Introduction

All Cisco networking devices are shipped with a factory default configuration. For the device to function according to your networking needs, this default configuration should be customized. The process of modifying the configuration can be achieved through various means. For administrative purposes, such as backup, security, and disaster recovery, these configurations are often saved in various formats and locations. Netadmins use various tools for accessing, configuring, and managing Cisco devices. This chapter discusses tools for the following items:

• Connecting to Cisco devices for configuration

  Local connection using a console interface

  Remote connection using Telnet

• Securing remote connections to Cisco devices using SSH

  Cisco device configuration for SSH

  SSH client installation

• Configuring Cisco devices using GUI tools

  HTTP interface for IOS-based devices

  PIX Device Manager

  Security Device Manager

  Other GUI tools for configuring Cisco devices

• Managing system files

  File management using a TFTP server

  Configuring Cisco devices to use TFTP

  Using an FTP server for file management