1. Introduction to Networking
Switch Access

2. Unmanaged and Managed Switches
There are two main types of switches
Unmanaged switches are low-end switches designed for ease-of-use and situations where default settings are sufficient
Managed switches are more advanced and must be configured to use
Managed switches not only allow for more customization but also allow for greater security measures
Managed switches need a separate PC in order to be configured, and are able to be managed two in ways
Out-of-Band management
In-Band management

3. Out-of-Band Management
Out-of-Band management is when we use a dedicated switch port in order to connect a computer to our router
This is done using a rollover cable (also called a console cable)
The initial configuration to the router must be done this way, since the router will need to be set up with an IP address and authentication information to use In-Band management

4. In-Band Management
In-Band management is when we use a standard network connection to access the switch
This will require us to use a remote access protocol, like Telnet, SSH, or a browser-based application
When using a browser based-configuration, HTTPS is much more secure than HTTP, since HTTP will transmit data such as authentication information as plain text. Telnet should be avoided in favor of SSH for the same reason

5. Rollover Cable
Rollover cables allow a managed switch to connect through its console port
One end will connect to the switch through an RJ45 connection and the other end will connect to the PC with a serial connection
Since serial ports are an older technology, many console cables have a USB connection instead
When using these, you would need to install a USB driver to communicate with the switch

6. Terminal Emulation Software
After creating a physical connection to the switch, you must create a logical connection as well
PuTTY, SecureCRT are two popular emulation softwares out of many
By default a Cisco switch will not have authentication information set on it, therefore they will not need a username or password the first time it is accessed
Cisco switches (one of the most popular brands) have two modes when access them by terminal

7. User Mode and Privileged Mode
When first entering the system you will be in user mode
It is designated by having “>” as the text prompt
User mode allows you to see basic information, but not configure settings or access sensitive information
The command to switch modes is “enable”
Privileged mode allows for customization and full access to switch data
It is designated with “#” as the text prompt

8. Running-config vs Startup-config
Running-config is the current configuration for the switch
Once the switch turns off and its RAM is cleared, the running configuration is lost
Startup-config is the configuration for the switch that gets loaded up when the switch is turned on
If we want any changes to be permanent they have to be loaded into startup configuration

9. User mode passwords
There are many different user mode passwords available for us to set, but we’re going to focus on two differentiated on how the switch is being accessed
Console password
This is the password to access the switch from the console port
Virtual terminal passwords
This is the password to access the switch using In-Band management remotely

10. Enable Mode Passwords
We may want a separate password for privileged mode to protect our switch from being configured from a non-authorized user
Enable Mode Password
This password will restrict access to enable mode, but it is unencrypted
Enable Mode Secret Password
This password will restrict access to enable mode, and is encrypted
If both enable mode secret password and enable mode password are set, the secret password will take priority and be necessary. Because of this, the secret password is usually set alone

11. Initial Terminal Settings for a Cisco Switch
When initially connecting to a Cisco switch, make sure you use the following settings