Access GNS3 Router with Cisco SDM

Cisco SDM (Security Device Manager) is a Web-based application that provides the GUI for different Cisco routers, with this you can easily troubleshoot complex network and VPN connectivity issues. Also Cisco SDM a useful application for non-cisco professional who don’t have the enough knowledge of Cisco commands, they can configure Cisco Devices with SDM easily. In this article I will show you that how you can access and connect a GNS3 virtual router thought Cisco SDM (Security Device Manager). You need to follow the below steps to accomplish this.

ü  Install Cisco SDM

ü  Configure GNS3 Router for SDM

ü  Connect router to SDM

Install Cisco SDM:

You can download SDM from Cisco.com or from many other website. Installation of Cisco SDM is straightforward and you just need to follow a simple wizard.

Configure GNS3 Router for SDM

Cisco SDM is a web base Device Manager for Cisco devices, when you use SDM its involve HTTP and HTTPs protocol and you need to enable these two protocols on Cisco Router so that you can access it from Cisco SDM. You can enable the HTTP and HTTPs on Cisco router by following commands.

Router(config)#ip http server</div> Router(config)#ip http secure-server</div>

For demonstration I have created the following lab in GNS3 and I have following Applications in this gns3-lab:

GNS3 version: GNS3-0.7.4-win32-all-in-one

Router IOS: 7200 series (c7200-jk9s-mz.124-13b)

OS: Windows XP with Internet Explorer 8

I have connected the R1’s f1/0 interface to gns3-cloud so that internal Gns3 router can be accessible from my local computer. For configuring a cloud you need to add your Ethernet interface in cloud-configuration. Now you can connect the router Ethernet interface with this cloud interface. You can learn more about use gns3 cloud.

R1 Configurations:

R1(config)#interface f1/0 R1(config-if)#ip address 172.16.8.239 255.255.255.0
(Since I have connected this interface with physical LAN connection which has IP address 172.16.8.148, you can use IP scheme according to your setting.)

R1(config-if)#no shut R1(config)#interface f1/0 R1(config-if)#ip address 10.0.0.1 255.0.0.0 R1(config-if)#no shut R1(config)#ip http server R1(config)#ip http secure-server R1(config)#router rip R1(config-router)#version 2 R1(config-router)#network 10.0.0.0 R1(config-router)#network 172.16.8.0

R2 Configurations:

R1(config)#interface f1/0 R2(config)#interface f1/0 R2(config-if)#ip address 10.0.0.1 255.0.0.0 R2(config-if)#no shut R2(config)#ip http server R2(config)#ip http secure-server R2(config)#router rip R2(config-router)#version 2 R2(config-router)#network 10.0.0.0

After above configuration you can ping your virtual routers IP 10.0.0.2 and 172.168.8.239.

Connect router to SDM

Now open the SDM and type the IP address of router, in my case it is 172.168.8.239 and it will open the following console.

After some processing it will open the SDM in internet explorer, it may ask you for enabling ActiveX Setting, click yes.

Note: It may show you the following screen and stop on this windows, in this case you just need to press F5 and click yes for ActiveX Setting.

Now you can access you Virtual router with SDM and can configure and practice the virtual router with GUI interface. Hope this will work for you.

Windows 8 Shortcuts Keys | Keyboard Shortcuts

Presumably a lot of people have started to use Windows 8, the traditional sliding with new touch interface should allow everyone to spend a lot of time learning the fact. In this article I will introduce you some important shortcuts that are really useful while using windows 8.

Microsoft exclude “start button” from windows 8 and introduce a toolbar. You can open this toolbar using the mouse is moved to the upper right or lower right corner. From keyboard you can call it using "Windows key + C". In addition, each toolbar fact also has a corresponding shortcut keys, such as the search for the "Windows key + Q", and you can use "Windows + I" for setting where you can find control panel as well.

To switch applications in addition to the traditional "Alt + Tab", also can use the "Windows key + Tab" to use the new program management interface to switch between open programs. In addition, you want to use two applications at the same time you can also use the Windows key +. (dot) to open.

