How to enable and disable the Finger service or protocol in Cisco switches

[TCC_2]

Resolution

To configure a system to accept Finger protocol requests (defined in RFC 742), issue the ip finger command in global configuration mode. To disable this service, use the no form of this command.

On the Catalyst 2950, 3550 switch and on the 4500 switch running IOS, by default the ip finger is disabled and it is not possible to see the no ip finger command on the running configurations even though the command is issued.

But on Catalyst 2900XL and 3500XL switches the no ip finger command can be seen on the running configuration because the ip finger command is enabled by default.

Note: As with all minor services, the Finger service should be disabled on your system if you do not have a need for it in your network. Any network device that has UDP, TCP, BOOTP, or Finger services should be protected by a firewall or have the services disabled to protect against Denial of Service attacks.

[yihali]

Hi expert, 

Does Cisco Firewall has the UDP, TCP, BOOTP, or Finger services or ip bootp service? If yes, how to disable these services？

[helpcenterus]

Hello,

Cisco Firewalls typically support UDP, TCP, BOOTP, and Finger services. To disable these services, you can access the firewall's configuration using the Command Line Interface (CLI) or through the device's management interface. Use the following commands as examples to disable specific services:

For UDP and TCP services:

no udp service
no tcp service

For BOOTP service:

no ip bootp service

Remember to replace "no" with "default" if you want to revert to the default settings. Always exercise caution when making changes to firewall configurations, as it can impact network functionality. Consult Cisco's documentation for your specific firewall model and software version for precise commands and guidance tailored to your setup.