Common Cisco Router Configuration on Packet Tracer

Basic Cisco Router Configuration

In this post, we will see how to configure a Cisco router basically with the help of Packet Tracer.This post will be an entrance to routers for a Cisco router newbie. We will see Basic Cisco Router Configuration.

You can DOWNLOAD the Packet Tracer example with .pkt format here.

Basic Cisco Router Configuration: How to Start to Configure a Router?

This is the fisrt question of a Cisco router newbie, a new network engineer :) Do not worry it is vey basic. To configure a Cisco router, first of all youneed to enter the “enable mode”. Normall you are under user mode, you can run only show commands. To enter enable mode use the below command:

Router>enable

After this command you are in enable mode. But to make configuration, you need to enter also teh below command under enable mode:

Router#configure terminal 
Enter configuration commands, one per line.  End with CNTL/Z.
Router(config)#

Now you can do any configuration on the Cisco router.

After a while, you will gain hands on experience and speed. At this time you will write “en”, instead of enable, “conf ter” instead of configure terminal etc…

How to Configure a Router’s Hostname

To configure the hostname of the router, use the below command. Here, hostname is the name of your router.

Router(config)#hostname MyRouter
MyRouter(config)#

As you can see, the name is changed.

How to Give a Password to a Router?

To give a password to your router, you can use the “Enable Password” and “Enable Secret Password”. Enable Password stores your password as a clear text. If you want to encryp it you need to use service password-encryption command. Enable Secret Password stores your password in MD5 encryption. And “Enable Secret Password” is more secure. You can check the seem of enable secret in configuration file below.

MyRouter(config)#enable secret 123
MyRouter(config)#service password-encryption 

MyRouter(config)#enable secret 123

...
enable secret 5 $1$mERr$3HhIgMGBA/9qNmgzccuxv0
...

How to Configure Console Connection Options?

You can configure your console connection. The console password, the history size can be configured. To do this we will use the below commands in thiz Basic Cisco Router Configuration lesson.

MyRouter(config)#line console 0
MyRouter(config-line)#password cisco123
MyRouter(config-line)#login 
MyRouter(config-line)#history size ?
  <0-256>  Size of history buffer
MyRouter(config-line)#history size 10

Beside these the logging syncronization of console can be configured here. Many new engineers complaintive about the logging synronization of the console. While they are writing someting on the router, it sometimes print something on the secreen and divides your writings. I do not affect the command but it affect your seem. To avoid this, use “logging synchronous” command.

MyRouter(config-line)#logging synchronous

You can also DOWNLOAD all the Packet Tracer examples with .pkt format in Packet Tracer Labs section.

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