Problem with 802.1x Configuration on Switch 3560.

[fatai.oyejobi]

Hi:

I configured 802.1x on a 3560 for guest account and it worked fine, except that about an hour later, it started rebooting every 20 min.  As I was about to log in to the switch through the console, it won't take the passowrd anymore, and it keeps asking me for password each time I pressed "Enter".  How can I get back to the switch?

I will appreciate your help.

Thanks

[Giuseppe Larosa]

Hello Fatai,

I see two different problems

>> it started rebooting every 20 min.

You may have hit a software bug there have been some threads about bugs with 802.1X in some IOS releases like 12.2(52)SE or 12.2(53)SE (my memory may be wrong )

>> log in to the switch through the console, it won't take the passowrd anymore, and it keeps asking me for password each time I pressed "Enter".  How can I get back to the switch?

This may be related to the bug or it can come from some conflict in configuration

To access the device you now need to use the password recovery procedure for your model

see

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/switches/ps628/products_password_recovery09186a0080094184.shtml

you need to press the MODE button during the first seconds of uptime with a console connection then there are commands to be used to load the file system.

Hope to help

Giuseppe

[fatai.oyejobi]

Thanks for your help.  I have gone through this procedure before I posted my question;

perhaps I should have emphasized that the "load_helper" command doesn't exist

on the 3560 CLI.  That's where I got stuck.  Hope this will help.

Also, if I am successful with password recovery process, the intermittent reboot with 802.1x configuration problem would not have been resolved.  I hope someone would be able to assist on this issue.

Thanks again.

Fatai

[Giuseppe Larosa]

Hello Fatai,

>>  should have emphasized that the "load_helper" command doesn't exist

on the 3560 CLI

are you able to perform dir flash: ?

you need access to the filesystem in order to :

rename the configuration file

boot the IOS image

if the command is missing from rommon it might be not necessary

this would be a documentation problem, however.

once you get access to the device I would recommend to:

a) remove 802.1X config

b) change IOS image  try with an older and/or a newer image, unfortunately without knowing the image you are running and the 802.1X config is not possible to provide a more precise suggestion

c) apply 802.1X config again

Hope to help

Giuseppe