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Cisco Aironet 1300 Series Outdoor Access Point/Bridge Hardware Installation Guide
OL-5048-02
Chapter 6      Using the Command-Line Interface
IOS Command Modes
IOS Command Modes
The Cisco IOS user interface is divided into many different modes. The commands available to you 
depend on which mode you are currently in. Enter a question mark (?) at the system prompt to obtain a 
list of commands available for each command mode.
When you start a session on the access point/bridge, you begin in user mode, often called user EXEC 
mode. Only a limited subset of the commands are available in user EXEC mode. For example, most of 
the user EXEC commands are one-time commands, such as show commands, which show the current 
configuration status, and clear commands, which clear counters or interfaces. The user EXEC 
commands are not saved when the access point/bridge reboots.
To have access to all commands, you must enter privileged EXEC mode. Normally, you must enter a 
password to enter privileged EXEC mode. From this mode, you must enter privileged EXEC mode 
before you can enter the global configuration mode. 
Using the configuration modes (global, interface, and line), you can make changes to the running 
configuration. If you save the configuration, these commands are stored and used when the access 
point/bridge reboots. To access the various configuration modes, you must start at global configuration 
mode. From global configuration mode, you can enter interface configuration mode and line 
configuration mode.
Table 6-1 describes the main command modes, how to access each one, the prompt you see in that mode, and 
how to exit the mode. The examples in the table use the host name ap.
Table 6-1 Command Mode Summary
Mode Access Method Prompt Exit Method About This Mode
User EXEC Begin a session with 
your access 
point/bridge.
br>
Enter logout or quit. Use this mode to 
• Change terminal settings
• Perform basic tests
• Display system 
information.
Privileged EXEC While in user EXEC 
mode, enter the 
enable command.
br#
Enter disable to exit. Use this mode to verify 
commands. Use a password to 
protect access to this mode.
Global configuration While in privileged 
EXEC mode, enter 
the configure 
command.
br(config)#
To exit to privileged 
EXEC mode, enter exit or 
end, or press Ctrl-Z.
Use this mode to configure 
parameters that apply to the 
entire access point/bridge.
Interface 
configuration
While in global 
configuration mode, 
enter the interface 
command (with a 
specific interface).
br(config-if)#
To exit to global 
configuration mode, enter 
exit. To return to 
privileged EXEC mode, 
press Ctrl-Z or enter end.
Use this mode to configure 
parameters for the Ethernet 
interfaces.