Chapter 2. The Basics of Device Configuration

Preliminary Configuration Steps ” The basics of configuring a Cisco device running the IOS, starting with what to do when you receive the device in a shipping box.

The Help System ” How to use the Help system in the IOS.

Nonprivileged and Privileged Modes ” The two predefined user levels for accessing a Cisco device.

Memory Configuration Issues ” Description of two of the memory types found on Cisco devices, NVRAM and Flash memory.

User Configuration Mode ” The IOS method to perform dynamic configuration from a user prompt, from memory, or from a server.

Configuration Commands ” Structure of configuration commands used by the IOS and examples of basic configuration commands.

This chapter explains the basics of Cisco IOS configuration, which are used throughout the remainder of this book. We begin with the fundamental issue of setting up a device after it is "out of the box" and cover the most fundamental components of the IOS, including Help features, memory configuration, and the structure of configuration commands. The ZIP network, which was introduced in the previous chapter, serves as a context for device configuration examples.