3.2 Basic Configuration of the Switch
3.2.5 Identifying individual ports
You can add a description to an interface or port to help you remember specific information about that interface, such as what access or distribution-layer device the interface services. This command is very useful in an environment where a switch has numerous connections and the administrator needs to check a link to a specific location. This description is meant solely as a comment to help identify how the interface is being used or where it is connected (such as which floor, which office, and so on). The description will appear in the output when you display the configuration information.

To add a unique comment to an interface on a Cisco IOS Software-based switch, enter the following command in interface configuration mode.

Switch(config-if)# description description string

If you want to enter a description with spaces between characters, you must enclose the string in quotation marks. For example: Switch(config-if)#description "Port to fourth floor switch." An example of this is shown in Figure .

To clear a description, enter the no description command on the interface in interface configuration mode.

If your access switch uses a set-based command structure, you assign a description to a port by entering the following command in privileged mode.

Switch> (enable) set port name mod/number description

Variable Description
mod Specifies the target module on which the port resides
number Identifies the specific port
description Describes the specific text string

The description must be less than 21 alphanumeric characters, and spaces can be entered in the description without having to use quotation marks.

To clear a port name, enter the set port name mod/num command, followed by a carriage return in privileged mode. By not defining a port name, the value for this parameter is cleared. This command can be verified by using the show port command, as shown in Figure .