1.6.6.2.2 Changing the Cisco 4948 Ethernet Switch Password for Telnet or SSH Access

You can change the passwords for both serial port access and SSH access to the switch.

1. Access the switch using telnet, ssh, or via the serial port.
   If you use the serial port for access, you will not be prompted for a user name or password, you will just get the prompt.

   my_host> ssh admin@my_switch 
   Using keyboard-interactive authentication. 
   Password:

2. Change to enable mode.

   Switch> enable
   Password:

3. Verify the password will be sent in encrypted format.

   Use the following command to check that service password configuration is set to -encryption.

   Switch# show running-config all | include service password-encryption
   service password-encryption

   If this is set to no service password-encryption, then passwords will be sent in clear text. You can change this setting, as shown in Step 5.

4. Enter configuration mode.

   Switch# configure terminal 
   Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z. 
   

5. If password encryption is set to no service password-encryption, then change it to service password-encryption.

   Switch(config)# service password-encryption

6. Change the password for a specific user.

   Switch(config)# username user_name password new_password

7. Exit configuration mode and save the changes.

   Switch(config)# end 
   Switch# write memory