Password Recovery Procedure for the Cisco 2600 Routers

If you can access the router, type show version at the prompt, and record the configuration register setting. See Example of Password Recovery Procedure in order to view the output of a show version command

Note: The configuration register is usually set to 0x2102 or 0x102. If you can no longer access the router (because of a lost login or TACACS password), you can safely assume that your configuration register is set to 0x2102.

Press Break on the terminal keyboard within 60 seconds of power up in order to put the router into ROMMON.

Type confreg 0x2142 at the rommon 1> prompt in order to boot from Flash.

This step bypasses the startup configuration where the passwords are stored.

Type reset at the rommon 2> prompt.

The router reboots, but ignores the saved configuration.

Type no after each setup question, or press Ctrl-C in order to skip the initial setup procedure.

Type enable at the Router> prompt.

You are in enable mode and should see the Router# prompt.

Type configure memory or copy startup-config running-config in order to copy the nonvolatile RAM (NVRAM) into memory.

Important: Do not type copy running-config startup-config or write. These commands erase your startup configuration.

Type show running-config.

The show running-config command shows the configuration of the router. In this configuration, the shutdown command appears under all interfaces, which indicates all interfaces are currently shut down. In addition, the passwords (enable password, enable secret, vty, console passwords) are in either an encrypted or unencrypted format. You can reuse unencrypted passwords. You must change encrypted passwords to a new password.

Type configure terminal.

The hostname(config)# prompt appears.

Type enable secret <password> in order to change the enable secret password. For example:

  hostname(config)#enable secret cisco

Issue the no shutdown command on every interface that you use.

If you issue a show ip interface brief command, every interface that you want to use should display up up.

Type config-register <configuration_register_setting>. Where configuration_register_setting is either the value you recorded in step 2 or 0x2102 . For example:

  hostname(config)#config-register 0x2102

Press Ctrl-z or end in order to leave the configuration mode.

The hostname# prompt appears.

Type write memory or copy running-config startup-config in order to commit the changes.

  Configuration register is 0x2102
  Router>

  !--- The router was just powercycled, and during bootup a
  !--- break sequence was sent to the router.


  !

  *** System received an abort due to Break Key ***

  signal= 0x3, code= 0x500, context= 0x813ac158
  PC = 0x802d0b60, Vector = 0x500, SP = 0x80006030
  rommon 1 > confreg 0x2142

  You must reset or power cycle for new config to take effect

  rommon 2 > reset

  System Bootstrap, Version 11.3(2)XA4, RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1)
  Copyright (c) 1999 by cisco Systems, Inc.
  TAC:Home:SW:IOS:Specials for info
  C2600 platform with 32768 Kbytes of main memory


  program load complete, entry point: 0x80008000, size: 0x6fdb4c

  Self decompressing the image : ###############################
  ##############################################################
  ##############################################################
  ##############################################################
  ############################### [OK]


   Restricted Rights Legend

  Use, duplication, or disclosure by the Government is
  subject to restrictions as set forth in subparagraph
  (c) of the Commercial Computer Software - Restricted
  Rights clause at FAR sec. 52.227-19 and subparagraph
  (c) (1) (ii) of the Rights in Technical Data and Computer
  Software clause at DFARS sec. 252.227-7013.

   cisco Systems, Inc.
   170 West Tasman Drive
   San Jose, California 95134-1706

  Cisco Internetwork Operating System Software
  IOS (tm) C2600 Software (C2600-IS-M), Version 12.0(7)T, RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc2)
  Copyright (c) 1986-1999 by cisco Systems, Inc.
  Compiled Tue 07-Dec-99 02:21 by phanguye
  Image text-base: 0x80008088, data-base: 0x80C524F8

  cisco 2611 (MPC860) processor (revision 0x202) with 26624K/6144K bytes of memory.
  Processor board ID JAB031202NK (3878188963)
  M860 processor: part number 0, mask 49
  Bridging software.
  X.25 software, Version 3.0.0.
  Basic Rate ISDN software, Version 1.1.
  2 Ethernet/IEEE 802.3 interface(s)
  2 Serial(sync/async) network interface(s)
  1 ISDN Basic Rate interface(s)
  32K bytes of non-volatile configuration memory.
  8192K bytes of processor board System flash partition 1 (Read/Write)
  8192K bytes of processor board System flash partition 2 (Read/Write)


   --- System Configuration Dialog ---

  Would you like to enter the initial configuration dialog? [yes/no]: n
 
  Press RETURN to get started!

  00:00:19: %LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface BRI0/0, changed state to up
  00:00:19: %LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface Ethernet0/0, changed state to up
  00:00:19: %LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface Ethernet0/1, changed state to up
  00:00:19: %LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface Serial0/0, changed state to down
  00:00:19: %LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface Serial0/1, changed state to down
  00:00:20: %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface BRI0/0, 
  changed state to down
  00:00:20: %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface Ethernet0/0,
   changed state to up
  Router>
  00:00:20: %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface Ethernet0/1, 
  changed state to up
  00:00:20: %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface Serial0/0, 
  changed state to down
  00:00:20: %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface Serial0/1, 
  changed state to down
  00:00:50: %SYS-5-RESTART: System restarted --
  Cisco Internetwork Operating System Software
  IOS (tm) C2600 Software (C2600-IS-M), Version 12.0(7)T, RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc2)
  Copyright (c) 1986-1999 by cisco Systems, Inc.
  Compiled Tue 07-Dec-99 02:21 by phanguye
  00:00:50: %LINK-5-CHANGED: Interface BRI0/0, 
  changed state to administratively down
  00:00:52: %LINK-5-CHANGED: Interface Ethernet0/0, 
  changed state to administratively down
  00:00:52: %LINK-5-CHANGED: Interface Serial0/0, 
  changed state to administratively down
  00:00:52: %LINK-5-CHANGED: Interface Ethernet0/1, 
  changed state to administratively down
  00:00:52: %LINK-5-CHANGED: Interface Serial0/1, 
  changed state to administratively down
  00:00:53: %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface Ethernet0/0, 
  changed state to down
  00:00:53: %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface Ethernet0/1, 
  changed state to down
  Router>
  Router>enable
  Router#copy startup-config running-config
  Destination filename [running-config]?
  1324 bytes copied in 2.35 secs (662 bytes/sec)
  Router#
  00:01:24: %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface BRI0/0:1, 
  changed state to down
  00:01:24: %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface BRI0/0:2, 
  changed state to down
  Router#configure terminal
  Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
  Router(config)#enable secret < password >
  Router(config)#^Z
  00:01:54: %SYS-5-CONFIG_I: Configured from console by console
  Router#show ip interface brief

