Cisco Passwords

Types of Passwords

Cisco Routers have a number of different ports through which these routers can be accessed. By default any one can access the router and can change configuration. In order to limit access and preventing users from changing configurations Cisco allows us to password protect each port.

Line Console Password:

Console port is located on the back of the router and is used for direct connection to the router from a PC. Prior to installing a new router in a network console port is the only option through which a router is configured and get to the working state in a network. The console port should must be secured with a password and the router should be physically placed in a secured location. If the router is not in a secured location than the console port should be disabled for preventing the loss of our configuration. Line Console password prevent unauthorized user from entering into user exe mode.

Steps for setting line console password:

For specifying the console password line configuration command is used.

Router1(config)# line console 0   This command will get you to console line configuration mode

Router1(line-config)#                     This prompt confirms that we are at line configuration mode.

Router1(line-config)# password yourPassword 

In the above line password is the command followed by your desired password.

login command is used for enforcing the console password before accessing user exe mode. If you do not enter login command after setting password for line console then router will not ask for password before entering user exe mode.

How to verify line console password:

Type end to exit from both the line configuration mode and global configuration mode, and than type exit to leave enable mode. Now after pressing enter if you are asked for password before entering user exe mode, congrats you have successfully protected your router from unauthorized access.

Protecting router and switches by setting line console password is mandatory for a network engineer to prohibit illegal access to the router configurations. Line console password is stored in plain text and anyone who can read configurations can view the console password. If you want a more secure password which can not be seen by everyone then use enable secret password. Cisco enable secret password is a more secure form of console password and the enable secret password is stored in encrypted form in router configuration.