My switch lost console access. No VLAN IP had been configured, so I could not access it. I used the following article to regain access via telnet/ssh.
I have simulated your issue on my local Cat2950 and succeeded with both expess setup of “virgin” switch and reseting the configured switch again for express setup. These are my findings:
First please check again if your switch have been already configured (ie. not suitable for express setup) or not. For that you power-on the switch and let it load the image, run POST tests, etc. Few minutes should be OK, both SYST and STAT LEDS should lit green.
Now press the MODE button for about 3 seconds and look at the 4 LEDS above the MODE button (STAT, UTIL, DUPLEX, SPEED) – if they go steady green, your switch HAS NOT yet been configured and is ready for express setup, if they start blinking green, your switch HAS been configured and for express setup it must be reset again (please see beneath). In both cases you release the MODE button. Now:
1) If the switch is ready for express setup, you connect your PC to any switch port via Ethernet cable and wait about 30 seconds when the LED above the port turns green. Your PC should be configured as to receive the IP address etc. via DHCP. Please check via “ipconfig” command. You should receive the ip address 10.0.0.2. If so you should be able to ping both 10.0.0.1 and 10.0.0.3 addresses (switch interface Vlan 1 ip addresses assigned for expess setup).
If so please do telnet to any of these addresses. You should get Switch# prompt, ie. you are at the priviledge level and can do any configuration of the switch via CLI. For http access I have experienced authorization problems with the settings of my browser and rather then change my browser (switch uses HTTP V1 (1.0) I have set up the password on the switch and everything went OK. So if you do not want to use CLI for the switch configuration, please issue the command “enable secret …… ” when at the Switch# prompt via telnet and after that you can start your http session to either 10.0.0.1 or 10.0.0.3 ip address. You will be prompted for username and password, just fill-in the password you have set via “enable secret” command. You should get the express setup page where you can configure anything it allows you.
2) If the switch has been already configured (ie. LEDS went blinking green when you pressed the MODE button some time ago) you can reset it for the express setup. For that (switch still running) press the MODE button again. The 4 LEDS above the MODE button will start blinking green again. Keep the MODE button pressed for about 8 seconds, the LEDS go steady green. The switch now reloads itself. After reload (few minutes), you can check the status again via MODE button and hopefully finish the express setup.
Good Luck!
Best regards,
Antonin