 / Basic Device Configuration / Configure a Switch with Initial Settings

Configure a Switch with Initial Settings

1.1.1

Switch Boot Sequence 

Before you can configure a switch, you need to turn it on and allow it to go through the five-step boot

sequence. This topic covers the basics of configuring a switch and includes a lab at the end.

After a Cisco switch is powered on, it goes through the following five-step boot sequence:

Step 1: First, the switch loads a power-on self-test (POST) program stored in ROM. POST checks the

CPU subsystem. It tests the CPU, DRAM, and the portion of the flash device that makes up the flash file

system.

Step 2: Next, the switch loads the boot loader software. The boot loader is a small program stored in

ROM that is run immediately after POST successfully completes.

Step 3: The boot loader performs low-level CPU initialization. It initializes the CPU registers, which

control where physical memory is mapped, the quantity of memory, and its speed.

Step 4: The boot loader initializes the flash file system on the system board.

Step 5: Finally, the boot loader locates and loads a default IOS operating system software image into

memory and gives control of the switch over to the IOS.

1.1.2

The boot system Command 

The switch attempts to automatically boot by using information in the BOOT environment variable. If this

variable is not set, the switch attempts to load and execute the first executable file it can find. On

Catalyst 2960 Series switches, the image file is normally contained in a directory that has the same

name as the image file (excluding the .bin file extension).

The IOS operating system then initializes the interfaces using the Cisco IOS commands found in the

startup-config file. The startup-config file is called config.text and is located in flash.

In the example, the BOOT environment variable is set using the boot system global configuration mode

command. Notice that the IOS is located in a distinct folder and the folder path is specified. Use the

command show boot to see what the current IOS boot file is set to.
 S1(config)# boot system flash:/c2960-lanbasek9-mz.150-2.SE/c2960-lanbasek9-
mz.150-2.SE.bin

The table defines each part of the boot system command.

Command Definition

boot
The main command
system
flash: The storage device

c2960-
lanbasek9-
The path to the file system
mz.150-
2.SE/
c2960-
lanbasek9-
The IOS file name
mz.150-
2.SE.bin

1.1.3

Switch LED Indicators 

Cisco Catalyst switches have several status LED indicator lights. You can use the switch LEDs to quickly

monitor switch activity and performance. Switches of different models and feature sets will have

different LEDs and their placement on the front panel of the switch may also vary.

The figure shows the switch LEDs and the Mode button for a Cisco Catalyst 2960 switch.

The Mode button (7 in the figure) is used to toggle through port status, port duplex, port speed, and if

supported, the Power over Ethernet (PoE) status of the port LEDs (8 in the figure).
  Click each button to learn the purpose of the LED indicators (1-6 in the figure), and the

meaning of their colors:

1 SYST 2 RPS 3 STAT 4 DUPLX 5 SPEED 6 PoE

System LED

Shows whether the system is receiving power and is functioning properly. If the LED is off, it means

the system is not powered on. If the LED is green, the system is operating normally. If the LED is

amber, the system is receiving power but is not functioning properly.

   

1.1.4

Recovering from a System Crash 

The boot loader provides access into the switch if the operating system cannot be used because of

missing or damaged system files. The boot loader has a command-line that provides access to the files

stored in flash memory.

The boot loader can be accessed through a console connection following these steps:

Step 1. Connect a PC by console cable to the switch console port. Configure terminal emulation

software to connect to the switch.

Step 2. Unplug the switch power cord.

Step 3. Reconnect the power cord to the switch and, within 15 seconds, press and hold down the

Mode button while the System LED is still flashing green.

Step 4. Continue pressing the Mode button until the System LED turns briefly amber and then solid

green; then release the Mode button.

Step 5. The boot loader switch: prompt appears in the terminal emulation software on the PC.

Type the help or ? at the boot loader prompt to view a list of available commands.

