1.

how to configure Switches, Routers, Firewalls, VPNs and wireless access

points in cisco devices?
Ans)
In Cisco IOS (Internetwork Operating System), which is commonly used in Cisco
routers and switches, there are two methods to secure privileged mode access:
using an "enable password" or an "enable secret."

"Enable Password"
The "enable password" is a legacy method of securing privileged mode access. It
uses a plain-text password that is stored in the router's configuration file. The
password is not encrypted or hashed, which means it is vulnerable to
unauthorized access if the configuration file is compromised.

"Enable Secret"
The "enable secret" is an enhanced and more secure method. It uses a stronger
encryption algorithm (MD5 or SHA) to store the password as a non-reversible
hash value. The hashed password is stored in the router's configuration file,
providing better security than the plain-text enable password.

It is generally recommended to use the "enable secret" method for securing

privileged mode access. Here's why:

a) Enhanced Security: The enable secret provides better security because it

stores the password as a non-reversible hash value rather than plain text. This
makes it more difficult for attackers to retrieve the actual password even if they
gain access to the configuration file.

b) Stronger Encryption: The enable secret supports stronger encryption

algorithms (MD5 or SHA) compared to the plain-text enable password. This adds
an additional layer of protection against password cracking attempts.

c) Priority over Enable Password: When both an enable password and an enable
secret are configured, the enable secret takes precedence. This means that even
if an enable password is set, it will not be used for authentication if an enable
secret is present.

Switches:
Set the hostname and enable password encryption:

Configure VLANs: VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network): A VLAN is a logical

grouping of devices within a switched network, where devices in the same
VLAN can communicate with each other as if they were connected to the
same physical LAN. VLANs allow network administrators to segment a
network into separate broadcast domains, improving performance, security,
and manageability.
 Configure trunking: Trunking is a technique used to carry multiple VLANs over
a single physical link between switches or routers. It allows for the
transportation of VLAN traffic across the network infrastructure without
requiring separate physical connections for each VLAN.

Switch(config)# hostname MySwitch

Switch(config)# service password-encryption
Switch(config)# vlan 10
Switch(config-vlan)# name Sales
Switch(config)# interface GigabitEthernet0/1
Switch(config-if)# switchport mode access
Switch(config-if)# switchport access vlan 10
Switch(config)# interface GigabitEthernet0/2
Switch(config-if)# switchport mode trunk
Switch(config-if)# switchport trunk allowed vlan 10,20,30

Enable spanning tree protocol: Switch(config)# spanning-tree vlan 10 root

primary

STP (Spanning Tree Protocol) is a 802.1D network protocol used in Ethernet

networks to prevent loops and ensure a loop-free topology. It allows for
redundant network links while avoiding the problems caused by network
loops, such as broadcast storms and multiple frame copies.

Here's how STP works:

1. Network Topology Discovery: STP-enabled switches exchange Bridge

Protocol Data Units (BPDUs) to discover the network topology. Each
switch collects information about neighboring switches, the links
between them, and the switch with the lowest Bridge ID.
2. Root Bridge Election: The switch with the lowest Bridge ID is elected as
the Root Bridge. The Bridge ID consists of a Bridge Priority value and
the switch's MAC address.
3. Root Port Selection: Each non-Root Bridge switch determines its Root
Port, which is the port with the shortest path to the Root Bridge. The
path cost is calculated based on the speed of the link. The Root Port is
responsible for forwarding traffic towards the Root Bridge.
4. Designated Port Selection: On each network segment, the switch with
the lowest path cost to the Root Bridge is elected as the Designated
Bridge. The Designated Bridge's port connected to that segment
becomes the Designated Port, responsible for forwarding traffic to
other switches.
5. Blocking and Forwarding Ports: Ports that are not Root Ports or
Designated Ports are put into the Blocking state, effectively preventing
traffic from passing through those ports. This prevents network loops.
 Only one path is active (forwarding) between any two switches to
ensure a loop-free topology.
6. Loop Avoidance: If a switch detects a redundant link or a change in the
network topology, it recalculates the STP information and adjusts the
forwarding state of ports accordingly. This helps maintain a loop-free
topology, even in the presence of changes or failures.
7. Convergence: STP convergence refers to the process of reaching a
stable and loop-free network topology. It occurs after the election of
the Root Bridge and the determination of Root Ports and Designated
Ports. Convergence ensures that all switches have consistent
information about the network topology and all forwarding states are
established.

