Extreme

Extreme Networks Switch Password Recovery

Recover a lost administrator password on Extreme EXOS switches using the boot loader and the password-reset option.

Overview

This guide provides step-by-step instructions for resetting lost or forgotten administrative passwords on enterprise networking hardware. Follow the procedure below carefully to regain access while preserving your device configuration.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding with password recovery, ensure you have a console cable, terminal emulation software configured to 9600 baud, and physical access to the device.

Step 1: Establish Console Connection

Connect your terminal cable to the console port of the device and open your serial terminal session.

Step 2: Interrupt the Boot Sequence

Power cycle the hardware and issue a Break key sequence during initial system startup to enter ROMMON mode.

Step 3: Reset Password & Configuration

Bypass startup configuration loading, boot into system software, set your new credentials, and save changes back to non-volatile memory.

Overview

Extreme EXOS switches provide a boot-loader option to reset the administrator password without losing the configuration.

Prerequisites

Recovery Steps

  1. Connect the console and reboot the switch.
  2. At the boot prompt press a key to interrupt the boot and reach the boot loader menu.
  3. Select the option to reset the administrator password (varies by platform, often option 5).
  4. The switch continues booting; log in with the default credentials and set a new password:
    configure account admin
    configure account admin encrypted <new-password>
  5. Save the configuration:
    save configuration