By default, the switch attempts to automatically boot up by using information in the BOOT environment

variable. To view the path of the switch BOOT environment variable type the set command. Then,

initialize the flash file system using the flash_init command to view the current files in flash, as shown in

the output.

switch: set
BOOT=flash:/c2960-lanbasek9-mz.122-55.SE7/c2960-lanbasek9-mz.122-55.SE7.bin
 (output omitted)
switch: flash_init
Initializing Flash...
flashfs[0]: 2 files, 1 directories
flashfs[0]: 0 orphaned files, 0 orphaned directories
flashfs[0]: Total bytes: 32514048
flashfs[0]: Bytes used: 11838464
flashfs[0]: Bytes available: 20675584
flashfs[0]: flashfs fsck took 10 seconds.
...done Initializing Flash.

After flash has finished initializing you can enter the dir flash: command to view the directories and files

in flash, as shown in the output.

switch: dir flash:

Directory of flash:/
2 -rwx 11834846 c2960-lanbasek9-mz.150-2.SE8.bin
3 -rwx 2072 multiple-fs

Enter the BOOT=flash command to change the BOOT environment variable path the switch uses to load

the new IOS in flash. To verify the new BOOT environment variable path, issue the set command again.

Finally, to load the new IOS type the boot command without any arguments, as shown in the output.

switch: BOOT=flash:c2960-lanbasek9-mz.150-2.SE8.bin
switch: set
BOOT=flash:c2960-lanbasek9-mz.150-2.SE8.bin
(output omitted)
switch: boot

The boot loader commands support initializing flash, formatting flash, installing a new IOS, changing the

BOOT environment variable and recovery of lost or forgotten passwords.

1.1.5

Switch Management Access 

To prepare a switch for remote management access, the switch must have a switch virtual interface

(SVI) configured with an IPv4 address and subnet mask or an IPv6 address and a prefix length for IPv6.

The SVI is a virtual interface, not a physical port on the switch. Keep in mind that to manage the switch

from a remote network, the switch must be configured with a default gateway. This is very similar to

configuring the IP address information on host devices.

 PC1

VLAN 99
172.17.99.11/24
2001:db8:acad:99::11/64 R1
Console Cable

172.17.99.1
S1
2001:db8:acad:99::1/64 R1

1.1.6

Switch SVI Configuration Example 

By default, the switch is configured to have its management controlled through VLAN 1. All ports are

assigned to VLAN 1 by default. For security purposes, it is considered a best practice to use a VLAN

other than VLAN 1 for the management VLAN, such as VLAN 99 in the example.

 Click each button to learn the steps to configure switch management access.

Step 1 Step 2 Step 3

Step 1

Configure the Management Interface

From VLAN interface configuration mode, an IPv4 address and subnet mask is applied to the

management SVI of the switch. Specifically, SVI VLAN 99 will be assigned the 172.17.99.11/24 IPv4

address and the 2001:db8:acad:99::1/64 IPv6 address as shown.

Note: The SVI for VLAN 99 will not appear as “up/up” until VLAN 99 is created and there is a device

connected to a switch port associated with VLAN 99.

Note: The switch may need to be configured for IPv6. For example, before you can configure IPv6

addressing on a Cisco Catalyst 2960 running IOS version 15.0, you will need to enter the global

configuration command sdm prefer dual-ipv4-and-ipv6 default and then reload the switch.

Task IOS Commands

Enter global configuration mode. S1# configure terminal

Enter interface configuration mode for the

S1(config)# interface vlan 99
SVI.

Configure the management interface IPv4 S1(config-if)# ip address 172.17.99.11

address. 255.255.255.0
Configure the management interface IPv6 S1(config-if)# ipv6 address
address 2001:db8:acad:99::11/64
Enable the management interface. S1(config-if)# no shutdown

Return to the privileged EXEC mode. S1(config-if)# end

Save the running config to the startup

S1# copy running-config startup-config
config.

   

1.1.7

Lab - Basic Switch Configuration 

Skills Practice Opportunity

You have the opportunity to practice the following skills:

Part 1: Cable the Network and Verify the Default Switch Configuration

Part 2: Configure Basic Network Device Settings

Part 3: Verify and Test Network Connectivity

You can practice these skills using the Packet Tracer or lab equipment, if available.

Packet Tracer - Physical Mode (PTPM)

 Basic Switch Configuration - Physical Mode

 Basic Switch Configuration - Physical Mode

Lab Equipment
  Basic Switch Configuration

 1.0

Introduction
1.2

Configure Switch Ports 