Logging Onto Your Router

You have now gotten your Router turned on.
And you should have a good connection to your Terminal Program
The very next step should be to Log On.
But since we have a brandnew Router and you've turned down the Setup Dialog
there is no Password yet,
By Default, as it comes from the factory,
a Router does not require a password on the Console Port.
If you think this would be a terrible security flaw, you are correct!
You should definitely set up Passwords for your Router as your first step!
This initial "setting of password" can only be done from the Console Port.
Anyway, you should see a Prompt that says:
Router>
This is called User Exec Mode.
As a User you are allowed to log on, look at things, and do very little else.
You can not set up Passwords as a humble "User".
To set up Passwords for your Router you need to first enter what is called:
Privileged Exec Mode
(think of this as Master Magician Mode)
To enter Privileged Exec Mode type in the word enable at the prompt.
Router> enable
Router# . . . . . . .
This changes the prompt from Router> (with an arrow)
To Router# (with a # or pound sign.)
The # means that you have entered Privileged Exec Mode
Needless to say, nearly everyone just calls it "Enable Mode" for short.
You will very seldom hear anyone call it Privileged Exec Mode.
If you want to go back to being a plain User, just type disable
Now you are Enabled, a super-user with awesome mystical powers!
Please note that you did not need to enter a password
when logging in from the Console -
Nor did you need one when changing to Privileged Exec (Enable) Mode.
So you should Immediately set Passwords so that everyone else can not
just as easily become All-Powerful Deity. This would be Bad!
Just to keep this Tutorial simple, let's use "CISCO" for all the passwords.
But wait, in order to set passwords you must be in the right Mode!
In order to configure nearly anything on a Cisco Router
you must be in Configuration Mode.
To get from Enable Mode to Configuration Mode
try typing the word configure
Router# configure
You will then see on your terminal screen the question:
"Configuring from terminal, memory, or network [terminal]?"
If you press Return (or write in the magic word "terminal")
you will be able to configure from your terminal (aka computer).
(the other two choices are fun, but for now we'll use the terminal, ok?)
This will leave you at the unusual prompt:
Router(config)#
Which means that you are in the Router (Configure) mode.
Now and only now can you start the process of configuring Passwords.
Configure is a Global Command.
To go back to our car analogy, if Cisco passwords were Keys
you'd have to be in Car(config)# mode in order to use them.
Your very next step should be to set the Password for the Console Port.
Starting from within the Router(config) mode.
You need to put in the following series of commands to create one.
Router(config)# line console 0
Router(config-line)# login
Router(config-line)# password CISCO
Router(config-line#Ctrl-Z
Please do not use CISCO as a password in real life. This is just a Demo!
Note that the Router prompt changes to Router(config-line)
when you put in the line console 0 command.
line is a major command that puts you into "sub-command" mode.
(this is where you yell "Down Periscope - Dive! Dive! Dive!)
Only in the Router(config-line)# mode can you configure individual "lines".
Also note that the Ctrl-Z (Control-Z, also written ^Z) ends your session,
and brings you back up to the Router# prompt.