  Interface   IP-Address        OK?  Method     Status                   Protocol
  Ethernet0/0 10.200.40.37      YES  TFTP       administratively down    down
  Serial0/0   unassigned        YES  TFTP       administratively down    down
  BRI0/0      193.251.121.157   YES  unset      administratively down    down
  BRI0/0:1    unassigned        YES  unset      administratively down    down
  BRI0/0:2    unassigned        YES  unset      administratively down    down
  Ethernet0/1 unassigned        YES  TFTP       administratively down    down
  Serial0/1   unassigned        YES  TFTP       administratively down    down
  Loopback0   193.251.121.157   YES  TFTP       up                       up
  Router#configure terminal
  Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
  Router(config)#interface Ethernet0/0
  Router(config-if)#no shutdown
  Router(config-if)#
  00:02:14: %LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface Ethernet0/0, changed state to up
  00:02:15: %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface Ethernet0/0, 
  changed state to up
  Router(config-if)#interface BRI0/0
  Router(config-if)#no shutdown
  Router(config-if)#
  00:02:26: %LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface BRI0/0:1, changed state to down
  00:02:26: %LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface BRI0/0:2, changed state to down
  00:02:26: %LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface BRI0/0, changed state to up
  00:02:115964116991: %ISDN-6-LAYER2UP: Layer 2 for Interface BR0/0, 
  TEI 68 changed to up
  Router(config-if)#^Z
  Router#
  00:02:35: %SYS-5-CONFIG_I: Configured from console by console
  Router#copy running-config startup-config
  Destination filename [startup-config]?
  Building configuration...
  [OK]
  Router#show version
  Cisco Internetwork Operating System Software
  IOS (tm) C2600 Software (C2600-IS-M), Version 12.0(7)T, RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc2)
  Copyright (c) 1986-1999 by cisco Systems, Inc.
  Compiled Tue 07-Dec-99 02:21 by phanguye
  Image text-base: 0x80008088, data-base: 0x80C524F8

  ROM: System Bootstrap, Version 11.3(2)XA4, RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1)

  Router uptime is 3 minutes
  System returned to ROM by abort at PC 0x802D0B60
  System image file is "flash:c2600-is-mz.120-7.T"

  cisco 2611 (MPC860) processor (revision 0x202) 
  with 26624K/6144K bytes of memory.
  Processor board ID JAB031202NK (3878188963)
  M860 processor: part number 0, mask 49
  Bridging software.
  X.25 software, Version 3.0.0.
  Basic Rate ISDN software, Version 1.1.
  2 Ethernet/IEEE 802.3 interface(s)
  2 Serial(sync/async) network interface(s)
  1 ISDN Basic Rate interface(s)
  32K bytes of non-volatile configuration memory.
  8192K bytes of processor board System flash partition 1 (Read/Write)
  8192K bytes of processor board System flash partition 2 (Read/Write)

  Configuration register is 0x2142

  Router#configure terminal
  Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
  Router(config)#config-register 0x2102
  Router(config)#^Z
  00:03:20: %SYS-5-CONFIG_I: Configured from console by console

  Router#show version
  Cisco Internetwork Operating System Software
  IOS (tm) C2600 Software (C2600-IS-M), Version 12.0(7)T, RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc2)
  Copyright (c) 1986-1999 by cisco Systems, Inc.
  Compiled Tue 07-Dec-99 02:21 by phanguye
  Image text-base: 0x80008088, data-base: 0x80C524F8

  ROM: System Bootstrap, Version 11.3(2)XA4, RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1)

  Router uptime is 3 minutes
  System returned to ROM by abort at PC 0x802D0B60
  System image file is "flash:c2600-is-mz.120-7.T"

  cisco 2611 (MPC860) processor (revision 0x202) 
  with 26624K/6144K bytes of memory.
  Processor board ID JAB031202NK (3878188963)
  M860 processor: part number 0, mask 49
  Bridging software.
  X.25 software, Version 3.0.0.
  Basic Rate ISDN software, Version 1.1.

  2 Ethernet/IEEE 802.3 interface(s)
  2 Serial(sync/async) network interface(s)
  1 ISDN Basic Rate interface(s)
  32K bytes of non-volatile configuration memory.
  8192K bytes of processor board System flash partition 1 (Read/Write)
  8192K bytes of processor board System flash partition 2 (Read/Write)

  Configuration register is 0x2142 (will be 0x2102 at next reload)

  Router#

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/routers/ps133/products_tech_note09186a008022493f.shtml