GNS3 and Password recovery practice

JacobGates

hey everyone. I'm Jacob and I am current working on the CCNA. I am working out of a site that is like a book with chapters and sections and I am currently working on learning the IOS. I can't come close to affording any actual cisco equipment so I am using GNS3 with a 3660 image (I have a couple others but I ran into situations where the site's tutorial instructions weren't lining up with the image commands or outputs).

So anyways. I am working on the password recovery stuff and I can't get into ROMmon. The site said to break the boot and I wasn't sure what it was talking about so I googled it and it showed something that I don't ever see in my emulated router console. So I am thinking that sense the router is emulated it might not go through the same process or does it differently... I don't know.

I also have no idea what break is in ctrl+break for my router. I read somewhere that it's ctrl+c so I tried that randomly after I opened the console but nothing happened. Any advice, words of knowledge, direction is greatly appreciated.

Here is the link to the site I am learning from and the exact page that is explaining the password recovery method if you need it: 3-8 Password Recovery on a Cisco Router « Free CCNA Study Guide Free CCNA Study Guide

MTciscoguy

Does your console have a pause key? If so, you would push the ctrl key and the pause key at the same time, on the older terminals and keyboards often times the break key was labeled pause over break, I know when I had to reset one of my 1841 routers that came with password in it, this was the procedure I had to use to re-set everything.

JacobGates

I don't have a pause key. Well the media play/pause key but I don't think that is what you were referring to. Is there a specific time I am supposed to press it? I can try ctrl+c at that time... if GNS3 boots like the real thing.

networker050184

As far as I know GNS3/dynamips doesn't support password recovery because it doesn't boot in the same way a normal router would.

JacobGates

networker050184 wrote: »

As far as I know GNS3/dynamips doesn't support password recovery because it doesn't boot in the same way a normal router would.

That is exactly what I thought. I do have a little knowledge of these things and it didn't seem to go through a normal boot process. So is there a cheap (basically free) way I can practice this or should I just memorize the process? Or should I not stress to much about it?

networker050184

There really isn't much to it as I'm sure you already know so I wouldn't be too worried about it. Just make sure you understand the steps.

JacobGates

networker050184 wrote: »

There really isn't much to it as I'm sure you already know so I wouldn't be too worried about it. Just make sure you understand the steps.

okay! thank you so much! I always get nervous I will not get something and that will be my failure.

theodoxa

If cost is an issue, you might look into some cheaper routers. The 1700 series are pretty cheap. Unfortunately, eBay has a bad habit of listing the cheapest items (randomly interspersed with much more expensive items) when you do "Best Match", but dropping the cheapest items from the list all together when you do "Price Lowest to Highest". Their TOS actually state there is no guarantee an auction will even appear in any search results, which is straight up ridiculous. For this reason, I included two links for each (1st -- "Price Low to High", 2nd -- "Best Match").

1721 (from $25) --

Cisco 1721 | eBay
Cisco 1721 | eBay

1751 (from $25) --

Cisco 1751 | eBay
Cisco 1751 | eBay

1760 (from $20) --

Cisco 1760 | eBay
Cisco 1760 | eBay

The 1721 and 1751 are intended to placed on a shelf (not rack mountable). The 1751 is very quiet and requires a power brick/adapter (never had a 1721, but assume the same is true for it). Read the auction carefully to ensure the router comes with the brick/adapter. The 1760 is rack mountable. It makes a little more noise than the 1751, but uses standard PC power cables (like you use to plug you PC, Monitor, etc...in) that you can buy anywhere. The 1760 is also a slightly more powerful router and will run 12.4(15)T14 all the way up to Advanced Enterprise with the DRAM maxed out.

JacobGates

theodoxa wrote: »

If cost is an issue, you might look into some cheaper routers. The 1700 series are pretty cheap. Unfortunately, eBay has a bad habit of listing the cheapest items (randomly interspersed with much more expensive items) when you do "Best Match", but dropping the cheapest items from the list all together when you do "Price Lowest to Highest". Their TOS actually state there is no guarantee an auction will even appear in any search results, which is straight up ridiculous. For this reason, I included two links for each (1st -- "Price Low to High", 2nd -- "Best Match").

1721 (from $25) --

Cisco 1721 | eBay
Cisco 1721 | eBay

1751 (from $25) --

Cisco 1751 | eBay
Cisco 1751 | eBay

1760 (from $20) --

Cisco 1760 | eBay
Cisco 1760 | eBay

The 1721 and 1751 are intended to placed on a shelf (not rack mountable). The 1751 is very quiet and requires a power brick/adapter (never had a 1721, but assume the same is true for it). Read the auction carefully to ensure the router comes with the brick/adapter. The 1760 is rack mountable. It makes a little more noise than the 1751, but uses standard PC power cables (like you use to plug you PC, Monitor, etc...in) that you can buy anywhere. The 1760 is also a slightly more powerful router and will run 12.4(15)T14 all the way up to Advanced Enterprise with the DRAM maxed out.

Oh wow, that's actually pretty cheap. I will look into those for sure. It would be nice to practice on the real thing. Thank you so much!!!