Packet Tracer - Navigate the IOS

Objectives
Part 1: Establish Basic Connections, Access the CLI, and Explore Help
Part 2: Explore EXEC Modes
Part 3: Set the Clock

Background / Scenario
In this activity, you will practice skills necessary for navigating the Cisco IOS, such as different user access
modes, various configuration modes, and common commands used on a regular basis. You will also practice
accessing the context-sensitive Help by configuring the clock command.

Instructions
Part 1: Establish Basic Connections, Access the CLI, and Explore Help
Step 1: Connect PC1 to S1 using a console cable.
a. Click the Connections icon (the one that looks like a lightning bolt) in the lower left corner of the Packet
Tracer window.
b. Select the light blue Console cable by clicking it. The mouse pointer will change to what appears to be a
connector with a cable dangling from it.
c. Click PC1. A window displays an option for an RS-232 connection. Connect the cable to the RS-232 port.
d. Drag the other end of the console connection to the S1 switch and click the switch to access the
connection list.
e. Select the Console port to complete the connection.
Step 2: Establish a terminal session with S1.
a. Click PC1 and then select the Desktop tab.
b. Click the Terminal application icon. Verify that the Port Configuration default settings are correct.
Question:

What is the setting for bits per second?

9600 Bits Per Second

c. Click OK.
d. The screen that appears may have several messages displayed. Somewhere on the screen there should
be a Press RETURN to get started! message. Press ENTER.

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Packet Tracer - Navigate the IOS

Question:

What is the prompt displayed on the screen?

S1>

s here.
Step 3: Explore the IOS Help.
a. The IOS can provide help for commands depending on the level accessed. The prompt currently
displayed is called User EXEC, and the device is waiting for a command. The most basic form of help is
to type a question mark (?) at the prompt to display a list of commands.
Open Configuration Window

S1> ?
Question:

Which command begins with the letter ‘C’?

Connect

b. At the prompt, type t and then a question mark (?).

S1> t?
Question:

Which commands are displayed?

telnet, terminal, traceroute

At the prompt, type te and then a question mark (?).

S1> te?
Question:

Which commands are displayed?

telnet, terminal

This type of help is known as context-sensitive help. It provides more information as the commands are
expanded.

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Packet Tracer - Navigate the IOS

Part 2: Explore EXEC Modes

In Part 2 of this activity, you will switch to privileged EXEC mode and issue additional commands
Step 1: Enter privileged EXEC mode.
a. At the prompt, type the question mark (?).
S1> ?
Question:

What information is displayed for the enable command?

enable : Turn on privileged commands

b. Type en and press the Tab key.

S1> en<Tab>
Question:

What displays after pressing the Tab key?

The tab key auto completes similar commands that might be intended by the user

This is called command completion (or tab completion). When part of a command is typed, the Tab key
can be used to complete the partial command. If the characters typed are enough to make the command
unique, as in the case of the enable command, the remaining portion of the command is displayed.
Question:

What would happen if you typed te<Tab> at the prompt?

Since there is no commands starting with “te” at the user EXEC mode, nothing is outputted

c. Enter the enable command and press ENTER.

Question:

How does the prompt change?

The prompt changes from “>” which indicates the current shell is in the user EXEC level, into “#”
which indicates the shell has entered into Privileged EXEC mode

d. When prompted, type the question mark (?).

S1# ?
One command starts with the letter ‘C’ in user EXEC mode.
Question:

How many commands are displayed now that privileged EXEC mode is active? (Hint: you could type c?
to list just the commands beginning with ‘C’.)
clear, clock, configure, connect, copy, are all the commands starting with “c” that’s available
within the privileged EXEC mode

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Packet Tracer - Navigate the IOS

Type your answers here.

Step 2: Enter Global Configuration mode
a. When in privileged EXEC mode, one of the commands starting with the letter ‘C’ is configure. Type either
the full command or enough of the command to make it unique. Press the <Tab> key to issue the
command and press ENTER.
S1# configure
Question:

What is the message that is displayed?

“configuring from terminal, memory, or network [terminal]?”

Type your answers here.

b. Press Enter to accept the default parameter that is enclosed in brackets [terminal].
Question:

How does the prompt change?

the shell enters into configuration mode which means any written commands will be
automatically be put into the configuration file

nswers here.
c. This is called global configuration mode. This mode will be explored further in upcoming activities and
labs. For now, return to privileged EXEC mode by typing end, exit, or Ctrl-Z.
S1(config)# exit
S1#

Part 3: Set the Clock

Step 1: Use the clock command.
a. Use the clock command to further explore Help and command syntax. Type show clock at the privileged
EXEC prompt.
S1# show clock
Question:

What information is displayed? What is the year that is displayed?

2020

b. Use the context-sensitive help and the clock command to set the time on the switch to the current time.
Enter the command clock and press ENTER.
S1# clock<ENTER>
Question

What information is displayed?

“% Incomplete command.”

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Packet Tracer - Navigate the IOS

Type
c. The “% Incomplete command” message is returned by the IOS. This indicates that the clock command
needs more parameters. Any time more information is needed, help can be provided by typing a space
after the command and the question mark (?).
S1# clock ?
Question:

What information is displayed?

“set Set the time and date” the first “set” being the command which needs an inputted argument

rs here.
d. Set the clock using the clock set command. Proceed through the command one step at a time.
S1# clock set ?
Questions:

What information is being requested?

The given “set” command needs the hour, minute, and second

Type your answers here.

What would have been displayed if only the clock set command had been entered, and no request for
help was made by using the question mark?
The given command is incomplete, because it does not meet the required parameters for it to
function

Type your answers here.

e. Based on the information requested by issuing the clock set ? command, enter a time of 3:00 p.m. by
using the 24-hour format of 15:00:00. Check to see if more parameters are needed.
S1# clock set 15:00:00 ?
The output returns a request for more information:
<1-31> Day of the month
MONTH Month of the year

f. Attempt to set the date to 01/31/2035 using the format requested. It may be necessary to request
additional help using context-sensitive help to complete the process. When finished, issue the show
clock command to display the clock setting. The resulting command output should display as:
S1# show clock
*15:0:4.869 UTC Tue Jan 31 2035

g. If you were not successful, try the following command to obtain the output above:

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Packet Tracer - Navigate the IOS

S1# clock set 15:00:00 31 Jan 2035

Step 2: Explore additional command messages.
a. The IOS provides various outputs for incorrect or incomplete commands. Continue to use the clock
command to explore additional messages that may be encountered as you learn to use the IOS.
b. Issue the following commands and record the messages:
S1# cl<tab>
Questions:

What information was returned?

Nothing was returned or auto completed, since there is multiple commands that starts with cl and
it does not give enough context for the auto complete to finish the command.

Type your answers here.

S1# clock
Question:

What information was returned?

“% Incomplete command.” since the “clock” command have a few parameters to be completed in
order for it to function

S1# clock set 25:00:00

Question:

What information was returned?

Since hour “25” doesn’t exist, it doesn’t meet the required paremeters hence it outputs an error
and points out specifically which part is causing the problem

S1# clock set 15:00:00 32

Question:

What information was returned?

Since day “32” doesn’t exist, it doesn’t meet the required paremeters hence it outputs an error
and points out specifically which part is causing the problem

Close Configuration Window

End of Document

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