So, you have a Cisco router that you need to extract the configuration from but have no idea what the access details might be? So long as you have physical access to the device, and a console cable you may be in luck.
The first thing to do is connect a serial cable and use something like PuTTY or Hyperterminal to connect to your device. I’m not going to describe that process herein, if you’re unsure of how to do that it’s probably best you not proceed further.
Once you’re connected to the device, you’re probably sat at a login screen. Turn off the router and remove its CF card (or press break in the boot sequence to enter ROMmon). Boot the router and without the CF card it should enter ROMmon.
You’re probably wondering what ROMmon is? ROMmon, or “ROM Monitor”, is a bootstrap program implemented in the firmware on your router that’s responsibility is to initialize hardware boot the IOS image for your device.
Continue reading How To – Recover config from a Cisco router without passwords