3560 Console Connection Acting Strange

[Barron]

When I console into one of our 3560-48 switches, I get the typical welcome screen, but I'm not getting a prompt for the command line to enter a name and/or password. When I hit "Enter", the screen just refreshes, displays the "Welcome - hit enter to begin" verbiage again. It just recycles. If I type anything, nothing I type appears. I entered the creds even though I cant see it on the screen, but that's not getting me in either. I have also tried different baud rates. 

Also, I'm able to telnet in, but the password to get past the enable mode has been misconfigured and/or lost.

I was hoping to console in and do the password recovery procedure, but without having console access working correctly, I'm not confident at all that after starting the recovery that my console will start working correctly, where I could then finish the password recovery setup.

[Seb Rupik]

Hi there,

If you are seeing text without any strange characters and it is responding to your inputs, then there is nothing wrong with your console settings.

The faults you are describing sound like a configuration/ software issue. It will be safe to proceed with the password recovery procedure.

cheers,

Seb.

[Barron]

Thank you for the response. 

So my console will respond and display normally once a password recovery has been initiated? 

If the console doesn't start to respond properly once the recovery is started and I cant therefore complete the recovery, will I be able to pull the power and power back up to the current running config?

[Jaderson Pessoa]

Addition in Rupik* comments, you can recovery your configuration using the same steps for recovery password, just dont delete the config.txt, just rename it.

If your console doesn't work properly, rename for original name again.

Thanks in advance.

[Seb Rupik]

The password recovery procedure involves set the config-register hex value to tell the system to ignore the startup configuration.

If it all goes horribly wrong (not sure how...) then go back to ROMMON and reset the conf-reg and tell it to boot the startup config again.

cheers,

Seb.

[Seb Rupik]

Ah, as @Jaderson Pessoa points out, on the 3560 you just rename the config file to prevent it from being loaded. No need to change the conf-reg hex values.

[Jaderson Pessoa]

working together ^^

[Barron]

How do a make any changes though if I start the password recovery and it turns out I cant see anything though the console connection? Or I can see output, but still cant give any input. This is what I am afraid of. Know what I mean? 

[Jaderson Pessoa]

If you start the process, you will know if you can still or no. But try, you wont lost nothing.

[Barron]

OK great. Just needed to know I wasn't going to cause any problems if I have to stop the process and restart the switch.

Thank you!

[Jaderson Pessoa]

Great,

Good luck, we'll keep here if you need another assistance.

Do not forget to mark as resolved and helpful any post that has helped you.

[Barron]

So i tested my scenario on an extra 3560 that I have in the office. Only difference that I know of is the fact that the console connection displays and responds correctly. The switch has the same config our other live switches have, including the one I need to do the password recovery on. 

I initialized the password recovery and once the switch: prompt showed up i pretended this would be a good place to pull the power on the switch and plug it back in should the actual recovery on the switch that has a faulty console connection doesn't want to display properly once recovery is started. I wanted to see if the switch would in fact boot normally and load its current running config. In my case it didn't. Below is the output I received. What can I make of it?

------------------------------------------------------------------

switch:
Base ethernet MAC Address: 00:1b:d4:f6:20:00
Xmodem file system is available.
The password-recovery mechanism is enabled.
Initializing Flash...
flashfs[0]: 403 files, 6 directories
flashfs[0]: 0 orphaned files, 0 orphaned directories
flashfs[0]: Total bytes: 15998976
flashfs[0]: Bytes used: 8171520
flashfs[0]: Bytes available: 7827456
flashfs[0]: flashfs fsck took 9 seconds.
...done Initializing Flash.
Boot Sector Filesystem (bs) installed, fsid: 3
done.
Loading "flash:c3560-ipbase-mz.122-25.SEE3/c3560-ipbase-mz.122-25.SEE3.bin"...@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
File "flash:c3560-ipbase-mz.122-25.SEE3/c3560-ipbase-mz.122-25.SEE3.bin" uncompressed and installed, entry point: 0x3000
executing...

Restricted Rights Legend

Use, duplication, or disclosure by the Government is
subject to restrictions as set forth in subparagraph
(c) of the Commercial Computer Software - Restricted
Rights clause at FAR sec. 52.227-19 and subparagraph
(c) (1) (ii) of the Rights in Technical Data and Computer
Software clause at DFARS sec. 252.227-7013.

cisco Systems, Inc.
170 West Tasman Drive
San Jose, California 95134-1706

Cisco IOS Software, C3560 Software (C3560-IPBASE-M), Version 12.2(25)SEE3, RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc2)
Copyright (c) 1986-2007 by Cisco Systems, Inc.
Compiled Thu 22-Feb-07 14:40 by myl
Image text-base: 0x00003000, data-base: 0x00EB11A0

Initializing flashfs...

flashfs[1]: 403 files, 6 directories
flashfs[1]: 0 orphaned files, 0 orphaned directories
flashfs[1]: Total bytes: 15998976
flashfs[1]: Bytes used: 8171520
flashfs[1]: Bytes available: 7827456
flashfs[1]: flashfs fsck took 1 seconds.
flashfs[1]: Initialization complete....done Initializing flashfs.

