Cisco IOS Setup mode enables you to build an initial configuration file using the Cisco IOS CLI or System Configuration Dialog. The dialog guides you through initial configuration and is useful when you are unfamiliar with Cisco products or the CLI and when configuration changes do not require the level of detail the CLI provides.

Setup starts automatically when a device has no configuration file in NVRAM and is not preconfigured from the factory to use Cisco Router and Security Device Manager (SDM). When setup completes, it presents the System Configuration Dialog. This dialog guides you through an initial configuration with prompts for basic information about your device and network and then creates an initial configuration file. After the file is created, you can use the CLI to perform additional configuration.

Cisco Router and Security Device Manager

Cisco SDM is a web-based device management tool for configuring Cisco IOS network connections and security features on networking devices. SDM provides a default configuration and various wizards to guide you step by step through configuring a Cisco networking device, additional LAN or WAN connections, and VPN connections; creating firewalls; and performing security audits.

In addition to building an initial configuration, SDM provides an Advanced Mode through which you can configure advanced features such as Firewall Policy and Network Address Translation (NAT).

Some Cisco products ship from the factory with SDM installed. If SDM is preinstalled on your device and you want to use Setup to configure an initial configuration, you first must disable the SDM default configuration.

System Configuration Dialog

The System Configuration Dialog is an interactive CLI mode that prompts you for information needed to build an initial configuration for a Cisco networking device. Like the CLI, the System Configuration Dialog provides help text at each prompt. To access this help text, you enter a question mark (?) at the prompt.

The prompts in the System Configuration Dialog vary depending on hardware, installed interface modules, and software image. To use the dialog for an initial configuration, you need to refer to product-specific documentation.

The values shown in square brackets next to prompts reflect the current settings. These may be default settings from the factory or the latest settings configured on the device. To accept these settings, you press Enter on the keyboard.

You can exit (Ctrl-C) the System Configuration Dialog and return to privileged EXEC mode without making changes and without going through the entire dialog. If you exit the dialog but want to continue with setup, you can issue the setup command in privileged EXEC mode.

When you complete all the steps in the dialog, the device displays the modified configuration file and asks if you want to use that file. You must answer yes or no; there is no default for this prompt. If you answer yes, the file is saved to NVRAM as the startup configuration. If you answer no, the file is not saved and you must start at the beginning of the dialog if you want to build another initial configuration.

Disabling the SDM Default Configuration File

Perform this task if SDM was preinstalled on your device and you want to use Setup to build an initial configuration file. SDM remains on the device.

Perform this task if SDM was pre installed on your device and you want to use AutoInstall to configure the device instead. SDM remains on the device.

SUMMARY STEPS

1. Connect the console cable from the console port on the device to the serial port on the PC.

2. Connect the power supply to the device, plug the power supply into a power outlet, and turn on the device.

3. Connect to the device using a terminal emulation program.

4. enable

5. erase startup-config

6. reload

DETAILED STEPS

Step 1 Connect the console cable, shipped with your device, from the console port on the device to a serial port on your PC. Refer to the hardware installation guide for the device for instructions.

Step 2 Connect the power supply to the device, plug the power supply into a power outlet, and turn on the device. Refer to the quick start guide for the device for instructions.

Step 3 Use Hyperterminal or a similar terminal emulation program on your PC, with the following terminal emulation settings, to connect to the device:

•9600 baud

•8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit

•No flow control

Step 4 enable

Enter privileged EXEC mode.

enable

Router> enable

Router#

Step 5 erase startup-config

Erases the existing configuration in NVRAM.

Router# erase startup-config

Step 6 reload

Initiates the reload process. The router will initiate the AutoInstall process after it finishes the reload process.

Router# reload

Using the System Configuration Dialog to Create an Initial Configuration File

Perform this task to create an initial configuration for a Cisco networking device.

Prerequisites

If SDM is installed, you must disable its default configuration file before using Setup.

Restrictions

The System Configuration Dialog does not allow you to randomly select or enter parameters for configuration. You must move through the dialog step by step until the screen shows the information you want to change.

SUMMARY STEPS

1. Power on the device.

2. Enter yes at the prompt to enter the initial configuration dialog.

3. If you are prompted to continue with the configuration dialogue, enter yes at the prompt to continue the dialog (this step might not appear).

4. Enter yes at the prompt to enter basic management setup.

5. Enter a hostname for the device.

6. Enter an enable secret password.

7. Enter an enable password.

8. Enter a virtual terminal password.

9. Respond to the prompts as appropriate for your network.

10. Select an interface to connect the device to the management console.

11. Respond to the prompts as appropriate for your network.

12. Enter 2 to save the configuration file to NVRAM and exit.

DETAILED STEPS

Step 1 Power on the device.

Step 2 Enter yes at the prompt to enter the initial configuration dialogue.

If the following messages appear at the end of the startup sequence, the System Configuration Dialog was invoked automatically:

--- System Configuration Dialog ---

Would you like to enter the initial configuration dialog? [yes/no]: yes

The screen displays the following:

--- System Configuration Dialog ---

Continue with configuration dialog? [yes/no]: 

Step 3 If you are prompted to continue with the configuration dialogue, enter yes at the prompt to continue the dialog (this step might not appear).

