1. “!@#$%&*(*%$@”

2. Are you tired...? frustrated...? confused...? ’Cause your @#$!% PASSWORD won’t work!#&(*!!!

3. No problem, I’ve got just the key!

4. Given that you’re already consoled in to the offending router, manually flip the router switch off and then on again.

5. As soon as you turn the router back on, you will see text scrolling by indicating that the router is rebooting. Within 60 seconds of re-powering the router, press Ctrl + Break. Keyboards will vary. Ctrl Pause Break

6. Upon halting the routing process, you will be given a prompt. At this prompt, you must enter a command that tells the router that at next reboot, it must ignore the contents of NVRAM. That command is o/r 0x2142 Enter i Now press and tell the router to reboot with the command and then pressagain.

7. As the router is rebooting, it will discover that it cannot find its configuration files (because you tricked it) and it will ask you if you would like to enter setup mode. Type n for “no” and press n Enter

8. Following reboot, you will see a generic prompt. Type enable to enter priveleged mode. Notice that you didn’t need a password because the router is not utilizing the contents of NVRAM where that password is stored.

9. Once you have entered the privileged mode, you have successfully overcome your initial problem -- remember? work!#&(*!!! Now we must get the router back to the way it was before you broke into it! work!#&(*!!! Your @#$!% PASSWORD wouldn’t At the privileged prompt, type copy start run.

10. copy run start Moves the contents of NVRAM into RAM, your running-configuration.

11. Now that we’re back where we want to be, let’s change the passwords back to the way they should be. Enter global configuration mode: Change your secret password: Enter line configuration mode: Log in to the console: Reconfigure the console password: Return to global configuration mode: enable secret ***** line con 0 config t login password ***** exit Enter follows each of these commands.

12. We’re almost done! Now we must go back and undo what we’ve done to the config-register. Right now you have your router set so that it boots to 0x2142. This needs to be changed to 0x2102 so that your router will find its running-config files in NVRAM when it boots. SuperRouter(config-line)#exit SuperRouter(config)# Return to global configuration mode.

13. SuperRouter(config)#config-register 0x2102 SuperRouter(config)#show ver Configuration register is 0x2142 (will be 0x2102 at next reboot) Change the config-register back by entering config-register 0x2102 And then show ver to verify that the change has been made.

14. You made it! Now all you need to do is copy your present configuration back into your NVRAM so that when you re-boot your router, you won’t have any more password woes. SuperRouter#copy run start Destination filename [startup-config]? Building configuration... [OK]

15. That’s all you do! Within 60 seconds of re-booting the router,. Set up a register entry to ignore NVRAM, Restart the router, Bypass the configuration utility, or Enter privileged mode, Copy NVRAM to RAM, Enter global configuration mode, Change secret password, Change console password,,, Return to global configuration mode, or Reset register entry, Verify changes, Copy RAM to NVRAM,