Specifications

4-2
Catalyst 2970 Switch Software Configuration Guide
78-15462-03
Chapter 4 Assigning the Switch IP Address and Default Gateway
Assigning Switch Information
The boot loader provides access to the Flash file system before the operating system is loaded. Normally,
the boot loader is used only to load, uncompress, and launch the operating system. After the boot loader
gives the operating system control of the CPU, the boot loader is not active until the next system reset
or power-on.
The boot loader also provides trap-door access into the system if the operating system has problems
serious enough that it cannot be used. The trap-door mechanism provides enough access to the system
so that if it is necessary, you can format the Flash file system, reinstall the operating system software
image by using the XMODEM Protocol, recover from a lost or forgotten password, and finally restart
the operating system. For more information, see the “Recovering from Corrupted Software By Using the
XMODEM Protocol” section on page 29-2 and the “Recovering from a Lost or Forgotten Password”
section on page 29-4.
Note You can disable password recovery. For more information, see the “Disabling Password Recovery”
section on page 7-5.
Before you can assign switch information, make sure you have connected a PC or terminal to the console
port, and configured the PC or terminal-emulation software baud rate and character format to match
these of the switch console port:
• Baud rate default is 9600.
• Data bits default is 8.
Note If the data bits option is set to 8, set the parity option to none.
• Stop bits default is 1.
• Parity settings default is none.
Assigning Switch Information
You can assign IP information through the switch setup program, through a Dynamic Host Configuration
Protocol (DHCP) server, or manually.
Use the switch setup program if you are a new user and want to be prompted for specific IP information.
With this program, you can also configure a host name and an enable secret password. It gives you the
option of assigning a Telnet password (to provide security during remote management) and configuring
your switch as a command or member switch of a cluster or as a standalone switch. For more information
about the setup program, refer to the release notes on Cisco.com.