Cisco Switch Configuration
There are a number of hardware and software components and architectural decisions to make when tasked with conducting an inter-network installation. Cisco networking hardware has long been considered the best solution for the majority of organizations due to company’s end-to-end networking solution design. Cisco switch configuration allows organizations to make one or many local area networks (LANs) more resilient by allowing the creation of multiple collision domains. Each of the switch ports are used as a split collision domain permitting one device to be connected per port. This reduces the probability of collision significantly and increases the efficiency of network communication. Cisco switches add to this efficiency by conducting packet forwarding and filtering at the hardware instead of software layer to increase the overall speed of the network.
How Long Has Cisco Been Producing Network Equipment?
Although Cisco was added to the Dow Jones Industrial Average in June of 2009 and is included in the S&P 500 index, the company was originally formed in 1984 by Leonard Bosack and Sandy Lerner in San Francisco. The couple would be joined by Erich Drafahl later in the year. The company’s first product was a multiple-protocol router software. Cisco would go on to be one of the first organizations to sell commercial routers that supported multiple network protocols. By 1990, Cisco Systems would go public with both Lerner and Bosack leaving the company in August of 1990. Since then, the company has continued to grow and remain focused on network technologies and has annual revenues in the tens of billions USD per year at the time of this writing.
What are the Types of Cisco Switches?
There are two types of network switches produced by Cisco: modular switches, and fixed configuration switches. The modular switches are designed to give the consumer flexible configuration options while supporting incremental expansion and scalable performance. The fixed configuration switches use Ethernet switching and are made to support various deployments from small to medium-sized businesses, midsize organizations, and even the enterprise campus-level. Common traits for the fixed configuration models now include energy efficiency, an enhanced user experience when connected, operational simplicity, and a more secure network access.
Cisco Modular Switches
Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series
The Cisco Catalyst 6500 series switch is the Cisco flagship catalyst switching services platform which can scale to a 4-terabit capacity. Besides scalable services, the switch boats improved network flexibility, service life, and efficiency by using network virtualization to improve overall resource access, use, and management.
Cisco Nexus 7000 Series
The Cisco Nexus 7000 series switch has the highest switching capacity at the time of this writing to include 550 Gb per slot and 17.6 Tb per chassis. It includes ISSU (In-Service Software Upgrade), hitless type and is optimized to support highly secure virtual environments using Cisco TrustSec. The switch is considered a good fit for collapsed data center-campus core network deployments.
Cisco Catalyst 4500 Series
The Cisco Catalyst 4500 series switch is one of the company’s premiere Catalyst switching platforms for Borderless Access deployments. It is rated for high capacity (1.6 Tbps using VSS – hardware ready) and density (240 full PoE+ ports). The 60 Watt Universal Power Over Ethernet supports a large range of devices. It is designed to support mid-sized distribution networks.
Cisco Fixed Configuration Switches
Cisco Catalyst 4500-X Series
The Cisco Catalyst 4500 X Series switch is designed to support fixed aggregation for space-constrained environments. It includes a low-form factor 1.6 Tbps capacity with a VSS (Virtual Switching System) and modular 1/10 GE uplinks. Creation of logically separate networks are accomplished using EVN (Easy Virtual Network).
Cisco Catalyst 3750-X Series
The Cisco Catalyst 3750 X Series is a stackable, fixed configuration switch. It is considered appropriate for branch and campus deployments and features the Cisco StackWise Plus and StackPower technologies to improve network availability and efficiency. The 3750 series also includes Full Power Over Ethernet Plus and the Borderless Networks services applications.
Cisco Catalyst 3750-E Series
The Cisco Catalyst 3750 E Series is a stackable, multilayer switch intended for larger branch office and campus deployments. The company considers the switch appropriate for deploying converged services and adaptable for changing network and application requirements. It includes StackWise Plus with 64 Gbps interconnection support allowing up to nine switches with a subsecond failover performance.
