Cisco Catalyst Switches – Set a Management IP and Allow Telnet and Web Management

KB ID 0000614 

Problem

If you want to manage your Cisco Catalyst switch it’s not always practical to plug a console cable in to change its settings or monitor what it is doing. Putting an IP address on it and enabling remote management via Telnet or from your web browser is a better alternative, particularly if you have a lot of switches.

Solution

Enable Telnet Management on Cisco Catalyst Switch

1. Connect to the Switch using a terminal emulation program like HyperTerminal or Putty,

Terminal Settings Cisco Switch

2. Issue the following commands;

Catalyst Enable Telnet

enable
{enter enable password if prompted}
conf t
line vty 0 15
password {password required}
login
exit 

Add a Management IP to a Cisco Catalyst Switch

3. Whilst still in configure terminal mode issue the following commands;

Catalyst Set Management IP

int vlan1
ip address {IP address required} {Subnet required}
no shutdown
exit

Cisco Catalyst Set an Enable Password

4. If you telnet in you cant change any system settings without an enable password being set.

Catalyst Set Enable Password

enable password {Password required}

Optional : Set the Cisco Catalyst Switches Default Gateway

5. Just in case you need to manage the switch from another subnet, you will need to set a default gateway.

Catalyst Set Default Gateway

ip default-gateway {IP address required}

Enable Web Management on Cisco Catalyst Switch

6. To connect to and manage the switch from a web browser execute the following command, and then exit configure terminal mode.

Catalyst Enable Web Management

ip http server
exit 

7. Finally save the changes with a “write mem” command.

Catalyst Save Changes

write mem

Testing the Configuration

8. From a machine on the same network segment make sure you can ping the switch on its new IP address.

Catalyst Test Connectivity

9. Then make sure you can “telnet” into it.

Catalyst Telnet

10. Open a web browser and navigate the the switches IP > Select ‘Web Console’.

Note: You will require Java for this to work.

Catalyst Web Console

11. After entering the enable password you should see the following.

Catalyst CMS

Related Articles, References, Credits, or External Links

Cisco Catalyst Password Recovery / Reset

Author: Migrated

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