Router configuration Process
Brad Nelson
I seek a definitive list of the process to manually configure a
cisco router from the command line.
I'm confident the process item one is to name the router, itme two
is: set the priviledged password and item three is set the secret
password.
After that, the information I've read in the Cisco "First Year
Companion Guide" is confusing. I jumps all over the process without
giving the 'ideal' do this first, then do this,... all the way through
to 'your router is set up'.
I realize there can be complications in the process. But I'm the
kind of person who needs a clear, specific process laid out. Then, I
can improvise and experiment to achieve the goal.
Troubleshooting isn't an issue ....
as long as I have a SOLID process from which to work.
I'm currently a community college student going through the Cisco
training program. The reason I am asking you instead of my
instructor(s), is I feel I should be able to seek help and information
from others - - not just my instructors.
Please email mail me at Viki...@mail.com is you can help.
Thank you,
Brad Nelson
Walter Roberson
Brad Nelson <Viki...@mail.com> wrote:
: I seek a definitive list of the process to manually configure a
:cisco router from the command line.
There isn't one. It depends on what you want to configure the
router to *do*.
: I'm confident the process item one is to name the router, itme two
:is: set the priviledged password and item three is set the secret
:password.
Well, it doesn't -hurt- to do those, but while you are setting up
a router you should have it isolated from the rest of your network
(especially if there is already a router on the same subnets),
and while you have the router isolated, you are the only one who
can access it anyhow. Setting passwords first is a nice practice
in case you get distracted and forget, but as long as they are set
before the router gets attached to an untrusted network, setting
the passwords can be done any time.
: After that, the information I've read in the Cisco "First Year
:Companion Guide" is confusing. I jumps all over the process without
:giving the 'ideal' do this first, then do this,... all the way through
:to 'your router is set up'.
: I realize there can be complications in the process. But I'm the
:kind of person who needs a clear, specific process laid out. Then, I
:can improvise and experiment to achieve the goal.
: Troubleshooting isn't an issue ....
: as long as I have a SOLID process from which to work.
Well, it's good that you recognize that trait in yourself, but
network and security life around where I work is somewhat more
scatterbrained. We tend to do things in whatever order is handy at
the time.
When you understand how all the parts fit together, then the order
you put the parts together stops becoming important. You paint whatever
part of the picture that inspires you from moment to moment --
subject, of course, to constraints about the router not allowing you
to configure some parts before others.
Insisting on a definite process isn't very flexible, and is likely
to mentally "box you in" to not recognize opportunities to put
together configurations in unusual ways.
Me... the first thing I usually do is to figure out what I'm trying
to accomplish, and to research the documentation to figure out how
to do what I will want. The second thing I usually do is go
on to the device, establish a management interface, and copy off
a skeleton configuration to a host with an editor. Then I sit on
the host, edit in the changes I want, and tftp the new config back
in. Typing commands "live" is mostly for when I'm exploring what
the device can do, or examining the configuration, or showing
the status of the device. Wholesale configuration is, I find,
most easily handled by importing a configuration.
--
Ceci, ce n'est pas une idée.
Damn
on "best practices". Cisco offers some white papers on best practices
for switches and routers. They include suggested standard
configuration commands for security and plain vanilla configurations.
Hope this helps.