history buffer, beginning with the most recent commands. Redisplays the system prompt and command line after a console message is received.

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Hot Keys and Short Cuts (contd)

At the -----More----- prompt

Enter key
Space key Any alphanumeric key

Displays the next line.

Displays the next screen (page). Returns to the EXEC prompt.

Break keys Ctrl-C Ctrl-Z Ctrl-Shift-6

Note: When in any configuration mode, ends the configuration mode and returns to privileged EXEC mode. When in setup mode, aborts back to command prompt. When in any configuration mode, ends the configuration mode and returns to privileged EXEC mode. All-purpose break sequence. Use to abort DNS lookups, traceroutes and pings.

Delete, the key to erase to the right of the cursor, is not recognized by terminal emulation programs. Control key press and hold the Ctrl key and then press the specified letter key. Escape sequences press and release the Esc key, and then press the letter key

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Abbreviated Commands or Keywords

Commands and keywords can be abbreviated to the minimum number of characters that identifies a unique selection
configure command can be abbreviated to conf
only command that begins with conf con will not work because more than one command begins with con

show command can be abbreviated to sh show interfaces can be abbreviated to show int or sh int
keyword is abbreviated both the command and keyword are abbreviated

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Examination Command
The show command is the basic examination command to verify and troubleshoot network operation Use the show ? command to get a list of available commands

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show version
Displays information about the currently loaded software version, along with the hardware and device information
IOS software version (stored in flash), bootstrap version (stored in boot ROM), system up-time, system restart info, software image name, router type and processor type, memory type and allocation (shared/main), software features, hardware interfaces and configuration register

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show Commands
Command
show arp show mac-address-table show startup-config show running-config show ip interfaces show ip interface slot/port show ip interface brief

Description
Displays the ARP table of the device. Displays the MAC table of a switch. Displays the saved configuration in NVRAM. Displays the contents of the currently running configuration file or configuration for a specific interface, or map class information. Displays IPv4 statistics for all interfaces on a router. Displays the statistics for a specific interface. Displays a quick summary of the interfaces and their operational state.

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IOS Configuration Modes

Global configuration mode
primary configuration mode changes are made that affect the operation of the device as a whole configure terminal (or conf t) command takes the device from the privileged EXEC mode to the global configuration mode

Specific configuration mode

allows the configuration of a particular part or function of the IOS device interface mode configures one of the network interfaces line mode configures one of the lines router mode configures the parameters for one of the routing protocols

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Navigating Between Modes

enable User EXEC Router> disable Privileged EXEC Router# configure terminal

specific
exit Specific config Router(config-x)# specific Global config

exit

Router(config)#

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Devices Need Names

Factory assigned default names can create confusion during network configuration and maintenance Important to have confirmation that an attachment has been made to the proper device when accessing using Telnet or SSH A unique hostname should be configured for each device
start with a letter no space between characters end with a letter or digit can have characters of only letters, digits and dashes not more than 63 characters

Document the names

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Applying Names
The hostname is configured in global configuration mode
consider the location and purpose of the device

The no hostname command removes the hostname and revert to the factory default hostname

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Configuring Passwords
Passwords are the primary defense against unauthorized access
every device should have locally configured passwords to limit access

Use different authentication passwords for each of these levels of access

console password enable password enable secret password VTY password

use passwords that are more than eight characters in length use a combination of upper and lower case and/or numeric sequences avoid using the same password for all devices avoid using common words such as password and administrator
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Use strong passwords that are not easily guessed

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Console Passwords
Limits device access using the console connection The console port of a device has special privileges
it must be secured with a strong password to prevent unauthorized personnel plugging a cable into the device and gaining access

The line console 0 command is used to enter the line configuration mode for the console

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Enable and Enable Secret Passwords

Enable and enable secret passwords limit access to the privileged EXEC mode The enable secret command uses a strong encrypted password for greater security The IOS prevents privileged EXEC access from a Telnet session if no enable password or enable secret password is set

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Virtual Terminal Password

The vty lines allow access to a device via Telnet A password needs to be set for all available vty lines
the same password can be set for all five vty connections often desirable that a unique password is set for one line as a fall-back for administrative entry to the device

Login command prevents Telnet access without first acquiring authentication

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Encrypting Password Display

All passwords are shown in plain text when viewing the configuration file
only the enable secret password is encrypted the unencrypted passwords are visible in the configuration file when the show running-config or show startup-config command is executed

The service password-encryption command applies weak encryption to all unencrypted password
encryption does not apply to passwords sent over the media keeps unauthorized individuals from viewing passwords in the configuration file once encryption is applied, removing the encryption service does not reverse the encryption

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Login Banner Messages

Provide a method for declaring only authorized personnel should attempt to gain entry into the device Banners can be an important part of the legal process in the event that someone is prosecuted for breaking into a device Any wording that implies a login is welcome or invited is not appropriate The banner can include scheduled system shutdowns and other useful information that affects all network users

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Modifying A Running Configuration

Make the changed configuration the new startup configuration
use the appropriate show command to verify the devices operation use the copy run start command to save the active configuration to NVRAM

Return the device to its original configuration

restart the device using the reload command do not save the changes when the reload is initiated

Remove all configuration from the device

use the erase startup-config to remove the startup config if undesired changes are saved

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Backing Up Configurations
Configuration files can be stored on a Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) server, a CD, a USB memory stick or a floppy disk
Use the copy running-config tftp command to save the active configuration to a TFTP server
specify the IP address of the TFTP server

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Backup Configurations With Text Capture

The active configuration can be saved to a text document using a terminal emulation program such as HyperTerminal Configuration file can be edited or reuse later Start the text capture process
Transfer Capture Text specify a filename and location to save click Start to begin the text capture

