PRACTICAL GUIDE · HANDS-ON STEPS ONLY

Small Network Administration

ITLSN601 — Practical Configuration & Troubleshooting Steps

This guide extracts and reorganizes only the practical, hands-

on portions of the Small Network Administration handout —
device access, configuration commands, verification, and the final
lab exercise — presented as clear numbered steps with short
explanations.

Source module: ITLSN601 – Small Network Administration (RTQF Level 6, Year 1)

Prepared as: Practical companion to the full theory handout
Tools referenced: Cisco Packet Tracer, PuTTY, Cisco IOS CLI
Contents

1 Accessing & Navigating the Cisco IOS CLI

2 Viewing & Saving Device Configuration

3 Configuring Switch Management Access (SVI)

4 Resetting a Switch to Factory Default

5 Verification & Troubleshooting Commands

6 Basic Troubleshooting Method

7 Hands-on Lab: Campus Network Design

 STEP-BY-STEP

1. Accessing & Navigating the Cisco IOS CLI

Before any device can be configured, you need to connect to it and move safely between its command modes. Use a terminal
emulator such as PuTTY over the console, SSH, or Telnet connection.

1 Connect to the device

Open a terminal emulation program (e.g., PuTTY) and connect via the console cable, SSH, or Telnet. On connection you
land in User EXEC mode, shown by a prompt ending in > .

Switch>

2 Enter Privileged EXEC mode

Type enable to unlock configuration-capable commands. The prompt changes to end in # . Use disable to go back.

Switch> enable
Switch#

3 Enter Global Configuration mode

From Privileged EXEC mode, type configure terminal . This is where device-wide settings are changed. Type exit to
step back up one level.

Switch# configure terminal

Switch(config)#

4 Move into a sub-configuration mode

From global config mode, drill into a specific mode: line for console/SSH/Telnet access, or interface for a switch port
or router interface. You can jump directly from one sub-mode to another.

Switch(config)# line console 0

Switch(config-line)# exit
Switch(config)# interface FastEthernet 0/1
Switch(config-if)#

5 Return to Privileged EXEC mode

From any sub-configuration mode, type end (or press Ctrl+Z ) to jump straight back to Privileged EXEC mode.

Switch(config-if)# end
Switch#

Explanation — why modes matter: Cisco IOS separates commands into modes as a safety measure. User EXEC only
allows monitoring; nothing here can change the device. Privileged EXEC unlocks configuration; Global Configuration mode
affects the whole device, while Line and Interface modes affect only one access line or one port.

Mode Typical prompt Used for

User EXEC Switch> Basic monitoring only

Privileged EXEC Switch# Full monitoring, entry point to configuration

Global Configuration Switch(config)# Device-wide settings

Line Configuration Switch(config-line)# Console, SSH, Telnet, AUX access

Interface Configuration Switch(config-if)# A specific switch port or router interface

Command syntax tip: A command is written as command keyword argument — e.g. in ping [Link] , ping is the
command and [Link] is the argument. Always press Enter to submit a command.
 STEP-BY-STEP

2. Viewing & Saving Device Configuration

Every Cisco device keeps two configuration files. Knowing how to view and save between them prevents you from losing your
work after a reboot.

1 View the active configuration

From Privileged EXEC mode, run show running-config to see the configuration currently active in RAM.

Switch# show running-config

2 View the saved configuration

Run show startup-config to see the configuration stored in NVRAM — the version that will load the next time the
device boots.

Switch# show startup-config

3 Save your changes

Copy the running configuration to the startup configuration so your changes survive a power loss or reload.

Switch# copy running-config startup-config

Explanation: running-config lives in volatile RAM and is lost on power-off. startup-config lives in non-volatile NVRAM
and survives a reboot. If you forget Step 3, every change you made is gone the moment the device restarts.
 STEP-BY-STEP

3. Configuring Switch Management Access (SVI)

A switch has no dedicated management interface — you assign an IP address to a Switched Virtual Interface (SVI) instead, so
the switch can be reached by Telnet, SSH, HTTP(S), or SNMP for remote administration.

1 Create the management VLAN

Choose a VLAN ID that is not VLAN 1 (the default VLAN is a poor security choice for management) and give it a
descriptive name.

S1(config)# vlan 99
S1(config-vlan)# name Management
S1(config-vlan)# exit

2 Assign a physical port to that VLAN

Pick the interface that will carry management traffic and put it in access mode on VLAN 99.

S1(config)# interface FastEthernet 0/1

S1(config-if)# switchport access vlan 99

3 Configure the SVI IP address

Move into the VLAN interface and assign an IPv4 address and subnet mask.

S1(config)# interface vlan 99

S1(config-if)# ip address [Link] [Link]

4 Activate the interface

SVIs are administratively down by default — bring the interface up.

