Assessing Unit Status

Perform this procedure upon arrival for any remedial service and again after completing the service.

Note  Upon arrival, check with the site contact or NOC to confirm that the router's configuration has been saved to NVRAM. If necessary, ask for the enable password and follow this procedure to ensure that nothing from the configuration is lost when the router is turned off.

Step 1   Connect your PC or laptop to the unit's console port, and initiate a HyperTerminal connection to the unit. (Click here to learn how.)

Step 2   If the router has no access control enabled (no password protection) you will see the router prompt at this point. Jump to Step 3. If the router uses access control, proceed to the next step.

Step 3   Enter the console password at the Password: prompt. If the password is accepted, you will now see the Router> prompt.

Note  In this context, Router is the host name, and is set to "Router" by default. Most customers change the hostname to something unique that better identifies the specific router. For example, a customer might give a router a hostname of "CompanyName1". From a terminal or laptop running HyperTerminal, the Router> prompt for this router would be: COMPANYNAME 1>

Step 4   On the HyperTerminal menu, select Transfer > Capture Text.... The Capture Text window appears.

Step 5   Type a unique name that will identify the router information you are about to capture. (Write this name down for future reference.) Optionally browse to an alternate directory in which to save the file, or simply accept the default location.

Note  Cisco strongly recommends using the Task Number for the capture file name. Since you will perform this task both before and after servicing the unit, consider adding a word or a few characters to the filename to distinguish the second, post-service capture file from the first. For example, if upon arrival you named the capture file A123456.txt, you might name the post- service capture file A123456_ post.txt. (This is simply an example. Use any naming convention that makes sense to you.)

Step 6  Click Start to dismiss the Capture Text window and the begin the capture.

Step 7  At the Router> prompt, type the following commands and allow time after each for the router to complete its response:

• sh ver
   
• sh diag
   
• sh ip int brief

Note  Cisco 2500, 4000, and MC3810 series do not support the sh diag command. If you are working on any Cisco 2500, 4000, and MC3810 series unit, simply skip this command.

Step 8  On the HyperTerminal menu, select Transfer > Capture Text > Stop. The output is now saved into the file you created in Step 4 for future reference.