Routers:

2. Routers:
 Set the hostname and enable password encryption:
Router(config)# hostname MyRouter
Router(config)# service password-encryption
 Configure an interface with an IP address:
Router(config)# interface GigabitEthernet0/0
Router(config-if)# ip address 192.168.1.1 255.255.255.0
Router(config-if)# no shutdown
 Configure a routing protocol:
Router(config)# router ospf 1 ## 1 is the process ID
Router(config-router)# network 192.168.1.0 0.0.0.255 area 0
 ## network" is the command used to define a network statement
within OSPF routing configuration mode.
 "192.168.1.0" is the network address you want to include in OSPF
routing.
 "0.0.0.255" is the wildcard mask associated with the network address.
The wildcard mask specifies which bits of the IP address should be
considered when matching the network. In this case, the wildcard
mask of 0.0.0.255 means that the last octet (8 bits) of the IP address
will be considered, indicating that all hosts within the network will be
included.
 "area 0" designates the OSPF area to which the network belongs. OSPF
uses areas to organize and scale the routing process. Area 0, also
known as the backbone area, is the central and mandatory area in
OSPF. All other areas must connect to Area 0 in a hierarchical fashion.
 Area 1 is a non-backbone area, meaning it is not the central and
mandatory Area 0. Non-backbone areas are connected to the
backbone area through Area 0 or other intermediary areas.
  "area 2" designates the OSPF area to which the network belongs. Area
2 is a non-backbone area, meaning it is not the central and mandatory
Area 0. Non-backbone areas are connected to the backbone area
through Area 0 or other intermediary areas.

 Configure access control lists (ACLs):

Access Control List (ACL): An ACL is a set of rules or filters applied to
networking devices to determine whether network traffic is allowed or
denied. ACLs are used to control traffic flow based on various criteria
such as source IP address, destination IP address, port numbers, and
protocols. They can be used to permit or deny traffic for specific hosts,
networks, or services. ACLs can be applied to inbound or outbound
traffic on an interface to enforce security policies, filter unwanted
traffic, or prioritize certain types of traffic.

Router(config)# access-list 1 permit 192.168.2.0 0.0.0.255
Router(config)# interface GigabitEthernet0/1
Router(config-if)# ip access-group 1 in

1. Configure NAT: NAT is a technique used to modify the source or

destination IP addresses of packets as they pass through a router or
firewall. It is commonly used to conserve IPv4 address space and
enable multiple devices to share a single public IP address. NAT allows
private IP addresses to be translated to a public IP address when
communicating with devices outside the local network. There are
different types of NAT, including:

 Static NAT: Maps a private IP address to a specific public IP address,

allowing one-to-one address translation.
Example: A real-world example of Static NAT can be like a company has a
web server located within their internal network that needs to be accessible
from the internet.

2. The company has a private IP address assigned to the web server

within their internal network. For example, the web server has the
private IP address 192.168.1.10.
3. The company also has a public IP address range assigned by their
Internet Service Provider (ISP). Let's say the company has been
allocated the public IP address 203.0.113.100.
4. To make the web server accessible from the internet, the company can
use Static NAT to map the private IP address of the web server to a
public IP address.
5. They configure the router or firewall at the edge of their network to
perform Static NAT.
 ip nat inside source static 192.168.1.10 203.0.113.100
 Dynamic NAT: Maps a private IP address to an available public IP
address from a pool of addresses. It dynamically assigns public IP
addresses as needed.
Example: A real-world example of Dynamic NAT can be seen in scenarios
where a company has multiple internal devices that need to access the
internet using a limited number of public IP addresses.

