| 3.2 | Basic Configuration of the Switch | ||
| 3.2.2 | Setting a password |
One of the first tasks to perform when configuring a device is to secure it against unauthorized access. The simplest form of security is to limit access to the switches with passwords. By setting passwords, you limit the level of access or completely exclude a user from logging on to a switch. Two types of login passwords can be applied to switches. The login password requires authorization before accessing any line, including the console. The enable password requires authentication before setting or changing switch parameters. Cisco also provides levels of authority. A privilege level of "1" allows the user normal EXEC-mode user privileges. A privilege level of "15" is the level of access permitted by the enable password. To set passwords on a set-based
switch, enter the commands demonstrated in Figure To set passwords on a Cisco IOS software-based switch, enter either one or both of the following commands in global configuration mode:
where password is a combination
of four to eight alphanumeric characters. The difference
between the two is that the enable
secret command encrypts the
password, whereas the enable
password command displays the
password in cleartext. Figure Figure |