S1(config-if)# no shutdown

5 Verify
The SVI will only show as up/up once VLAN 99 exists and a device is connected to a port that belongs to it.

S1# show ip interface brief

Explanation: The SVI is a virtual, logical interface — it only comes up once the VLAN is active on at least one connected
physical port. Using a dedicated non-default VLAN for management (instead of VLAN 1) keeps administrative access separate
from normal user traffic and reduces exposure to attacks.
 STEP-BY-STEP

4. Resetting a Switch to Factory Default

Use this before reassigning a switch to a new task, or when you need a clean slate for a lab.

1 Erase the saved configuration

Switch# erase startup-config

2 Delete the VLAN database

On a Catalyst switch, the VLAN database is stored separately and must be deleted alongside the startup configuration.

Switch# delete [Link]

3 Reload the device

Switch# reload

Important: Both erase startup-config and delete [Link] are required together — erasing only the startup
configuration leaves old VLANs behind after reload.
 REFERENCE

5. Verification & Troubleshooting Commands

These are the everyday commands used to confirm a network is working, or to find out why it isn't.

Command Run from What it tells you

ping <address> Router/Switch/PC Basic reachability test to a destination

traceroute <address> Router CLI Lists every hop a packet passes through

tracert <address> Windows PC Same as traceroute, Windows syntax

show running-config Router/Switch Active configuration in RAM

show interfaces Router/Switch Interface status, errors, traffic counters

show ip route Router The current routing table

show protocols Router/Switch Layer 3 status of each interface

show version Router/Switch Hardware/software info, useful during boot troubleshooting

show arp Router/Switch IP-to-MAC mappings known to the device

arp -a Windows/PC ARP cache on the host: IP, MAC, static/dynamic

ipconfig /all Windows PC MAC address and full Layer 3 addressing details

show cdp neighbors detail Router/Switch Neighboring device's IP, even if you can't ping it — useful when two routers
can't talk across a shared link

debug <feature> Router/Switch Real-time event messages for deep troubleshooting

Explanation: Start broad ( ping , show ip interface brief ) then narrow down ( show interfaces , show cdp
neighbors detail , debug ) only once you've isolated roughly where the fault is — running debug on a busy device
without a clear target can flood the console with irrelevant messages.
 METHOD

6. Basic Troubleshooting Method

Network problems can involve hardware, software, or connectivity — treat the process like a science experiment: form a
hypothesis, test it, and document the result.

1 Identify the problem

Gather symptoms directly from the user or from monitoring tools.

2 Establish a theory of probable cause

List the most likely causes, starting with the simplest.

3 Test the theory

Use the verification commands from Section 5 to confirm or rule out each cause.

4 Establish a plan of action

Decide on the fix and any steps needed to implement it safely.

5 Implement and verify

Apply the fix, then re-test to confirm the network is fully functional again.

6 Document findings
Record the problem, cause, and resolution for future reference.
 APPLIED LAB

7. Hands-on Lab: Campus Network Design

A full practical exercise that pulls together everything above: physical design, IP addressing, VLANs, DHCP/DNS, and device
configuration.

Scenario
Nyamishaba campus needs a network of 246 PCs spread across 4 LANs: Innovation Center (120 hosts), Language
Training Center (58 hosts), ICT (26 hosts), and Administrative Offices (2 hosts). The four LANs currently cannot reach
each other. IP range provided: [Link]/24 . DNS server: [Link] .

Required tools

Cisco Packet Tracer — design & simulation PuTTY — router/switch configuration Catalyst 2960 switches Router 4300 series

Tasks — work through in order

1 Design the physical topology

Lay out all 4 LANs with their devices, and assign a device name and an IP configuration to each one, based on the
[Link]/24 range provided. Subnet the range to fit each LAN's host count (120, 58, 26, and 2 hosts).

2 Configure DHCP and DNS on the office router

The router at the administrative office hosts DHCP and DNS services. Configure a DHCP pool for every subnet so hosts
receive an IP address automatically, and point clients to the [Link] DNS server.

3 Add wireless access

Connect an access point to one port on each of the 4 LAN routers so mobile devices can join. Configure each AP so
connected phones also receive an IP address automatically via DHCP.

4 Add end devices

Populate each LAN with a printer, a laptop, and a desktop computer.

5 Make the switches manageable

Apply the SVI steps from Section 3 so every switch in the 4 LANs can be reached by its own management IP address.

6 Verify end-to-end reachability

Use ping and show ip route (Section 5) to confirm all 4 LANs can now reach each other and the internet.

Deliverables checklist

☐ Physical topology diagram with device names and IP addressing

☐ Working DHCP and DNS configuration on the office router
☐ Access points configured and issuing DHCP addresses to mobile devices
☐ All end devices (printer, laptop, desktop) added per LAN
☐ All 4 LANs able to communicate with each other and the internet
☐ Short written report documenting the design and configuration decisions

Time budget: Allow around 5 hours to complete design, configuration, and the written report.

Practical extract prepared from the ITLSN601 — Small Network Administration handout. Theory, background reading, and review questions from the
original handout have been intentionally left out of this version — refer to the full handout for conceptual explanations.