1. The company has a private IP address range assigned to their internal

network, such as 192.168.1.0/24. Within this network, there are
multiple devices, including computers, laptops, and smartphones.
2. The company has been allocated a limited number of public IP
addresses by their Internet Service Provider (ISP), such as a range of
203.0.113.0/29, which includes six usable public IP addresses.
3. To allow internal devices to access the internet using the limited public
IP addresses, the company can use Dynamic NAT. The router or firewall
at the edge of their network is configured to perform Dynamic NAT.

ip nat inside source list NAT_POOL interface GigabitEthernet0/0

overload
access-list NAT_POOL permit ip 192.168.1.0 0.0.0.255 any

(NAT_POOL) defines the range of private IP addresses that will be

eligible for translation, which is the entire 192.168.1.0/24 subnet. The
"overload" keyword allows multiple private IP addresses to share a
single public IP address

 PAT (Port Address Translation): Maps multiple private IP addresses to a

single public IP address by using different source port numbers. It
allows many devices to share a single public IP address.
Example: A real-world example of Port Address Translation (PAT), which is a
type of Network Address Translation (NAT), can be seen in scenarios where a
home or small office network needs to share a single public IP address for
internet connectivity. Here's how PAT can be used in this context:

1. The home or small office network uses private IP addresses for devices
within the network. For example, the devices may have IP addresses in
the range 192.168.1.0/24.
2. The Internet Service Provider (ISP) assigns a single public IP address to
the network, let's say 203.0.113.100.
3. To enable all devices within the network to access the internet using
the single public IP address, the router or firewall at the edge of the
network uses PAT.

interface GigabitEthernet0/0
 ip address 203.0.113.100 255.255.255.0

ip nat outside

interface GigabitEthernet0/1

ip address 192.168.1.1 255.255.255.0

ip nat inside

ip nat inside source list NAT_POOL interface GigabitEthernet0/0

overload
access-list NAT_POOL permit ip 192.168.1.0 0.0.0.255 any

NAT helps solve the address exhaustion problem in IPv4 networks and
provides a level of security by hiding internal IP addresses from external
networks.


Router(config)# interface GigabitEthernet0/0
Router(config-if)# ip nat outside
Router(config)# interface GigabitEthernet0/1
Router(config-if)# ip nat inside
Router(config)# ip nat inside source list 1 interface GigabitEthernet0/0
overload

Firewalls:
 Set the hostname and enable password encryption:
Firewall(config)# hostname MyFirewall
Firewall(config)# enable password encryption
 Configure interfaces and IP addresses:
Firewall(config)# interface GigabitEthernet0/0
Firewall(config-if)# ip address 192.168.1.1 255.255.255.0
Firewall(config-if)# no shutdown
 Define security policies:
Firewall(config)# access-list inside_access_in permit tcp any host
192.168.1.10 eq 80
Firewall(config)# access-list inside_access_in deny ip any any
Firewall(config)# access-group inside_access_in in interface inside
 Configure VPN settings:
Firewall(config)# crypto ikev2 policy 1
Firewall(config-ikev2-policy)# encryption aes-256
Firewall(config-ikev2-policy)# integrity sha256
Firewall(config-ikev2-policy)# group 14
Firewall(config-ikev2-policy)# exit
 Firewall(config)# crypto ikev2 keyring mykeyring
Firewall(config-ikev2-keyring)# peer mypeer
Firewall(config-ikev2-keyring-peer)# address 0.0.0.0
Firewall(config-ikev2-keyring-peer)# pre-shared-key mysharedkey
Firewall(config-ikev2-keyring-peer)# exit
Firewall(config-ikev2-keyring)# exit
Firewall(config)# crypto ipsec transform-set myset esp-aes-256 esp-
sha256-hmac
Firewall(config)# crypto map mymap 10 ipsec-isakmp
Firewall(config-crypto-map)# set peer 192.168.2.1
Firewall(config-crypto-map)# set ikev2 ipsec-proposal myset
Firewall(config-crypto-map)# match address inside_access_in
Firewall(config-crypto-map)# exit
Firewall(config)# interface GigabitEthernet0/1
Firewall(config-if)# crypto map mymap

