Changing a Password
You should change this password to prevent unauthorised access to the switch. Enter the command:
SET PASSWORD
The switch prompts you for the current password, for the new password, and for confirmation of the new password. The password can contain any printable characters, and must be at least a minimum length, by default six characters.
(To change the default minimum length, see the SET USER command in the Operations chapter,
Choosing a Password
All users, including managers, should take care in selecting passwords. Tools exist that enable hackers to guess or test many combinations of login names and passwords easily. The User Authentication Facility (UAF) provides some protection against such attacks by allowing the manager to set the number of consecutive login failures allowed and a lockout period when the limit is exceeded.
However, the best protection against password discovery is to select a good password and keep it secret. When choosing a password:
■Do make it six or more characters in length. The UAF enforces a minimum password length, which the manager can change. The default is six characters.
■Do include both alphabetic
■Do include both uppercase and lowercase characters. The passwords stored by the switch are
■Do avoid words found in a dictionary, unless combined with other random alphabetic and numeric characters.
■Do not use the login name, or the word “password” as the password.
■Do not use your name, your mother’s name, your spouse’s name, your pet’s name, or the name of your favourite cologne, actor, food or song.
■Do not use your birth date, street number or telephone number.
■Do not write down your password anywhere.
Make sure you remember the new password created as you cannot retrieve a lost password. Recovery of access to the switch is complex.
Once you have logged into the manager account you are able to enter commands from this guide and from the
