Cisco iOS Command Hierarchy

The operating system that Cisco uses in many of its products is called Cisco IOS, and you can
communicate with it using a command line shell (or Command Line Interface or CLI, as Cisco
nomenclature calls it). You have access to about 2000 di erent commands if you count the
commands for many advanced routers and wireless items. The basic commands available in the IOS
Cisco CLI used by the router are described here. Some Cisco IOS commands allow you to perform
more than one action. You can also navigate up and down the hierarchy of IOS configuration levels
(or modes). Some of the various levels are shown below:

Start with Cisco iOS:

First, press “Return” to enter user mode, and you will see a “router” prompt. Cisco more accurately
calls this User Executive mode or User EXEC mode.

Command Available
prompt commands

router> access-enable

router> access-profile

router> clear

router> connect

router> disable

router> disconnect

router> enable

router> exit
Command Available
prompt commands

router> help

router> lock

router> login

router> logout

router> mrinfo

router> mstat

router> mtrace

router> name-connection

router> pad

router> ping

router> ppp

router> resume

router> rlogin
Command Available
prompt commands

router> set

router> show

router> slip

router> systat

Privileged Mode:

As mentioned earlier, running the enable command in user mode puts you in privileged mode,
specifically privileged EXEC mode. Most of the commands available in User mode are also available
in privileged mode, so there is a fair amount of duplication in this table.

Command Available
prompt commands

router# access-enable

router# access-profile

router# access-template

router# bfe

router# cd

router# clear
Command Available
prompt commands

router# clock

router# configure terminal

router# connect

router# copy

router# debug

router# delete

router# dir

router# disable

router# disconnect

router# enable

router# erase

router# exit

router# help
Command Available
prompt commands

router# lock

router# login

router# logout

router# more

router# mstat

router# mtrace

router# name-connection

router# pad

router# ping

router# ppp

router# resume

router# rlogin

router# rsh
Command Available
prompt commands

router# send

router# set

router# setup

router# show —-

router# slip

router# systat

router# telnet

router# terminal

router# test

router# traceroute

router# tunnel

router# undebug

router# verify
Command Available
prompt commands

router# where

router# write

Global Configuration mode:

Invoking the “configure terminal” command in privileged mode will switch to global configuration
mode as shown above. The accepted shortcut for the command is “config t” and it works. Note that
in this mode, as in all configuration modes, configuration settings are applied to the router’s current
configuration. If the configuration needs to be applied to the boot configuration, the running
configuration must be copied to NVRAM using the “Write” or “Copy” command, depending on the
iOS version.

Command Available
prompt commands

router(config)# aaa

router(config)#

router(config)# alias

router(config)# arp

router(config)# async-bootp

router(config)# banner

router(config)# boot
Command Available
prompt commands

router(config)# bridge

router(config)# bu ers

router(config)# busy-message

router(config)# call-history-mib

router(config)# cdp

router(config)# chat-script

router(config)# clock

router(config)# config-register

router(config)# default

router(config)# default-value

router(config)# dialer

router(config)# dialer-list

router(config)# dnsix-dmdp
Command Available
prompt commands

router(config)# dnsix-nat

router(config)# downward-compatible-config

router(config)# enable

router(config)# end

router(config)# exception

router(config)# exit

router(config)# file

router(config)# frame-relay

router(config)# help

router(config)# hostname

router(config)# interface [ e0 or s0 or s1 ]

router(config)# ip —-

router(config)# key
Command Available
prompt commands

router(config)# line aux

router(config)# line console

router(config)# line vty

router(config)# logging

router(config)# login-string

router(config)# map-class

router(config)# map-list

router(config)# menu

router(config)# modemcap

router(config)# multilink

router(config)# netbios

router(config)# no

router(config)# partition
Command Available
prompt commands

router(config)# priority-list

router(config)# privilege

router(config)# prompt

router(config)# queue-list

router(config)# resume-string

router(config)# rlogin

router(config)# rmon

router(config)# route-map

router(config)# router {protocol}

router(config)# rtr

router(config)# scheduler

router(config)# service

router(config)# snmp-server
Command Available
prompt commands

router(config)# sntp

router(config)# stackmaker

router(config)# state-machine

router(config)# subscriber-policy

router(config)# tacacs-server

router(config)# terminal-queue

router(config)# tftp-server

router(config)# username

router(config)# virtual-profile

router(config)# x25

router(config)# x29

Global IP configuration commands:

We are still in global configuration mode, therefore this is a subset of IP instructions.

