PowerConnect B-Series FCX Configuration Guide 115353-1002266-01Setting passwords 321. Start a CLI session over the serial interface to the device.2. Reboot the device.3. At the initial boot prompt at system startup, enter b to enter the boot monitor mode.4. Enter no password at the prompt. (You cannot abbreviate this command.) This command willcause the device to bypass the system password check.5. Enter boot system flash primary at the prompt.6. After the console prompt reappears, assign a new password.Displaying the SNMP community stringIf you want to display the SNMP community string, enter the following commands.PowerConnect(config)#enable password-displayPowerConnect#show snmp serverThe enable password-display command enables display of the community string, but only in theoutput of the show snmp server command. Display of the string is still encrypted in thestartup-config file and running-config. Enter the command at the global CONFIG level of the CLI.Disabling password encryptionWhen you configure a password, then save the configuration to the flash memory on the DellPowerConnect device, the password is also saved to flash as part of the configuration file. Bydefault, the passwords are encrypted so that the passwords cannot be observed by another userwho displays the configuration file. Even if someone observes the file while it is being transmittedover TFTP, the password is encrypted.NOTEYou cannot disable password encryption using the Web Management Interface.If you want to remove the password encryption, you can disable encryption by entering the followingcommand.PowerConnect(config)#no service password-encryptionSyntax: [no] service password-encryptionNOTEThe no service password-encryption command will not work if service password-encryption wasconfigured previously by default. In this case, enter no service password-encryption then create ausername and password.Specifying a minimum password lengthBy default, the Dell PowerConnect device imposes no minimum length on the Line (Telnet), Enable,or Local passwords. You can configure the device to require that Line, Enable, and Local passwordsbe at least a specified length.For example, to specify that the Line, Enable, and Local passwords be at least 8 characters, enterthe following command.
