Struggling w/ 3550 Password Recovery (Broken Mode Button....)

ciscoman2012

Hi guys,

Working towards my CCNP Switch and bought a 3550 SMI switch off eBay.

I plugged it up, watched it boot up, and as I expected had a password set so I knew I'd have to do a password recovery. I never had problems with the password recovery on my previous switches (all 2950's) but this one seems to be a bit different. From the documents I've been reading...it seems I have to plug the switch in while holding the "Mode" button for a few seconds and then it will go into another mode.

On my previous 2950's all I would do is send a BREAK command to the switch and it would enter ROMMON mode.

Long story short, my mode button is broken and doesn't push in/out at all. For all I know it may be stuck "ON" - as in being pushed in.

When the switch boots up all lights are on, and then Port 1 and port 2 go off. When those two port lights go off is when the switch starts outputting its bootup messages in the console.

What are my options to do a password recovery on this device? Am I screwed by having a broken "Mode" button or is there another way around this?

Thanks in advance for the help TE!



Cisco Internetwork Operating System Software
IOS (tm) C3550 Software (C3550-I9Q3L2-M), Version 12.1(19)EA1c, RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc2)
Copyright (c) 1986-2004 by cisco Systems, Inc.
Compiled Tue 03-Feb-04 04:47 by yenanh
Image text-base: 0x00003000, data-base: 0x0069B5C0

Initializing flashfs...
flashfs[1]: 81 files, 4 directories
flashfs[1]: 0 orphaned files, 0 orphaned directories
flashfs[1]: Total bytes: 15998976
flashfs[1]: Bytes used: 6418944
flashfs[1]: Bytes available: 9580032
flashfs[1]: flashfs fsck took 8 seconds.
flashfs[1]: Initialization complete.
...done Initializing flashfs.
POST: CPU Buffer Tests : Begin
POST: CPU Buffer Tests : End, Status Passed
POST: CPU Interface Tests : Begin
POST: CPU Interface Tests : End, Status Passed
POST: Switch Core Tests : Begin
POST: Switch Core Tests : End, Status Passed
POST: CPU Interface 2nd Stage Tests : Begin
POST: CPU Interface 2nd Stage Tests : End, Status Passed
POST: CAM Subsystem Tests : Begin
POST: CAM Subsystem Tests : End, Status Passed
POST: Ethernet Controller Tests : Begin
POST: Ethernet Controller Tests : End, Status Passed
POST: Loopback Tests : Begin
POST: Loopback Tests : End, Status Passed


cisco WS-C3550-48 (PowerPC) processor (revision L0) with 65526K/8192K bytes of memory.
Processor board ID CAT0815X24H
Last reset from warm-reset
Running Layer2/3 Switching Image


Ethernet-controller 1 has 12 Fast Ethernet/IEEE 802.3 interfaces


Ethernet-controller 2 has 12 Fast Ethernet/IEEE 802.3 interfaces


Ethernet-controller 3 has 12 Fast Ethernet/IEEE 802.3 interfaces


Ethernet-controller 4 has 12 Fast Ethernet/IEEE 802.3 interfaces


Ethernet-controller 5 has 1 Gigabit Ethernet/IEEE 802.3 interface


Ethernet-controller 6 has 1 Gigabit Ethernet/IEEE 802.3 interface


48 FastEthernet/IEEE 802.3 interface(s)
2 Gigabit Ethernet/IEEE 802.3 interface(s)


The password-recovery mechanism is enabled.
384K bytes of flash-simulated non-volatile configuration memory.
Base ethernet MAC Address: 00:0F:F7:2A:46:80
Motherboard assembly number: 73-5701-09
Power supply part number: 34-0967-02
Motherboard serial number: CAT081505P4
Power supply serial number: DTH08114Q2D
Model revision number: L0
Motherboard revision number: A0
Model number: WS-C3550-48-SMI
System serial number: CAT0815X24H




Press RETURN to get started!


C


************************************************** ***********
Site location: 999 N Sepulvda Blvd; El Segundo; Ca; 90245;
Switch name: caels2as02
WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING


Access to this equipment is expressly reserved for official
AON business use. Only authorized AON employees and
authorized agents acting on behalf of AON for the monitoring
and maintenance of this equipment are granted permission to
access this equipment.


Unauthorized access to this equipment will be punishable to
the fullest extent of the law. All access to this equipment
must be pre-approved by AON Management.


4/14/2004 - AON
************************************************** ***********

vanquish23

I believe the mode method is the only method that I know works. I have 4 of these in my lab. If your feeling brave, you could try removing the face plate and see if its broken the pointer to the main board. On one of my 3550's the console port broke off and fell inside, so I am going to try and take it apart and see if it can be fixed.

ciscoman2012

Thanks for the advice.

I popped the top cover off and used a toothpick to hold down the button that "Mode" was pressing. It worked and I was able to get into ROMMON mode.

So annoying that you can't use a break command like on the 2950's. Even more annoying that the button itself is broke.

RouteMyPacket

ciscoman2012 wrote: »

Thanks for the advice.

I popped the top cover off and used a toothpick to hold down the button that "Mode" was pressing. It worked and I was able to get into ROMMON mode.

So annoying that you can't use a break command like on the 2950's. Even more annoying that the button itself is broke.

Glad you got it, I have a few 3750's that require the same method of holding the Mode button down.