Overview of Cisco IOS command modes

The Cisco IOS command-line interface (CLI) is organized into hierarchical command modes:

• User EXEC mode – The default mode upon logging into a Cisco device. It provides limited access, allowing only basic monitoring commands while restricting configuration changes. The prompt for this mode ends with >.

Switch>

• Privileged EXEC mode – A higher-level mode that grants access to all show commands and system-level operations. While it does not permit configuration changes, it allows users to run diagnostics and manage files. This mode is identified by a prompt ending with #.

Switch>enable
Switch#

• Global Configuration mode – This advanced mode enables system-wide configuration changes and provides access to various sub-modes for specific settings, such as interface configurations. The prompt in this mode includes (config)#.

Switch#conf t
Switch(config)#

When you first log into a Cisco router or switch, you will be in user EXEC mode. Use the following commands to switch to more privileged modes:

• enable — Used to access Privileged Exec mode.
• config terminal (or config t or configure) — Used to access Global Configuration mode.