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My company just bought another company. In their server room they had some older hardware, which I would like to repurpose. One of these is a Cisco Switch: C3560G-48TS-S.

I found some instructions about this switch here but this is not a guide for a beginner. I have no idea how to connect to this thing to begin running the commands.

It says

Configure the PC terminal emulation software for 9600 baud, 8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit, and no flow control.

But I can't find anything on how to do this (assuming with telnet?) or even what program to use. I also don't know how to find the IP address of the device to connect to it.

My research also says once I get in there, I need to run

clear config all

Is this the right command? Also, what if I can't get the username and password for these devices? Is there some way to factory reset (my only experience is with devices that have a hardware reset button)

EDIT:

I should note that when I push the button on the front the three lights blink, which according to the documentation indicated the switch is configured and "not available for express setup"

Josh
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  • Maybe you should have a look how cisco works before clowning around on it. Otherwise you are gonna have a bad time. – Lucas Kauffman Sep 27 '12 at 20:09
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    ".. but this is not a guide for a beginner" You're correct - Cisco enterprise gear is not for beginners at all. People certify them selves for years before doing work for customers. Since you don't know the IP address (or the username/password) then all you can do is get a serial cable and do a reset via it. – pauska Sep 27 '12 at 20:10
  • As Pauska said: **serial** Even though the physical connector might be RJ45. You might find a nice blue cable with a RJ45 8P8C connector on one end and a DB9 connector at the other end in the IT room of the company you took over. – Hennes Sep 27 '12 at 20:14
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    @Hennes: Actually, that's an 8P8C connector, not RJ45. – MikeyB Sep 27 '12 at 20:16
  • Noted. Naming things correctly is important. Especially on a site like this. – Hennes Sep 27 '12 at 20:18
  • @MikeyB It'll fit an RJ45, won't it? Though, yes, if the intent is to actually do anything useful, the difference in pinouts between the two might prove frustrating. :) – HopelessN00b Sep 27 '12 at 20:21
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    I do not appreciate the condescension. I haven't done anything with cisco routers in 10 years. These are older routers that I am using to refresh myself on and practice configuring vlans. – Josh Sep 27 '12 at 20:23
  • @Josh It's a switch, not a router. And not touching Cisco gear for 10 years pretty much proves my point. We're not trying to be jerks here, but remember that this site is dedicated to _professional_ sysadmins.. – pauska Sep 27 '12 at 20:45
  • @pauska - excuse me for trying to expand my knowledge base. – Josh Sep 27 '12 at 20:49

1 Answers1

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Seeing as how you have to ask these questions, you shouldn't be doing this.

But basically, you want to connect to the console on the switch. There should be a port on the front of the switch labelled as such (console, sometimes management), which looks like an RJ45/Ethernet port, but isn't. The cable to connect into it looks like the below.

Cisco console cable.

Plug the 8P8C end (looks like RJ45/Ethernet, but isn't) into the console port on the switch, and the serial end into a computer's serial port. If you don't have a serial port, you can get serial PCI adapter cards to install into a computer, or a serial-to-USB converter for the cable. Newer switches, come with USB console ports (thank God) and a USB-to-USBmini cable to connect with.

Once you've plugged in, use a terminal emulator client to connect, and follow the instructions you have. PuTTY is the de-facto standard in the Windows world.

And like I said, you shouldn't be doing this; it will not go well. Pay for a few hours of a CCNA or CCIE's time instead, and everyone will be happier and better off for it.

HopelessN00b
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  • If you have someone more senior than you in the organization (perhaps the netadmin who configured the switch originally?) you should have them walk you through this. – voretaq7 Sep 27 '12 at 20:18
  • The net admin left the company shortly after acquisition. I am trying to use this old switch as a refresher. – Josh Sep 27 '12 at 20:24
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    Using this switch to refresh your Cisco skills is a great idea, but your original question indicates a pretty wide knowledge gap (more than can probably be filled in by poking around on your own or asking on a Q&A site) - It may be worth trying to get your company to invest in getting you [CCNA](http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/le3/learning_career_certifications_and_learning_paths_home.html) training, especially if there's other Cisco gear in your shop. (Cisco certification is actually valuable enough that it might be worth pursuing even on your own dime, if you have the time/money to do so). – voretaq7 Sep 27 '12 at 20:33