ISR 4221 can't enter global configuration mode

[tbyers0]

I just purchased four brand new ISR4221 routers as part of an Academy lab set up. I can get them to boot fine, can enter user exec mode and privileged exec mode. However, when I try and enter global configuration mode, I get a command not supported error message. I also get that message if I issue a copy run start or erase startup config command. I am stuck at this point. I have worked with Cisco routers for 20 years and have never had any of them act this way. I have searched the blogs and the internet and cannot find a solution. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

[moisesmayagarduno]

Hello!

Could you share the updated link?

[fabriciocofrej]

Hola!

Podrías actualizar link pls!

[dhananjoy]

Link expired please share another link

[spyros.christop20281]

I had the same problem with an ISR 4221. What i did and work is the following:

Enter Rommon and Change the config-register vlaue to 0x0 to ignore the boot variable configured in startup config 

rommon 1 > confreg 0x0

 After that i did a reset

rommon 2 > reset

This will bring router into ROMMON mode once again. Now change the config-register value to 0x2102

rommon 3 > confreg 0x2102

and next i had the actual IOS.bin on a usb and boot from usb

rommon 4 > boot bootusbo:isr4400-universalk9_ias.16.09.02.SPA.bin

 Router booted with that image and then i was able to enter global configuration mode and change the boot. Copy the ios image on Flash from usb and then change the boot

ROUTER(config)#boot system flash bootflash:isr4400-universalk9_ias.16.09.02.SPA.bin

 After that save by issuing 

ROUTER#wr

 Once the router restarts you will see that it loaded the new ios image and everything will work as should.

Hope it helps

[Richard Burts]

Thanks for the description of how you got it to work. This may be helpful to other participants in the community.

HTH

Rick

[i.radcliffe]

I'm still having difficult with gaining access to a 4221 router. I have upgraded to IOS as directed above, and when booting for the first time I can get to privileged exec mode etc., but if I reboot I am challenged for a username and password.  When I try the defaults of admin admin, I am getting a %Login invalid message.  Am I missing a step that will allow me to either set these credentials or disable them?  IOS used is isr4200-universalk9_ias.16.09.06.SPA.bin

[Richard Burts]

If I am understanding correctly after initial boot up you were able to access privilege mode. But after a reboot you are no longer able to access privilege mode. You are prompted for a user name and password but the default no longer works. I believe that some versions of code on certain platforms implement a single use ID and password. When you login there is a message indicating that you should configure a new user ID and password, and after that initial session the default ID no longer works. I am guessing that you did not configure a new ID and password. If that is the case then I believe that you will need to use the password recovery procedure for this router.

[i.radcliffe]

Hi Rick,  I now have a solution, and that is to use an earlier version of the IOS (16.06.08) as suggested elsewhere.  This version lets me login more than once and reconfigure.  I tried the password recovery procedure procedure but this only appears to work on the privileged exec password not the router ID and password.  I'm sure I set an ID and password initially ('cisco' and 'cisco' as it is for lab use only) but it never seemed to be accepted.

Thanks,

Ian

[Richard Burts]

Ian

Thanks for the update. Glad to know that you have a solution. I am a bit surprised that a different version of code provides the solution. And surprised at this " the password recovery procedure procedure but this only appears to work on the privileged exec password not the router ID and password." I would expect that the password recovery procedure would have addressed both. But as long as you now have a solution that works the other things do not matter.

[Rowdy]

We bought 10 of these 4221 routers for our Cisco Networking Academy and they were all locked up like this.  Your instructions worked perfectly for me and I was able to upgrade them to 16.12.04.  

[spyros.christop20281]

You can check my reply from 12/3/2019. That's what i did and manage to solve the problem. Hope it helps you.

[Ihor Zaitsev]

Just type:

controller mode disable

and answer "confirm" twice.

[manuabra]

I am using ISR4400, after booting with IOS-XE, I still had the issue, below commands worked for me.

Router#controller-mode disable
Disabling controller mode will erase the nvram filesystem, remove all configuration files, and reload the box!
Ensure the BOOT variable points to a valid image
Continue? [confirm]
% Warning: Bootstrap config file needed for Day-0 boot is missing
Do you want to abort? (yes/[no]): yes
Router#

[gibeaug]

not a valid command on a 4221

We bought 104 of these to replace older 2911's when Cisco went to v7 - - and they have been nothing but a PITA - - wish we would have never changed.

[gibeaug]

Even with some of the earlier recommendations - we would still have routers randomly boot back into sd-wan mode.

Here is what I finally did that seems to stick;

Have a USB stick (with a 4gb partition as FAT32) and the IOS you want to use (I downgraded to 16.9.4)

Boot normally.

If it comes up in sd-wan mode (asks for login account) - use  admin / admin

router# pnpa service discovery stop

router# copy usb0:isr4200-universalk9_ias.16.09.04.SPA.bin bootflash:

router# config-transaction

router(config)# config-register 0x0

router(config)# commit

router(config)# end

router# reload 

rommon 1> dir bootflash (to make sure the file you copied earlier is being seen)

rommon 2> boot bootflash:isr4200-universalk9_ias.16.09.04.SPA.bin 

router# config terminal

router(config)# config-register 0x2102

router(config)# end

router# wr