Cisco Routers for the Desperate: Router and Switch Management, the Easy Way

by Michael W. Lucas

Overview

Cisco routers and switches are the cornerstones of many networks. But when things break, repairs can intimidate even the most competent administrator. Luckily, just knowing the "in case of emergency" basics will take you far.

Just like the original, this second edition of the highly acclaimed Cisco Routers for the Desperate is written for the administrator in crisis mode. Updated to cover switches and the latest Cisco terminology, with a tighter focus on the needs of the small network administrator, this second edition gives you what you need to know to provide reliable network services and fix problems fast. You'll find coverage of:

Installation--how to get your router and network connections up and running right the first time

Troubleshooting routers and switches, so that you can determine whether your hardware or the Internet is broken

Security concerns, like how to keep your network equipment safe from hackers and install a private network between two offices

How to implement basic network redundancy to reduce the risk of network downtime

Cisco Routers for the Desperate, 2nd Edition is designed to be read once and left alone until something breaks. When it does, you'll have everything you need to know in one easy-to-follow guidebook.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781593271930
Publisher:	No Starch Press
Publication date:	03/28/2009
Edition description:	Second Edition
Pages:	144
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 9.20(h) x 1.70(d)

About the Author

Michael W. Lucas is a network/security engineer with extensive experience working with high-availability systems. He is the author of the critically acclaimed Absolute FreeBSD, Absolute OpenBSD, Cisco Routers for the Desperate, and PGP & GPG, all from No Starch Press.

Table of Contents

Introduction;
What This Book Will Teach You;
Where You Can Learn the Rest;
Unpacking the Router;
Chapter 1: Befriending the Command Line;
1.1 EXEC versus Privileged EXEC Mode;
1.2 Integrated Help;
1.3 Command Abbreviation;
Chapter 2: Router Configuration;
2.1 Running versus Startup;
2.2 Reading a Configuration;
Chapter 3: Router Interfaces;
3.1 Got Interface?;
3.2 Common Interface Characteristics;
3.3 Configuring Interfaces;
3.4 Ethernet Interfaces;
3.5 Serial Interfaces;
3.6 Other Interfaces;
Chapter 4: Wide Area Network Connections;
4.1 Internet Connections;
4.2 Private Connections;
4.3 Private Circuit Configuration;
Chapter 5: Troubleshooting Routers;
5.1 Router Crashes;
5.2 Network Failure;
5.3 Extended Pings and Circuit Troubleshooting;
5.4 Phoning the ISP;
Chapter 6: IOS Changes;
6.1 Cisco Security Notifications;
6.2 Upgrade Preparations;
6.3 Performing the Upgrade;
Chapter 7: Redundancy with BGP and HSRP;
7.1 BGP Basics;
7.2 BGP Preparations;
7.3 Configuring BGP;
7.4 Managing BGP;
7.5 Propagation of BGP Updates;
7.6 Hot Standby Router Protocol;
Chapter 8: Cisco Switches;
8.1 CatOS, IOS, and Hybrid Mode;
8.2 Spanning Tree;
8.3 Configuring Switch Interfaces;
8.4 Cisco Discovery Protocol;
8.5 Viewing ARP Caches and Finding Hosts;
Chapter 9: Logins, Authentication, and Remote Access;
9.1 Lines;
9.2 Passwords;
9.3 Usernames;
9.4 Remote Router Access;
Chapter 10: CISCO NETWORK SERVICES;
10.1 Cisco AutoSecure;
10.2 NTP;
10.3 Router Logging;
10.4 SNMP;
IP ADDRESSES AND NETMASKS;
What Is an IP Address?;
Practical Netmasks;
Netmasks and BGP;
COLOPHON;