Catalyst 2960-S EXEC mode password

[Balma1969]

Hi,

I'm working with a 2960-S and I know the userid/password to access the web gui: here I can enable TELNET (setting telnet password) and consequentely I can telnet to my switch.

Now I need to enter in privileged EXEC mode and it asks me for a password that I do not know.

Even if I try to enter in privileged EXEC mode using the console (usb), it asks me for a password.

How can I reset this password without resetting the whole switch?

Thanks in advance

M

[Mark Malone]

You cant unfortunately  that's the secret its asking for to get into priv mode , there's no way around that but a password recovery which will be service effecting while the switch reboots

same procedure as 2950

http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/switches/catalyst-2950-series-switches/12040-pswdrec-2900xl.html

[Balma1969]

Thanks mark,

i've read the password recovery procedure and, if I well understand, it seems that I will not loose the switch config, I will just reset the pwd.

Am I correct?

Thanks again

m

[Mark Malone]

You can change it without effecting config but it will reboot make sure not to miss any steps or you could wipe it , I'm not familiar with the GUI but as Richard pointed out you may be able to change it in GUI but you may need to know it first to change it too , I'm not overly familiar with the GUIs on the catalyst so I'm not sure but I would double check that you definitely cant before going through the whole recovery procedure

[Richard Burts]

Like Mark I am not very familiar with the GUI for this switch. But if M is familiar with it and is able to enable Telnet and set the Telnet password with the GUI then it suggests that he may be able to change the enable password (or secret) using the GUI which would be much less complex than doing password recovery.

HTH

Rick

[Balma1969]

Discovered that the enable password (or secret) is the same password I use to access the gui (not the telnet password).

I really did not know it.

thanks Rick and mark.

[Mark Malone]

Great your in  :)  a freeware password safe may be useful to load the passwords into I use them after I had an issue like that before accessing a device , it has saved me a few times since  --KeePass is one of them

[Richard Burts]

Thanks for posting back to the forum to let us know that you have resolved your problem. We are always glad to hear when problems discussed on the forum have been resolved. It is not surprising that the password that you use for the GUI would be the enable password (or secret) and would be different from the Telnet password.

HTH

Rick

[Richard Burts]

I am a bit puzzled about this discussion. In the original post it seems to say that the poster can use the GUI to enable Telnet and to set the Telnet password. If there is that level of access in the GUI then I would think that changing the enable password (or secret) through the GUI should be possible. Did I misunderstand something in the post?

HTH

Rick

[Balma1969]

Hi Richard, You did not misunderstand, but I do not findhow to change the enable password (or secret) through the GUI. Can you suggest it?

Thanks

[Richard Burts]

This came in while I was typing my other response, so let me respond to this. If the GUI has the ability to enable Telnet and to set the Telnet password then logically it would also have the ability to change the enable password. I wish that I could suggest where that is in that GUI but I can not. If you found the place to set the Telnet password I would suggest looking around that part of the GUI in hope that setting enable password is logically similar to setting Telnet password.

Hopefully if Mark and I do not know the GUI will enough to suggest how to change the enable password there will be some other participant in the forum who can offer the suggestion.

HTH

Rick