Execute the show running-config command

text displayed in the terminal window will be placed in the chosen file

Stop the text capture process

Transfer Capture Text Stop

View the output to verify contents of the file

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Restoring Text Configurations

Open the text document containing the saved configuration using a text editor program such as Notepad Copy all the text displayed in the Notepad
On the Edit menu in the HyperTerminal window, click Paste to Host
device must be in global config mode before pasting

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Configuring Interfaces
All interfaces are accessed by issuing the interface command at the global configuration prompt.
In the following commands, the type argument includes serial, ethernet, fastethernet, and others:

Router(config)# interface type port Router(config)# interface type slot/port Router(config)# interface type slot/subslot/port
The following command is used to administratively turn off the interface:

Router(config-if)# shutdown
The following command is used to turn on an interface that has been shutdown:

Router(config-if)# no shutdown
The following command is used to quit the current interface configuration mode:

Router(config-if)# exit
When the configuration is complete, the interface is enabled and interface configuration mode is exited.
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Ethernet and Serial Interfaces

Ethernet interfaces are used as gateways for the end devices on the LAN directly connected to the router Serial interfaces require a clock signal to control the timing of the communications

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Interface Description
An interface description indicates the purpose of the interface A description can assist in determining the devices or locations connected to the interface
Circuit and contact information can also be embedded in the interface description A description provides useful information for support personnel to understand the scope of the problem which can lead to reaching a resolution faster
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Configuring a Switch
A LAN switch is an intermediary device that interconnects segments and devices within a network
physical interfaces do not have an IP address unlike a router where the physical interfaces are connected to different network segments

Switch interfaces are enabled by default

no shutdown command is not required

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Configuring a Switch (contd)

The address for a switch is assigned to a virtual interface represented as Virtual LAN interface (VLAN)
this is the VLAN 1 interface allows the switch to be accessed via telnet, ssh or web services the VLAN 1 interface is enabled with the no shutdown command

The switch needs a gateway address to communicate outside the local network
the gateway address is assigned with the ip default-gateway command

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The Ping Command

The ping command is an effective tool to test connectivity
tests the protocol stack by pinging the loopback address (127.0.0.1) tests Layer 3 of the OSI model to Layer 2 and then Layer 1 uses ICMP to check for connectivity does not pinpoint the nature of the problem but helps to identify the source of the problem

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IOS Ping Indicators

The ! (exclamation mark) indicates receipt of an ICMP echo reply
ping completed successfully and verifies Layer 3 connectivity

The . (period) indicates a timeout while waiting for a reply

a connectivity problem occurred somewhere along the path a router along the path did not have a route to the destination and did not send an ICMP destination unreachable message ping was blocked by device security

The U indicates an ICMP unreachable message was received

a router along the path did not have a route to the destination address and responded with an ICMP unreachable message

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Verifying the Router Interfaces

The show ip interface brief command provides a more abbreviated output than the show ip interface command
provides a summary of the key information for all the interfaces the Status column shows the operational state at Layer 1 the Protocol column indicates the state at Layer 2 an administratively down in the Status column can be enabled with the no shutdown command

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Testing Router Connectivity

The ping and traceroute commands are used to verify the Layer 3 connectivity

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Verifying the Switch Interfaces

The show ip interface brief command can be used to verify the condition of the switch interfaces
IP address is applied to the VLAN1 interface an interface is down when no device is connected to it or the network interface of the connected device is not operational

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Testing Switch Connectivity

The ping and traceroute commands are used to verify the Layer 3 connectivity

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Testing The Local NIC Assignment

Verify the host NIC address is bound and ready for transmitting signals across the media by pinging its own IP address
this test verifies that the NIC driver and most of the NIC hardware are working properly

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Testing Local Network

Ping each host one by one on the LAN
a successful ping verifies the local host and remote host are properly configured a Destination Unreachable message or Request Timed Out message indicates a failure

Router IOS offers an extended mode of the ping command

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Testing Gateway and Next Hop

Test the hosts connectivity to the router interface (gateway) Use the IOS to test the next hop of the individual routes
determine the next hop by examining the routing table from the output of the show ip route command

Security applied to the router interface may prevent it from responding to echo requests

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Testing Remote Connectivity

Begin by testing the outside interface of the local router Next ping the outside interface of the remote router Verify the connectivity to the remote hosts

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Trace to a Remote Host

The only successful response was from the gateway on RouterA Trace to the next hop timed out

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Testing The Network

Ping to the remote host at 192.168.11.1 failed Perform a tracert to the remote host Examine the local host configuration with ipconfig

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Basic Network Baselines

A baseline is a process for studying the network at regular intervals to ensure that the network is working as designed
details the health of the network at a certain point in time

Measuring the performance at varying times and loads will assist in creating a picture of the overall network performance One method of creating a baseline is to copy and paste the results from an executed ping, trace or other relevant commands into a text file

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Basic Network Baselines (contd)

Host capture
copy the output from the command line window and paste it into a text file run the same test over a period of time and save the data each time

IOS text capture

active configuration and command outputs can be saved to a text document using a terminal emulation program

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Capturing and Interpreting Trace Information

Trace is used to trace the steps, or hops, between hosts Data from a trace can be added to the data from the ping commands to provide a combined picture of network performance

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Learning About Nodes on the Network

The arp command provides physical addresses mapping to IPv4 addresses
the arp cache is only populated with information from devices that have been recently accessed

A ping sweep scans a specified range of IP addresses to collect MAC addresses constructs a table of responding hosts by IP address and MAC address

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Hosts Connected to a Switch

The show mac-address-table command provides a mapping of hosts connected to a switch Fa0/23 interface indicates either a shared segment or a connection to an intermediary device such as a hub, wireless access point or switch

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