Cisco Catalyst 3750 Series
The Cisco Catalyst 3750 series is a stackable multilayer switch designed for midsize organization and branch office deployment. It includes the Cisco StackWise 32 Gbps interconnection feature to allow up to nine switches with subsecond failover performance. The 3750 series also includes transparent power supply protection with an external power backup and a DC power option available. The switch series also includes Cisco EnergyWise technology and features wirespeed Layer 2-4 switching, IPv6 routing, and dynamic multicast. PoE configurations on the switch support 15.4W per port with up to 48 10/100/1000 ports along with four SFP ports. The network security features of this series of Cisco switch include authentication, port-level security, identity-based network services, and access control lists (ACLs).
Cisco Catalyst 3560-X Series
The Cisco Catalyst 3560 X series is a fixed configuration switch designed for branch or campus deployment. It includes Full Power Over Ethernet Plus and Borderless Networks services and is made to ensure consistent service and advanced security features.
Cisco Catalyst 3560-E Series
The Cisco Catalyst 3560 E series switch is made for branch office and campus deployments. It features a 10 second 10 G upgrade with the Cisco TwinGig converter module and 15.4W of PoE on all 48 ports on the switch. The switch includes 802.11n support that will scale beyond 15.4 W per port and includes wirespeed Layer 2-4 switching, IPv6 routing, and dynamic multicast support. Security features include identity-based network services, ACLs, and Cisco Network Admission Control (NAC).
Cisco Catalyst 4900 Series
The Cisco Catalyst 4900 series is a rack-optimized switch designed to support organizations of all sizes. The device features a standalone fixed-configuration which includes Layer 2-4 switching, dynamic IP routing, and IPv6. It includes up to 48 10/100/1000 ports to include dual, hot swappable internal AC or DC power supplies.
Cisco 2960 Switch
The Cisco 2960 switch has been one of the most popular switches sold by Cisco System due to the inclusion of a management console. The switch series has two different modes that include uplink ports. One of the two models includes 24 fast Ethernet interfaces while the other has 12. The switch is primarily used in the ISP and industrial sectors due to its scalability and performance features.
Cisco Switch Configuration
When a new Cisco switch is shipped, it is not configured by design. The end-user or administrator responsible for setting up the device has to configure the switch while the configuration dialogue is in setup mode. Once the rudimentary or basic settings are made in the setup mode, the admin can then modify, verify, or even delete the settings while in various configuration modes from the Cisco IOS command interface.
What are the Primary Modes of the Cisco IOS?
The two primary modes of the Cisco IOS are privileged exec mode and user exec mode in addition to other modes such as line configuration mode with distinctive prompts, interface configuration mode, global configuration mode, and line configuration mode with distinctive prompts. Each of the modes has commands available to perform certain tasks. The privileged exec mode is the detailed prerequisite for all of the other configuration modes while the user exec mode is the limited examination mode for Cisco routers. The commands for the different Cisco switches will vary somewhat in the Cisco IOS.
What are the Cisco Switch Configuration Commands?
For those tasked with managing Cisco switch configurations, it is important to be conversant in the basic operational and configuration commands for both initial setup and routine switch maintenance.
Basic Cisco Switch Configuration and Operational Commands
configure terminal: The command will enter the configuration mode on the switch.
duplex {auto/full/half}: Sets the duplex mode for the switch interface.
enable password [password]: Sets the password for entering the privileged mode on the switch.
enable secret [password]: Sets the encrypted password.
erase startup-config: Erases the startup configuration.
hostname [name]: Assigns a host name to the switch.
ip default-gateway [address]: The command is global and sets the default gateway.
ip address [address][subnet mask]: Configures the interface and sets up the IP (Internet Protocol) address.
interface fast Ethernet 0/x: Places users into user configuration mode.
interface vlan 1: Global command which sets up the VLAN interface.
line vty 0 15: Enters vty configuration mode on the switch.
line con 0: Enters console configuration mode on the switch.
login: Makes the switch request a password.
password[password]: Sets the password on the switch.
show interfaces fastethernet 0/x: Displays interface status on the switch.
show interfaces: Displays information about a specific interface on the switch.
show interfaces vlan 1: Displays the IP (Internet Protcol) address configuration.
