Undocumented CAT OS engineering

[thisisshanky]

This question is related to a secret mode in Cat OS

i give a command enable engineer in enable mode

cat os asks for a password..

The password format is

WXYZW

where

W is the vty line password for the catalyst

X is Hardware version (if its 2.1 put X as 21)

Y is Firmware version

Z is Software version

So if vty password is c HW 2.1 FW 3.2 SW 2.3

it would appear as c213223c for Sup engine 2 and cc213223 for Sup engine 1....

But i tried this out on a Cat 5000 with Sup 2..engine...but its asking me a password, but none of this password formats..are working...Any body have come across this before ??

[Prashanth Krishnappa]

Enable engineer mode is primarily used by our Development Engineers. Is there any particular reason you want to be in enable engineer mode. We strongly advise customers not to troubleshoot in this mode. Some of the commands you use in the enable engineer mode might adversely affect your switch/network. Most troubleshooting can be done without enable engineer mode and in TAC , we seldom use this on cutomer production equiment .

Regards,

-Prashanth

[thisisshanky]

Hi,

I understand that this is strictly used by Dev. Enggs..But just wanted to play with a Cat 5k which i got which is not in production network! Any tips on how to get inside the Cat 5k engg mode are welcome. Also will this same password format work on a Cat 5000 switch (not 5500) with Sup2 engine.? I dont see any telnet (vty) password configuration for the Cat 5k...when i telnet to the ip address of the switch, i see that if i enter the console password, its allowing me to enter the switch. That means the vty and console passwords are the same....Please advice so taht i can get inside the enable mode...

[DALE FRANCIS]

Dude,

I sincerely suggest you get TAC to help you rather as i do not think Cisco would really appreciated us handing this stuff out in the forum for all too see, it might be well known with certain administrators but in the wrong hands this mode can and has in the past killed production networks.

Adios

[rfroom]

Be extremely careful in engineering mode. Entering incorrect commands can permanently damage the hardware and bring a production network completely down.