Network devices Password Recovery Process V 1.
1.0 NETEORK DEVICES PASSWORD RECOVERY PROCESS
5.0.1 Juniper OEM devices:
Step 1: Reboot the Device: Disconnect and restart the device. During boot, press Ctrl + C to interrupt the
boot process and enter single-user mode.
Step 2: Access the CLI: After entering single-user mode, you will have access to the device's CLI without
requiring a password.
Step 3: Modify the Password: Change the password of the user account by running the appropriate
command. For example:
set system root-authentication plain-text-password
Step 4: Commit Changes: Commit the changes to make them persistent after a reboot.
Step 5: Reboot and Test: Reboot the device and test the new password.
5.0.2 Cisco OEM devices:
Step 1: Reboot the Device: Disconnect the device from the network and restart it. While booting, break the
boot sequence by pressing a key (usually Ctrl + Break or Ctrl + C).
Step 2: Enter ROMMON Mode: ROMMON (Read-Only Memory Monitor) mode allows low-level access to
the device.
Step 3: Change the Configuration Register: Change the configuration register value to ignore the startup
configuration file during boot. The command is usually:
confreg 0x2142
Step 4: Reboot: Reboot the device without loading the saved configuration. This allows you to bypass the
startup configuration, which contains the old password.
Step 5: Enter Privileged EXEC Mode: Once the device boots without the configuration, access the CLI
and enter privileged mode (enable mode).
Step 6: Change the Password: Now that you have access to the device, you can change the password.
For example:
enable secret new password
Step 7: Restore Configuration Register: Change the configuration register back to its original value
(usually 0x2102) so that the device loads the configuration file during the next reboot.
Step 8: Save the Configuration: Save the new configuration with the new password:
write memory
5.0.3 Extreme 4450VSP devices:
Step-by-step guide to reset the password:
1. Access the switch: Use a console connection to access the switch.
2. Boot the switch: Power cycle the switch and watch the boot process carefully.
3. Intercept boot process: When the message e2fsck 1.41.14 is displayed on the console, type 123!.
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Network devices Password Recovery Process V 1.1
4. Access the lifecycle recovery menu: The switch will load the Lifecycle recovery menu.
From here, press 7 to reset all CLI local login passwords.
Enter the privilege password
The switch will prompt you to enter the privilege password. Share the below information to TAC team,
based on serial number and release they will generate the code, Enter the code provided in by TAC team.
Release#: 6.1.2.0
Serial#: 14JP370E504G
Time: 02/01/2019
Enter Privilege Password: 9a965da6
6. Confirmation
Once the privilege password is entered, the switch will confirm the reset.
*** Passwords have been reset to default ***
7. Complete the process
Press `q` to exit the menu and allow the switch to complete the boot process.
8. Login to the switch
Once the switch has rebooted, log in using the default credentials:
- **Username**: `rwa`
- **Password**: `rwa`
(For enhanced security mode, use `admin/admin`.)
5.0.4 Extreme ISW 8Gbp devices:
1. Accessing the Device
Console Access: To perform a password recovery, you will need to physically access the device,
typically through the serial console port. This is essential because network-based methods (like
SSH or Telnet) are not accessible if you’ve forgotten the password.
o Tools: Use a terminal emulator like PuTTY, Tera Term, or HyperTerminal to connect to
the device via the console cable.
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2. Reboot the Device and Interrupt the Boot Process
Reboot: Power cycle (turn off and on) the ISW 8 router to initiate the recovery process.
Interrupt the Boot Sequence: During the boot sequence, you need to interrupt it. To do this,
press the appropriate key combination (usually Ctrl + C or Esc) as the device is booting up to
enter the bootloader or recovery mode. This gives you a chance to bypass the startup
configuration, which includes the lost password.
3. Enter Recovery Mode / Bootloader
In many network devices, the bootloader mode provides low-level access, allowing you to
recover passwords or reset configurations.
Once you’ve successfully interrupted the boot process, you should be prompted to enter a
recovery mode (depending on the specific ISW device).
4. Change the Password
In bootloader mode, you'll typically have two options:
o Change the password: If you're only trying to recover a password, you can modify the
password directly through the CLI.
o Reset the Configuration: If you've forgotten the password for the device login
credentials, you can either bypass the startup configuration or reset it entirely.
2.0 STANDARDS REFERRED
The Standards referred are:
Change Management Process
3.0 ABBREVIATIONS
<Abbreviation> - <Expansion>
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