Wireless Access points:

 Set the hostname and enable password encryption:

AP(config)# hostname MyAP
AP(config)# enable password encryption
 Configure SSID and security: SSID stands for Service Set Identifier. It is
a unique name that identifies a wireless network. When you search for
available Wi-Fi networks on your device, the SSID is displayed as the
network name.
AP(config)# dot11 ssid MySSID
AP(config-ssid)# authentication open
AP(config-ssid)# authentication key-management wpa version 2
AP(config-ssid)# wpa-psk ascii mypassphrase
AP(config-ssid)# exit

WPA PSK stands for Wi-Fi Protected Access Pre-Shared Key. It is a

security protocol used to protect wireless networks from
unauthorized access. WPA PSK is an improvement over the older
WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) protocol and provides stronger
encryption and security features.

Here's how WPA PSK works:

1. Pre-Shared Key: WPA PSK uses a shared secret key known as

the Pre-Shared Key (PSK). This key is manually configured on
both the wireless access point (router) and the client devices
that connect to the network.
2. Authentication and Encryption: When a client device attempts
to connect to the wireless network, it must provide the correct
 Pre-Shared Key. This key is used for authentication and to
generate encryption keys for securing the data transmitted
over the network.
3. Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP): WPA PSK uses TKIP as
the encryption algorithm. TKIP dynamically generates a unique
encryption key for each data packet transmitted over the
network, making it more secure than the static keys used in
WEP.
4. Message Integrity Check (MIC): WPA PSK includes a Message
Integrity Check to detect and prevent tampering or
modification of data packets during transmission.
5. Key Rotation: WPA PSK periodically changes the encryption
keys used for data transmission. This helps to mitigate
potential vulnerabilities that may arise from long-term key
usage.

WPA PSK provides stronger security than WEP and is widely used in
home and small office networks. However, it has been largely
replaced by WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access 2) and WPA3, which offer
even stronger encryption and security mechanisms.

When configuring a wireless network with WPA PSK, it is important

to choose a strong Pre-Shared Key (password) that is not easily
guessable and to keep it confidential. Additionally, it is
recommended to use a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters,
numbers, and special characters to enhance the strength of the key.
 Configure interface and enable WLAN:
AP(config)# interface GigabitEthernet0/0
AP(config-if)# no shutdown
AP(config)# interface Dot11Radio0/0
AP(config-if)# no shutdown
 Configure radio parameters:
AP(config)# interface Dot11Radio0/0
AP(config-if)# ssid MySSID
AP(config-if)# channel 11
AP(config-if)# power local 15
AP(config-if)# antenna gain 3
AP(config-if)# exit

What is SSH (Secure Shell)?

In the context of routers, SSH refers to the ability to use the SSH protocol
for secure remote access and management of the router's command-line
interface. Many routers include SSH server functionality, allowing
administrators to establish encrypted connections to the router remotely.
When SSH is enabled on a router, administrators can remotely connect to
the router's CLI using an SSH client, such as PuTTY on Windows or the
OpenSSH client on Linux and macOS. The SSH client establishes a secure
connection to the router, encrypting the communication between the
client and the router to prevent unauthorized access or eavesdropping.

What is Telnet?
In the context of routers, Telnet is a network protocol used for remote
access and management of a router's CLI. It allows admin to establish a
text-based connection to the router and execute commands as if they
were physically connected to the router's console port
Telnet operates over a network, typically the Internet, and it provides a
basic terminal emulation environment for remote administration. However,
it's important to note that Telnet does not provide encryption or strong
security mechanisms, which makes it vulnerable to various security risks