Chapter 4 General Switch Administration
Basic IP Connectivity to the Switch
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Catalyst 2900 Series XL and Catalyst 3500 Series XL Software Configuration Guide
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Basic IP Connectivity to the Switch
The switch uses IP address information to communicate with the local routers and
the Internet. You need it if you plan to use the CMS to configure and manage the
switch. The switch also requires a secret password. IP information is
•
Switch IP address
•
Subnet mask (IP netmask)
•
Default gateway (router)
Once IP information is assigned, you can run the switch on its default settings or
configure any settings to meet your network requirements.
The first time that you access the switch, it runs a setup program that prompts you
enter this information. For information about running the setup program and
assigning basic information to the switch, refer to the release notes.
Switch Software Releases
The switch software is regularly updated with new features and bug fixes, and you
might want to upgrade your Catalyst 2900 XL and Catalyst 3500 XL with the latest
software release. New software releases are posted on Cisco.com on the World
Wide Web and are available through authorized resellers. Cisco also supplies a
TFTP server that you can download from Cisco.com.
Before upgrading a switch, first find out the version of the software that the switch
is running. You can do this by using the Software Upgrade window, by selecting
Help > About, or by using the show version command.
Knowing the software version is also important for compatibility reasons,
especially for switch clusters. Refer to the release notes for the following
information:
•
Compatibility requirements
•
Upgrade guidelines and procedures and software reload information