need to default 2811 router

[George Banuelos]

Hi all,

Please bear with me.  I noticed several topics along the lines of password recovery for a 2811 router and do not mean to ask a redundant question.  I've followed the .pdf instructions and the router will reboot as normal every time.  I manage to get to the rommon 1> and when I initially entered the confreg command as outlined in the password recovery steps it would not recognize the confreg command.  I ended up typing a ? and all the avaialble commands listed... after the commands listed, the CLI would allow me to type confreg 0x2142 which resulted in a message "need to reload or power cycle" (or something to that effect).  After typing the reset, the 2811 reloads, but reboots to normal condition.  I tried the confreg 0x102 method and got the same result.  After several attempts, it seems like the procedure is not working.  So how can I simply default the router and start from scratch if the recovery procedure fails?

Thank you!

[George Thomas]

You could do a write erase and reload the router.

[George Banuelos]

Thank you for the input George!  just to confirm, from rommon 1 >  type write erase enter then rommon 2 > reload ?

[George Banuelos]

went in again and when I got to the enable # prompt, I pulled a show run after copy startup-config running-config and it listed the new users w/privilege level 15 that i inserted, but neither of the passwords take at the

User Access Verification

Password:

... the pdf mentions something about the possibility that some routers have the config register at 0x102 instead of 0x2102 - could this be the case here and will it break anything if I set the config-register to 0x102 once I'm in the enable mode???

[George Banuelos]

went throught steps again and double checked the pdf and got to the part:

Configuration register is 0x2142 (will be 0x2102 at next reload)

but when the router reloads, same thing:

User Access Verification

Password:

???

[islam.kamal]

Hello

Can you try the below:-

thanks

please rate all useful information

1. Shut down the router.

2. Remove the compact flash that is at the back of the router.

3. Power on the router.

4. Once the Rommon1> prompt appears, enter this command:

   confreg 0x2142
   

5. Insert the compact flash.

6. Type reset.   /you forget to type reset/

7. When you are prompted to enter the initial configuration, type No, and press Enter.

8. At the Router> prompt, type enable.

9. At the Router# prompt, enter the configure memory command, and press Enter in order to copy the startup configuration to the running configuration.

10. Use the config t command in order to enter global configuration mode.

11. Use this command in order to create a new user name and password:

    router(config)#username cisco privilege 15 password cisco
    

12. Use this command in order to change the boot statement:

    config-register 0x2102
    

13. Use this command in order to save the configuration:

    write memory
    

14. Reload the router, and then use the new user name and password to log in to the router.

[George Banuelos]

thank you both for the input... indeed the cisco privilege 15 step is already in there... I think George got it... I will try this again - question: can I type: no enable password once in exec mode to avoid this step in the future?  When i did a show run, I saw a enable 5 - is this what I'm getting stuck at?  It would be easier to remove this step altogether... please advise

Thank you!

[George Thomas]

Thats correct, you are getting stuck at the enable 5 password. If you remove it, you wont be able to telnet/ssh back in, i would recommend you set something for both username/password and enable secret and should be set.

[George Banuelos]

Thank you for the confirmation... so I'm back at the exec and typed:

enable secret 5 password cisco

and it gave me the following error... " the secret you entered is not a valid encrytped secret.  to enter an unencrypted secret, do not specify type 5 ...

so if i type the following command at the # prompt:  enable secret password cisco - will this clear it and allow me to sign in with cisco the next time around? 

Thank you so much with bearing with my learning process!

[George Thomas]

Correct

[George Banuelos]

i don't get it... :) it is still asking for the User Access Verification and will not accept cisco as the password... if I type no enable secret 5 and no enable secret ... will it allow me to console in as I am right now and then add telnet?

[George Thomas · Accepted solution]

If you can console in, set the username password with privilege 15, set the enable password what you want. Sometimes you might have an enable password under the "line vty 0 4" command set. Remove that as well. If this doesn't work, post your config.

[George Banuelos]

here you go (thank you)

[George Thomas]

Looks like you are set?

[George Banuelos]

yes sir, my goodness... need to hit the books... this is going to be a lab router for this exact purpose