Windows 8 actually still have reservations about the Start menu, not only content, streamlining the only setting program, such as console, execute, search functionality. Use the mouse moved to the far left, right-click to use the keyboard is "Windows key + X" can quickly call this menu.

Following are

Commonly Toolbar: Windows key + C

Search: Windows key + Q

Check the Share files and folder on your PC: Windows key + H

Start: Windows key

Device: Windows key + K

Control panel in windows 8 and other Settings: Windows key + I

About the search, there are detailed shortcuts:

Search settings: Windows key + W

Find File in windows 8: Windows key + F

Call the desktop Start menu: Windows key + X

Open MY Computer or File Manager: Windows key + E

Open the program toolbar: Windows key + Z

Open the Run: Windows key + R

Open Desktop: Windows key + D

Exit the application: Alt + F4

Switch the toolbar of the window: Windows key + T

Switching applications: Windows key + Tab

Switch to the notification area: Windows key + B

Window becomes transparent and will show desktop: Windows key + comma

Use two applications: Windows key + dot

Shutdown windows 8 or open a program administrator: Ctrl + Alt + Del and then keyboard select

Lock your computer: Windows key + L

The switch second screen settings: Windows key + P

Open Ease of Access Center: Windows key + U

4 ways to Shutdown Windows 8

How to shutdown\restart\Hibernate\sleep windows 8:

When windows 7 user first time use windows 8 and when he need to shutdown he will look for start button to shutdown windows 8. But all we know that there is not start button in windows 8, so here in this article I will show you the three ways to shutdown a windows 8 computer.

1.       Click the mouse on right lower corner of your desktop, a menu will appear click on setting.

From lower next menu click on power button and choose shutdown for shutdown. Or simply use the shortcut key windows-key + I for same menu.

2.     You can shutdown windows 8 from command prompt using command “shutdown /s /t 0”. Open run console by pressing windows key+ r from keyboard and type the cmd for command prompt.

Once command prompt is open type the command “shutdown /s /t 0” to shutdown, where 0 is representing the delay time, in this case windows will shutdown immediately.

3.       One more way is to press ctrl+Alt+del and then choose shutdown.

4.       Another way to shutdown windows 8 is that you first sign out your user from start menu which will appear when you press windows key from keyboard. 

At login screen you will find the shutdown button at lower right corner of your computer from where you can restart, hibernate or put the system to sleep whatever you want.      

learn about Windows 8 shortcuts

How to change login\Lock background in windows 8

One of the feature that I like in windows 8 is that you can change the windows 8 login screen or background and can select it of your choice, in earlier versions of windows there is no build-in feature or option to change the login screen.

So here I will show you some ways to change the windows 8 default screen. One way is to change the login screen is from “Change PC Setting” that you can open with windows 8 shortcut key by pressing windows-key + I. then from personalize\Lock screen select the image that you want to set as a Lock screen.

Other way to change lock screen wallpaper is very simple, open any image in windows 8 photo viewer (simply double click on image).

Once the image is open right click on lower corner of photo viewer a menu will appear, and then click on Set as button click on “Lock Screen” to set the image as lock screen background.

Windows 8 Start menu search | Setting search | File Search:

In windows 7 if you want to search something from start menu then its simple type query in start and you will find your result.

In this article I will show you how you perform the search from start menu on windows 8. It also simple in windows 8 as well. There some ways to search items from start menu in windows 8.

1. Simplest one is use the shortcut keys

·         Application Search: Windows key + Q

·         Search settings: Windows key + W

·         Search Files on windows 8: Windows key + F

You can learn more windows 8 shortcuts keys

2. Press windows key and type the keyword that you want to search it will show you the result against your qurery.

Second ways to perform search from Commonly Toolbar that appear when you place your mouse at right down corner or simple press Windows key + C. Click on search and search menu will open type and find the search result from your start menu and from computer.