How do I transfer config file from one Cisco router to another?

[ciscomoron]

Howdy everyone!

I have a Cisco running configuration file in a plain text format, how do I copy it onto another Cisco router and make that the running config?

I appreciate if someone could list the direction in Layman's term, or direct me to a link that could explain the procedure.

Thanks in advance,

[Richard Burts]

It is not clear from your post whether you have an existing router and you want to load its config into another router which will replace the original router or whether you have an existing router and now have a new router which will be deployed with a similar configuration. So I will attempt to address both situations in my directions.

First make sure that the config text file actually fits the environment in which the new router will be deployed. This might involve making sure that interface names match correctly (I recently moved a configuration from a 1721 router which had interfaces Ethernet 0 and FastEthernet0 to an 1841 which has interfaces FastEthernet0/0 and FastEthernet0/1). It might also involve making sure that the IP addresses (and masks) assigned are correct for the environment (especially if the new router is being deployed in a different location).

Then make sure that the "new" router has no existing config. If this is a fresh out of the box router it may have a config from SDM - if it does execute the erase startup-config command and reload the router. Also if this is an existing router with an existing config, then execute erase startup-config and reload the router.

Then log in to the new router. If this is a router with no startup-config then you will need to log in on the console port. then go into privilege mode by executing the command enable. Then enter config mode by executing the command configure terminal. Now select the text in the config file, do a copy of the text in the config file, and then in the session to the router do a paste. This will install the config from the text file as the running config of the router.

After doing this you probably should do a copy running-config startup-config to save a copy of the config in NVRAM.

HTH

Rick

[ciscomoron]

Rick/rburts

I appreciate your response, and thanks for pointing me in the right direction. Yes, I have an existing router with a running config. My goal is to load that config onto another identical router, which will replace the router where the source file originated from.

Your suggestion to run "erase startup-config" suggestion is extremely helpful. I read other articles on the Net, and none of the mention this important step.

I also read something that says I should search my config file to remove any ?AAA? line. Do I remove ONLY the ?AAA? or the entire line where ?AAA? is found?

I'm going to give this a try tomorrow. I'm new to router scene, and hopefully I won't screw things up too bad.

Thanks again, Rick

[Richard Burts · Accepted solution]

erase startup-config and reload is the reliable way to start over from the beginning. If you paste a config into a router with an existing config you are likely to wind up with parts of both configs.

Whether to remove AAA or not is something you should think about. If AAA is configured and working in the router from which the config is taken then I am not sure why you would remove it on the router that will be taking its place.

Without knowing where the advice came from about removing AAA it is hard to know why they were suggesting this. I would assume that they suggest removing AAA if a router were to be in a test environment. It is true that if AAA is configured carelessly (or without some understanding of what it is doing) that you can lock yourself out of the router. And in that perspective it might be safer to remove AAA. But in removing AAA you remove a significant factor in securing the router and open exposure for unauthorized people to access it. I would be reluctant to do this on a router in a live environment.

If you are going to remove it, then remove the complete line that has AAA in it.

HTH

Rick

[ciscomoron]

Rick,

It worked perfectly!! thanks!!!

[Richard Burts]

I am glad that it worked. And glad that we were able to help you through the forum. Thanks for rating and indicating that your issue was solved. It makes the forum more useful when people can read about some issue and can see that it was resolved. I encourage you to continue your participation in the forum.

HTH

Rick