Command Prompt Available Commands

router(config)# ip access-list

router(config)# ip access-list standard (name)

router(config)# ip access-list extended (name)

router(config)# ip accounting-list

router(config)# ip accounting-threshold

router(config)# ip accounting-transits

router(config)# ip address-pool

router(config)# ip alias

router(config)# ip as-path

router(config)# ip bgp-community

router(config)# ip bootp

router(config)# ip classless

router(config)# ip community-list
Command Prompt Available Commands

router(config)# ip default-gateway

router(config)# ip default-network

router(config)# ip dhcp-server

router(config)# ip domain-list

router(config)# ip domain-lookup

router(config)# ip domain-name

router(config)# ip drp

router(config)# ip dvmrp

router(config)# ip finger

router(config)# ip forward-protocol

router(config)# ip ftp

router(config)# ip gdp

router(config)# ip gratuitous-arps
Command Prompt Available Commands

router(config)# ip host

router(config)# ip host-routing

router(config)# ip hp-host

router(config)# ip http

router(config)# ip icmp

router(config)# ip local

router(config)# ip mobile-host

router(config)# ip mroute

router(config)# ip multicast-routing

router(config)# ip name-server

router(config)# ip nat

router(config)# ip ospf

router(config)# ip pim
Command Prompt Available Commands

router(config)# ip prefix-list

router(config)# ip radius

router(config)# ip rcmd

router(config)# ip reflexive-list

router(config)# ip route

router(config)# ip routing

router(config)# ip rsvp

router(config)# ip sap

router(config)# ip sdr

router(config)# ip security

router(config)# ip source-route

router(config)# ip subnet-zero

router(config)# ip tacacs
Command Prompt Available Commands

router(config)# ip tcp

router(config)# ip telnet

router(config)# ip tftp

router(config)# ip trigger-authentication

Interface configuration mode:

The commands in the following table are used to configure a specific interface.

Command prompt Available commands

router(config-if)# access-expression

router(config-if)# arp

router(config-if)# backup

router(config-if)# bandwidth

router(config-if)# bridge-group

router(config-if)# carrier-delay

router(config-if)# cdp

router(config-if)# cmns
Command prompt Available commands

router(config-if)# custom-queue-list

router(config-if)# default

router(config-if)# delay

router(config-if)# description

router(config-if)# exit

router(config-if)# fair-queue

router(config-if)# help

router(config-if)# hold-queue

router(config-if)# ip —-

router(config-if)# keepalive

router(config-if)# llc2

router(config-if)# load-interval

router(config-if)# logging
Command prompt Available commands

router(config-if)# loopback

router(config-if)# mac-address

router(config-if)# media-type

router(config-if)# mtu

router(config-if)# netbios

router(config-if)# no

router(config-if)# priority-group

router(config-if)# random-detect

router(config-if)# shutdown

router(config-if)# snapshot

router(config-if)# snmp

router(config-if)# standby

router(config-if)# timeout
Command prompt Available commands

router(config-if)# tra ic-shape

router(config-if)# transmit-interface

router(config-if)# tx-queue-limit

Interface specific IP configuration commands:

These are the IP instructions that apply only to the specified interface because we are still in interface
setup mode.

Command prompt Available commands

router(config-if)# ip access-group {acl name/number} {in/out}

router(config-if)# ip accounting

router(config-if)# ip address

router(config-if)# ip authentication

router(config-if)# ip bandwidth-percent

router(config-if)# ip broadcast-address

router(config-if)# ip cgmp

router(config-if)# ip directed-broadcast
Command prompt Available commands

router(config-if)# ip dvmrp

router(config-if)# ip hello-interval

router(config-if)# ip helper-address

router(config-if)# ip hold-time

router(config-if)# ip igmp

router(config-if)# ip irdp

router(config-if)# ip mask-reply

router(config-if)# ip mobile

router(config-if)# ip mroute-cache

router(config-if)# ip mtu

router(config-if)# ip multicast

router(config-if)# ip nat

router(config-if)# ip nhrp
Command prompt Available commands

router(config-if)# ip ospf

router(config-if)# ip pim

router(config-if)# ip policy

router(config-if)# ip probe

router(config-if)# ip proxy-arp

router(config-if)# ip rarp-server

router(config-if)# ip redirects

router(config-if)# ip rip

router(config-if)# ip route-cache

router(config-if)# ip rsvp

router(config-if)# ip rtp

router(config-if)# ip sap

router(config-if)# ip sdr
Command prompt Available commands

router(config-if)# ip security

router(config-if)# ip split-horizon

router(config-if)# ip summary-address

router(config-if)# ip tcp

router(config-if)# ip unnumbered

router(config-if)# ip unreachables

router(config-if)# ip verify

router(config-if)# ip web-cache

Commands for line configuration:

These are to be used while setting up the router’s line connections. The same prompt is used for the
console line, the vty line, and the auxiliary line, which can cause some confusion. Depending on the
command that was sent in global configuration mode, i.e. – determine which one you are working on.

Play

Unmute

 router(config)# line aux 0

 router(config)# line console 0

 router(config)# line vty 0 4 in

You can only configure one type of line connection at a time; to configure another, you must return to
the global configuration mode and choose the appropriate line type as described above.
Command Available
prompt commands Comments

router(config-
exec-timeout To configure the console time out
line)#

router(config- logging
This command disables console pop-up messages.
line)# synchronous

router(config-
line vty 0 ? To determine the number of available vty lines
line)#

router(config-
login To ask for a login that is valid for aux, console, and vty
line)#

router(config- Set a password that is valid for the aux, console, and
password
line)# vty

router(config- Risky – this command says that a password is not

no login
line)# necessary and is valid for vty