Continue with configuration dialog? [yes/no]: yes 

Step 4 The basic management screen is displayed:

At any point you may enter a question mark '?' for help.

Use ctrl-c to abort configuration dialog at any prompt.

Default settings are in square brackets '[]'.

Basic management setup configures only enough connectivity

for management of the system, extended setup will ask you

to configure each interface on the system

Would you like to enter basic management setup? [yes/no]: 

Enter yes to enter basic management setup:

Would you like to enter basic management setup? [yes/no]: yes

The screen displays the following:

Configuring global parameters:

Enter host name [R1]: 

Step 5 Enter a hostname for the device. This example uses Router.

Configuring global parameters:

Enter host name [R1]: Router

The screen displays the following:

The enable secret is a password used to protect access to

  privileged EXEC and configuration modes. This password, after

  entered, becomes encrypted in the configuration.

  Enter enable secret: 

Step 6 Enter an enable secret password. This password is encrypted and cannot be seen when viewing the configuration.

Enter enable secret: 1g2j3mm

The screen displays the following:

The enable password is used when you do not specify an

  enable secret password, with some older software versions, and

  some boot images.

  Enter enable password: 

Step 7 Enter an enable password that is different from the enable secret password. An enable password is not encrypted and can be seen when viewing the configuration:

  Enter enable password: cts54tnl

The screen displays the following:

The virtual terminal password is used to protect

  access to the router over a network interface.

  Enter virtual terminal password: 

Step 8 Enter a virtual terminal password. This password allows access to the device through only the console port.

  Enter virtual terminal password: tls6gato

The screen displays the following:

Configure SNMP Network Management? [no]: 

Step 9 Respond to the following prompts as appropriate for your network. In this example, the current setting [no] is accepted by pressing Enter.

Configure SNMP Network Management? [no]: 

A summary of the available interfaces displays. The interface numbering that appears depends on the type of platform and on the installed interface modules and cards.

Current interface summary

Interface                  IP-Address      OK? Method Status                Prol

Ethernet0/0                unassigned      YES NVRAM  administratively down dow 

Ethernet1/0                unassigned      YES NVRAM  administratively down dow 

Serial2/0                  unassigned      YES NVRAM  administratively down dow 

Serial3/0                  unassigned      YES NVRAM  administratively down dow 

Loopback0                  1.1.1.1         YES NVRAM  up                    up  

Enter interface name used to connect to the

management network from the above interface summary:

Step 10 Select an interface to connect the router to the management network:

Enter interface name used to connect to the

management network from the above interface summary: Ethernet0/0

Step 11 Respond to the prompts as appropriate for your network. In this example, IP is configured: an IP address is entered and the current subnet mask is accepted. The screen displays the command script created.

Configuring interface Ethernet0/0:

  Configure IP on this interface? [no]: yes

    IP address for this interface: 172.17.1.1

    Subnet mask for this interface [255.255.0.0] : 

    Class B network is 172.17.0.0, 16 subnet bits; mask is /16 

The following configuration command script was created:

hostname Router

enable secret 5 $1$1Gg9$GuxXfUUBBfVqGvlW4psIm1

enable password cts54tnl

line vty 0 4

password tls6gato

no snmp-server

!

no ip routing

!

interface Ethernet0/0

no shutdown

ip address 172.17.1.1 255.255.0.0

!

interface Ethernet1/0

shutdown

no ip address

!

interface Serial2/0

shutdown

no ip address

!

interface Serial3/0

shutdown

no ip address

!

end

[0] Go to the IOS command prompt without saving this config.

[1] Return back to the setup without saving this config.

[2] Save this configuration to nvram and exit.

Enter your selection [2]: 

Step 12 Enter 2 or press Enter to save the configuration file to NVRAM and exit.

[0] Go to the IOS command prompt without saving this config.

[1] Return back to the setup without saving this config.

[2] Save this configuration to nvram and exit.

Enter your selection [2]: 2

The screen displays the following:

Building configuration...

[OK]

Use the enabled mode 'configure' command to modify this configuration.

Router#

00:01:32: %LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface Ethernet0/0, changed state to up

00:01:33: %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface Ethernet0/0, changed p

Cisco router boot sequence consists of the following steps:

1. The router performs a POST. The POST tests the hardware to verify that all components of the device are operational and present. For example, the POST checks for the different interfaces on the router. The POST is stored in and run from ROM (read-only memory).

2. The bootstrap looks for and loads the Cisco IOS software. The bootstrap is a program in ROM that is used to execute programs. The bootstrap program is responsible for finding where each IOS program is located and then loading the file. By default, the IOS software is loaded from flash memory in all Cisco routers. Other possible locations of the IOS image are a TFTP (Trivial File Transfer Protocol) server, or the Mini-IOS (the mini IOS is a stripped-down version of IOS in ROM).

3. The IOS software looks for a valid configuration file stored in NVRAM. This file is called startup-config.

4. If a startup-config file is in NVRAM, the router will load and run this file. If a valid startup-config file is not in NVRAM, IOS will display System Configuration setup.

5. Once the startup-config configuration is loaded, IOS will present CLI interface in User mode.