Cisco Commands Cheat Sheet

Cisco IOS is the backbone software that powers many of Cisco's network devices. For professionals working with these systems, knowing the right commands is crucial.

This article provides a Cisco commands cheat sheet, outlining the most common Cisco IOS commands for configuring, securing and troubleshooting Cisco network equipment. It includes the list of Cisco switch commands, a Cisco router commands list and Cisco network commands. Being familiar with the basic Cisco console commands will aid network administrators in managing Cisco devices efficiently and in line with best practices.

The commands are organized into the following groups:

• Mode control commands
• Basic configuration commands
• Troubleshooting commands
• Routing and VLAN commands
• DHCP commands
• Security commands
• Monitoring and logging commands

Command Modes

Cisco IOS has several command modes that fall into further categories such as operational and configuration. Each mode serves a slightly unique purpose. For instance, Setup Mode provides the user with an interactive menu guide the user to create an initial configuration file for the device.

The key most common modes are the following:

• User exec mode — This mode is the mode you land in when you first log onto a Cisco device. It provides limited access to commands and configuration settings. For instance, this mode enables you to view status using certain show commands but does not enable you to view or edit configurations.
• Privileged exec mode — This mode provides access to all commands, enabling more detailed examination and control of the device's operation and configuration.
• Global Configuration mode: Global configuration commands apply to features that affect the device as a whole. While Exec and Privileged Exec are read-only modes, Global Configuration mode gives the user writable access to modify the active configuration file. To use Global Configuration mode, you first need to enter Privileged EXEC Mode and then execute the configure terminal command although numerous shortcuts are accepted such as config t. Global Configuration mode can be further divided into the following command modes, which permit you to configure different components:
  • Interface configuration mode
  • Subinterface configuration mode
  • Router configuration mode
  • Line configuration mode