Cisco Router Password Recovery The Easy Way

1. Ensure that minicom/hyperterminal window is connected to the router that needs to be configured.
Linux> sudo minicom ttyS0 or Linux> sudo minicom ttyS1

2. Unplug the power cord from the power strip outside the router rack. (Starting from the LED switch end, routers are connected in sequential order.) 3. Plug in the power cord for a router. 4. When you see
System Bootstrap, Version 12.1(3r)T2, RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1) Copyright (c) 2000 by cisco Systems, Inc. C2600 platform with 32768 Kbytes of main memory program load complete, entry point: 0x80008000, size: 0x761444 Self decompressing the image : ################

Send the break signal. For hyperterminal, it may be achieved by the key sequence ctrlbreak, function-break, or something else. For minicom, you may use ctrl-a followed by z followed by f (without the quotes). 5. You will see the following prompt.
... monitor: command "boot" aborted due to user interrupt rommon 1 >

6. Type
rommon 1 > confreg 0x2142 You must reset or power cycle for new config to take effect rommon 2 > reset

7. The router reboots, and, eventually, you will see

Cisco Internetwork Operating System Software IOS (tm) C2600 Software (C2600-I-M), Version 12.3(22), RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc2) Technical Support: http://www.cisco.com/techsupport Copyright (c) 1986-2007 by cisco Systems, Inc. Compiled Wed 24-Jan-07 16:48 by ccai Image text-base: 0x80008098, data-base: 0x80CEA424 cisco 2621 (MPC860) processor (revision 0x600) with 28672K/4096K bytes of memory. Processor board ID JAD06020ND6 (3352753447) M860 processor: part number 0, mask 49

Original date: 4/24/07. Revised on 3/27/09 Rajendra V. Boppana

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Bridging software. X.25 software, Version 3.0.0. 2 FastEthernet/IEEE 802.3 interface(s) 1 Serial network interface(s) 32K bytes of non-volatile configuration memory. 16384K bytes of processor board System flash (Read/Write) --- System Configuration Dialog --Would you like to enter the initial configuration dialog? [yes/no]: 8. Enter no for the last question.

9. You will see a lot of text and finally

Router>

10. The text in bold is what you need to do.

Router>en Router#conf t Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z. Router(config)#hostname Router2 Router2(config)#no ip domain-lookup Router2(config)#enable secret cisco Router2(config)#line console 0 Router2(config-line)#exec-timeout 0 0 Router2(config-line)#logging synchronous Router2(config-line)#password cisco Router2(config-line)#login Router2(config-line)#end Router2# *Mar 1 00:02:40.479: %SYS-5-CONFIG_I: Configured from console by console Router2#conf t Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z. Router2(config)#line vty 0 4 Router2(config-line)#password cisco Router2(config-line)#login Router2(config-line)#end Router2# *Mar 1 00:07:09.479: %SYS-5-CONFIG_I: Configured from console by console Router2#conf t Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z. Router2(config)#config-register 0x2102 Router2(config)#end Router2# *Mar 1 00:08:37.751: %SYS-5-CONFIG_I: Configured from console by console Router2#copy running-config startup-config Destination filename [startup-config]? {Enter} Building configuration...

Original date: 4/24/07. Revised on 3/27/09 Rajendra V. Boppana

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[OK] Router2#reload Proceed with reload? [confirm]

{Enter}

11. After rebooting, press enter. You will be asked for a password. Use the console password to login. Type enable and provide the secret password when prompted. You will enter the privileged mode. Use sh conf command to see the current configuration. The output should be similar to the text given below.
Using 672 out of 29688 bytes ! version 12.3 service timestamps debug datetime msec service timestamps log datetime msec no service password-encryption ! hostname Router2 ! boot-start-marker boot-end-marker ! enable secret 5 $1$R7i1$M3/GawERxPx7YnaRPfj2F/ ! no aaa new-model ip subnet-zero ip cef ! ! no ip domain lookup ! ! ! ! ! ! interface FastEthernet0/0 no ip address shutdown duplex auto speed auto ! interface Serial0/0 no ip address shutdown ! interface FastEthernet0/1 no ip address shutdown duplex auto speed auto ! no ip http server

Original date: 4/24/07. Revised on 3/27/09 Rajendra V. Boppana

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ip classless ! ! ! ! ! line con 0 exec-timeout 0 0 password cisco logging synchronous login line aux 0 line vty 0 4 password cisco login ! ! end

Original date: 4/24/07. Revised on 3/27/09 Rajendra V. Boppana

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