POST: CPU MIC register Tests : Begin
POST: CPU MIC register Tests : End, Status Passed

POST: PortASIC Memory Tests : Begin
POST: PortASIC Memory Tests : End, Status Passed

POST: CPU MIC PortASIC interface Loopback Tests : Begin
POST: CPU MIC PortASIC interface Loopback Tests : End, Status Passed

POST: PortASIC RingLoopback Tests : Begin
POST: PortASIC RingLoopback Tests : End, Status Passed

POST: Inline Power Controller Tests : Begin
POST: Inline Power Controller Tests : End, Status Passed

POST: PortASIC CAM Subsystem Tests : Begin
POST: PortASIC CAM Subsystem Tests : End, Status Passed

POST: PortASIC Port Loopback Tests : Begin
POST: PortASIC Port Loopback Tests : End, Status Passed

Waiting for Port download...Complete

cisco WS-C3560-24PS (PowerPC405) processor (revision Q0) with 118784K/12280K bytes of memory.
Processor board ID FDO1119Z03K
Last reset from power-on
1 Virtual Ethernet interface
24 FastEthernet interfaces
2 Gigabit Ethernet interfaces
The password-recovery mechanism is enabled.

512K bytes of flash-simulated non-volatile configuration memory.
Base ethernet MAC Address : 00:1B:D4:F6:20:00
Motherboard assembly number : 73-9673-09
Power supply part number : 341-0029-05
Motherboard serial number : FDO111800AH
Power supply serial number : LIT111502TS
Model revision number : Q0
Motherboard revision number : B0
Model number : WS-C3560-24PS-S
System serial number : FDO1119Z03K
Top Assembly Part Number : 800-25861-04
Top Assembly Revision Number : D0
Version ID : V06
CLEI Code Number : COM1X00ARC
Hardware Board Revision Number : 0x01

Switch Ports Model SW Version SW Image
------ ----- ----- ---------- ----------
* 1 26 WS-C3560-24PS 12.2(25)SEE3 C3560-IPBASE-M

Press RETURN to get started!

00:00:46: %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface Vlan1, changed state to down
00:00:46: %SPANTREE-5-EXTENDED_SYSID: Extended SysId enabled for type vlan
00:01:07: %ILPOWER-7-DETECT: Interface Fa0/7: Power Device detected: IEEE PD
00:01:07: %ILPOWER-7-DETECT: Interface Fa0/7: Power Device detected: IEEE PD
00:01:08: %ILPOWER-7-DETECT: Interface Fa0/7: Power Device detected: IEEE PD
00:01:08: %SYS-5-RESTART: System restarted --
Cisco IOS Software, C3560 Software (C3560-IPBASE-M), Version 12.2(25)SEE3, RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc2)
Copyright (c) 1986-2007 by Cisco Systems, Inc.
Compiled Thu 22-Feb-07 14:40 by myl
00:01:08: %ILPOWER-7-DETECT: Interface Fa0/7: Power Device detected: IEEE PD
00:01:08: %ILPOWER-5-POWER_GRANTED: Interface Fa0/7: Power granted
00:01:09: %LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface FastEthernet0/1, changed state to up
00:01:10: %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface FastEthernet0/7, changed state to up
00:01:12: %LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface FastEthernet0/7, changed state to up
00:01:13: %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface FastEthernet0/1, changed state to up
00:01:41: %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface Vlan1, changed state to up
00:01:51: AUTOINSTALL: Vlan1 is assigned 172.30.1.151
%Error opening tftp://255.255.255.255/network-confg (Timed out)
%Error opening tftp://255.255.255.255/cisconet.cfg (Timed out)
%Error opening tftp://255.255.255.255/router-confg (Timed out)
%Error opening tftp://255.255.255.255/ciscortr.cfg (Timed out)
%Error opening tftp://255.255.255.255/network-confg (Timed out)
%Error opening tftp://255.255.255.255/cisconet.cfg (Timed out)

Would you like to terminate autoinstall? [yes]:
%Error opening tftp://255.255.255.255/router-confg (Timed out)y
Switch>
%Error opening tftp://255.255.255.255/ciscortr.cfg (Timed out)
Switch>