Solved: 877 router factory reset woes

Damien Silman · ‎09-04-2012

Hi,

We've recently changed data line providers and now have some Cisco 877 routers we'd like to reconfigure and use at other sites. Although we own these, they were configured by our old data line providers, I'm having a hard time of resetting them to factory defaults and am after some advice.

The simple, hold down the reset button until it restarts does not work.

If I press the reset button within 5 seconds of power up to load the default rom image, I get the below:

System Bootstrap, Version 12.3(8r)YI4, RELEASE SOFTWARE

Technical Support: http://www.cisco.com/techsupport

C870 series (Board ID: 1-148) platform with 131072 Kbytes of main memory

Booting flash:c870-advipservicesk9-mz.124-24.T.bin

Error opening: flash:c870-advipservicesk9-mz.124-24.T.bin

System Bootstrap, Version 12.3(8r)YI4, RELEASE SOFTWARE

Technical Support: http://www.cisco.com/techsupport

C870 series (Board ID: 1-148) platform with 131072 Kbytes of main memory

Booting flash:/c870-advsecurityk9-mz.124-24.T6.bin

Self decompressing the image : ############################################################################## [OK]

I assume from this the required bin has either been removed, renamed or overwritten.

As soon as the router boots it requires a password and I dont have the password to be able ftp files in and out of it.

Hope you guys can help.

Thanks,

Damien.

cadet alain · ‎09-04-2012

Hi,

this should work indeed.

take a look here:http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/routers/ps133/products_tech_note09186a0080174a34.shtml

Regards.

Alain

Don't forget to rate helpful posts.

View solution in original post

paolo bevilacqua · ‎09-04-2012

Have searched "router password recovery" here or on cisco.com ?

Damien Silman · ‎09-04-2012

Hi Paolo, thanks for the response, yes I have as well as being familiar with cisco password recovery techniques from previous experience. In this scenario it looks like i should be using the rom monitor prompt but I am unable to access it by using the break within 60 seconds of a hard reboot.

cadet alain · ‎09-04-2012

Hi,

which terminal emulator software are you using to connect to the router and which keys are you using as break sequence ?

Regards.

Alain

Don't forget to rate helpful posts.

Damien Silman · ‎09-04-2012

Hi Alain, I'm using PuTTY

Damien Silman · ‎09-04-2012

and CTRL Break, apologies forgot to add that bit.

cadet alain · ‎09-04-2012

Hi,

this should work indeed.

take a look here:http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/routers/ps133/products_tech_note09186a0080174a34.shtml

Regards.

Alain

Don't forget to rate helpful posts.

paolo bevilacqua · ‎09-04-2012

If you are using an USB / serial adapter, replace it with one of reputable maker, that is able to send ctrl-break.

Leo Laohoo · ‎09-04-2012

877 right? Look at the back of the router. There should be a tiny "Reset" button. Have you tried that?

paolo bevilacqua · ‎09-04-2012

leolaohoo wrote:

877 right? Look at the back of the router. There should be a tiny "Reset" button. Have you tried that?

Yes Leo, he did as mentioned in the first pst.

Damien Silman · ‎09-05-2012

Hi Alain/Paolo

I got in to the rommon in the end, I needed to configure a special command for the ctrl+break command in PuTTY as CTRL+Break alone was not working.

Thanks for the help.