default an AT&T 1721 router back to factory

[matthew]

I have a used AT&T Cisco 1721 router that was collected from a client during an upgrade to a new service provider. The router was left behind. Is there a way to bring it to factory defaults? Every access I have tried has been blocked.

Much thanks

[paolo bevilacqua]

What have you tried ?

[matthew]

Hello and thanks for the response.

I have tried console and telnet. I can't even get to a monitor> prompt. AT&T has certainly learned how to lock down a router. Anything I try, I can't even reload the router, I can't get to a prompt that will let me clear everything. I understand their information is personal but whatever happend to the secret button that simply clears everything making it a brand new router?

[Michael Simon · Accepted solution]

You can try the standard password recovery:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/routers/ps221/products_password_recovery09186a0080094773.shtml

If that does not work then they probably used the 'no service password-recovery' feature.  The following has some advice for getting around this:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/routers/ps274/products_configuration_example09186a00801d8113.shtml

If the combination does not work my suspicion is that they pulled the flash or NVRAM.  You could open the case and look for these memory parts.

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/partner/docs/routers/access/1700/1721/hardware/installation/guide/1721upg.html

........Mike

As always, please mark your question as answered when it is.

[matthew]

Thank you very much for this advice. I will spend time next week

implementing your suggestions. And respond.

[matthew]

I also posted a 'start up' log file.

[matthew]

Hello,

I don't want to recover the password. The device was configured by another company and I want to observe their privacy.

Using Cisco's guides don't seem to be helping either, mostly for the same reason.

ROMmon> gets me nowhere also

I simply want the IOS to load and the configuration to be blank. I'm loading 12.3(13). If I ever get in I will upgrade to the newest IOS for the model.

[matthew]

Oh yeah, the no service password-recovery feature was something I am worried about.

And I won't have access to the third link until I start my classes in January. I hold onto the link.

[Michael Simon]

Paolo is right about that, just delete the '/partner' part of the URL to access it from the public forums.

The URL I should have sent was:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/routers/access/1700/1721/hardware/installation/guide/1721upg.html

........Mike

[matthew]

I was missing one command, the very last enter key press. I was rebooting too soon.

Now I somehow lost my image file. Things were working great too. Figures.

My Cisco classes start soon, I am hoping for the tech level login.

Thanks for your help.

[paolo bevilacqua]

Post a log of router boot.

[matthew]

please find attached

[paolo bevilacqua]

Have you verified with another router that sending break is working with your system ?

[matthew]

Yes, I am able to get a ROMmon> prompt. But even from there I have tried what

Cisco suggests, but without a brand new image I guess I am out of luck.

All I want to do is erase the start-up config file so I have a default router.

[paolo bevilacqua]

There is no start-up config "file". Read the documentation  about "password recovery".