26 Cisco LAN Switching Configuration Handbook
System banners both identify switches and provide information about security
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policies and monitoring procedures.
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The configuration of prompts and banners is optional.
Configuration of Prompt
(Optional) Configure the prompt.
1.
a. Configure a prompt by setting a device name:
b. Specifically configure a prompt:
Configuration of Banner
(Optional) Configure a Message of the Day (MOTD) banner.
1.
MOTD banners are not required to make any system operational; however, they are
extremely useful for identifying any security policies pertaining to accessing net-
work devices.
a. Configure an MOTD banner:
Note Banners are limited in size by device and operating system. There is no consistent
number or limitation.
Feature Example
This example shows a typical configuration for setting the system name, prompt, and
banner.
An example of the Supervisor IOS configuration follows:
Switch(config)# hostname Core_Switch1
Core_Switch1(config)# banner motd *
(global) hostname string
By default, the hostname for an IOS device is Switch or Router, depending on the
function (Layer 2 or Layer 3) of the switch.
(global) prompt string
By default, the hostname for an IOS device is Switch or Router, depending on the
function (Layer 2 or Layer 3) of the switch.
(global) banner motd & string &
The banner text is typed in between delimiting characters (in the table, the
ampersand [&]). The delimiting character is typed at the beginning and end of
the banner, which can include multiple lines, line breaks, and words. The delimit-
ing character can be any character that is not part of the banner text.