11.1 Basic Switch Configuration Flashcards
Basic Switch Configuration Steps
The Cisco switch only needs to be assigned basic security information before being connected to the network. Elements that are usually configured on a LAN switch include: host name, management IP address information, passwords, and descriptive information.
A management IP address is only necessary if you plan to configure and manage the switch through an in-band connection on the network. A management address enables you to reach the device through Telnet, SSH, or HTTP clients. The IP address information that must be configured on a switch is essentially the same as you configure on a PC: IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway.
In order to secure a Cisco LAN switch, it is necessary to configure passwords on each of the various methods of access to the command line. The minimum requirements include assigning passwords to remote access methods, such as Telnet, SSH and the console connection. You must also assign a password to the privileged mode in which configuration changes can be made.
Switch Virtual Interface Configuration
To access the switch remotely, an IP address and a subnet mask must be configured on the switch virtual interface (SVI). To configure an SVI on a switch, use the interface vlan 1 global configuration command. Vlan 1 is not an actual physical interface but a virtual one. Next, assign an IPv4 address using the ip address ip-address subnet-mask interface configuration command. Finally, enable the virtual interface using the no shutdown interface configuration command.
After the switch is configured with these commands, the switch has all the IPv4 elements ready for communication over the local network.
Note: Similar to Windows hosts, switches configured with an IPv4 address will typically also need to have a default gateway assigned. This can be done using the ip default-gateway ip-address global configuration command. The ip-address parameter would be the IPv4 address of the local router on the network.
