Configuring Passwords on a Cisco Router - Networking How-to

Configuring Passwords

Works on both routers and switches.

Router(config)#enable password cisco Sets enable password

Router(config)#enable secret class Sets enable secret password

Router(config)#line con 0 Enters console-line mode
Router(config-line)#password console Sets console-line mode password to console
Router(config-line)#login Enables password checking at login

Router(config)#line vty 0 4 Enters vty line mode for all five vty lines
Router(config-line)#password telnet Sets vty password to telnet
Router(config-line)#login Enables password checking at login

Router(config)#line aux 0 Enters auxiliary line mode
Router(config-line)#password backdoor Sets auxiliary line mode password to backdoor
Router(config-line)#login Enables password checking at login

Caution:

enable secret password is encrypted by default. enable password is not. For this reason, recommended practice is that you never use the enable password. Use only the enable secret password in a router configuration.

Caution:

You cannot set both enable secret and enable password to the same password. Doing so defeats the use of encryption.

Networking How-to: Configuring a Router Name

This command works on both routers and switches.

Router(config)#hostname Cisco	Name can be any word you choose
Cisco(config)#

Networking How-to: Cisco Router Modes

Router Modes

Router>	User mode
Router#	Privileged mode
Router(config)#	Global configuration mode
Router(config-if)#	Interface mode
Router(config-subif)#	Subinterface mode
Router(config-line)#	Line mode
Router(config-router)#	Router configuration mode

Tip:

There are other modes than these. Not all commands work in all modes. Be careful. If you type in a command that you know is correctshow run, for exampleand you get an error, make sure that you are in the correct mode.