show [running/startup]-config: Displays RAM/NVRAM settings on the switch.
show-mac-address-table: Displays the MAC address table.
show port-security: [interface] [address]: Displays security options on the interface.
show version: Displays the switch’s hardware and software status.
show flash: Shows the files and directories in the flash on the switch.
show history: Shows the last ten commands issued to the switch.
speed {10/100/1000/auto/nonegotiate}: Sets the interface’s speed.
switchport port-security mac-address: Assigns adds a MAC address as the allowed address on the port (statically).
switchport port-security mac-address sticky: Makes the switch learn MAC addresses on the interface and then add as secure MACs.
switchport port-security violation {protect/restrict/shutdown}: Makes the switch conduct certain actions if an appropriate MAC tries to access through secure switch port.
switchport port-security maximum [value]: Sets the maximum allowed number of secure MAC addresses on the interface.
How to Assign an IP Address to Cisco 2950 Switches
An IP address can be assigned to Cisco 2950 switches while using the following global configuration mode commands:
Switch2950 (config) # interface vlan 1
Switch2950 (config-if) # ip address 192.168.0.1 255.255.255.0
Steps to Configure a Cisco 3548 Switch
The configuration of the Cisco 3548 switch was simplified when compared to older models of the company’s hardware. To do so:
Step 1 – Connect the Cisco 3548 switch console port to the computer’s com port using the UTP roll over cable.
Step 2 – Make a HyperTerminal session and give it any unique name.
Step 3 – Ensure the com port setting is set to “Restore Default” in the com port’s properties.
Step 4 – Setup the basic configuration settings in setup mode on the switch using the configuration dialogue’s help functionality.
Step 5 – In the basic configuration setup the hostname, IP address, secret password, enable secret password, line vty password, and each of the fast Ethernet interfaces.
How Do You Configure OSI Bridging on Cisco Switches?
By using the “bridging” command without quotations in the global configuration mode, OSI bridging can be setup on a Cisco Switch.
Configure InterVLAN Routing on a Cisco Switch
The following steps are used to configure InterVLAN routing on the Cisco Catalyst 3550 switch and can also be used (in concept) on other Cisco Layer 3 switches which run Cisco IOS. These include: Catalyst 3560, 3750, Catalyst 4500/4000 Series with Sup II+ or later, or Catalyst 6500/6000.
Step 1 – Turn on routing on the switch by using the IP routing command on the switch. Cisco recommends this step be conducted even if routing was previously setup on the switch.
Switch(config)#ip routing
Step 2 – Annotate all of the VLANS that you want to use the switch to route traffic between. In this example the traffic will be routed between VLANS 5,6, and 9.
Step 3 – Enter the “show vlan” command to check to see if the VLANs you are using exist in the VLAN database. If they do not exist you can use the following command to add a VLAN (in this example, VLAN 5 is added to the database):
Switch#vlan database
Switch(vlan)#vlan 5
Switch(vlan)#exit
Step 4 – Ascertain what IP address to assign to the VLAN interface on the Cisco switch. For the VLAN route to be functional, each of their respective interfaces will need to have an IP address.
Step 5 – Assign an IP address to each of the VLANs that you assigned an IP address using the appropriate variation of the following commands:
Switch#configure terminal
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
Switch(config)#interface Vlan5
Switch(config-if)#ip address 10.1.2.1 255.255.255.0
Switch(config-if)#no shutdown
Repeat this process for all VLANs you are configuring.
Step 6 – Setup the interface to the default router. In this example, there is a Layer 3 FastEthernet port:
Switch(config)#interface FastEthernet 0/1
Switch(config-if)#no switchport
Switch(config-if)#ip address 200.1.1.1 255.255.255.0
Switch(config-if)#no shutdown
Step 7 – Setup the default route for the switch using a similar command to:
Switch(config)#ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 200.1.1.2
Step 8 – Configure the end devices to use the VLAN interface as the new default gateway by using the interface IP address as their default gateway to complete the VLAN setup on your network.
Cisco Switch Configuration,