**Connect** to the switches serial/console port using a program like Putty (9600 8N1), and connect the dedicated management port to your network (do not use a "normal" port).
You need to set up a temporary TFTP server - I recommend [Tftpd32 Portable Edition](http://www.tftpd64.com/tftpd32_download.html) if you're on Windows and don't want to install anything. Point the server to an empty folder to serve files from. From the ZIP, copy the bootloader from the ```Boot``` folder into your tftp server directory. Then, from the ```Images``` folder, copy over the image with "R" in the file name to the server as well. For example, ```FCXR08030sa.bin``` - the other image with an S in it is switching only, with less features.
Power on the switch while watching your serial terminal - it will have a prompt saying ```Hit b to enter the boot monitor``` - press ```b``` quickly and you'll be dropped into the bootloader prompt, now we can upgrade the software. If you missed the prompt and it boots the OS instead, pull power and try again.
At the boot prompt, we need to give it a temporary IP in the subnet of your network, so it can talk to your TFTP server. This IP will not be used again after it leaves the bootloader. Replace the IP in the example below with an unused IP on your subnet:
```
ip address 192.168.1.50/24
```
Now we can update the bootloader. Replace the IP with the IP of your tftp server, and replace the filename with the name of the file you copied out of the boot folder if it differs:
```
copy tftp flash 192.168.1.49 grz10100.bin boot
```
After a few seconds it should finish, then we can flash the main OS. Replace the IP with the IP of your tftp server, and change the filename to match if necessary:
Now that it's booted into the full OS you may get ***TFTP timed out*** errors in the console, this is normal. We'll fix that in the next section. Check that the version matches what you just flashed:
We need to give the switch an IP. By default, all ports are in VLAN 1, so it will behave like a typical switch. First we need to give VLAN 1 its own virtual interface:
Now we need to assign that virtual interface an address. Choose an IP that is unused in your subnet, and out of your DHCP server range (ping it first to be sure it's unused):
The switch now has an IP. Unplug your ethernet cable from the isolated management port, and plug it into any of the normal ports on the front. You can now telnet to it and no longer need serial access. It also supports SSH access, but you need to follow the rest of the guide first.
If your switch is the PoE model, you need to update the PoE controller firmware. If it's a non-PoE model, skip this step. Assuming you completed the previous section and the switch now has in-band network access, just put the ```fcx_poeplus_02.1.0.b004.fw``` file on your TFTP server and pull it in:
If you do **not** want to password protect access to the switch (you're using it in a lab), follow this section. If you'd like to password protect it, skip to the next section.
We also need to tell it to use our new local user account(s) to authorize attempts to log in, use the webpage, as well as attempts to enter the ```enable``` CLI level:
If your switch is outside of your home, or accessible by others in any way, telnet should be disabled entirely, and access to the serial console should also be password protected. Otherwise skip this step at your discretion:
```
no telnet server
enable aaa console
```
### OPTIONAL: Key Based SSH Access
If you have followed the above to set up authentication, and also wish to disable password-based SSH login and set up a key pair instead, follow this section. If not, skip it. Enable key login, and disable password login:
```
ip ssh key-authentication yes
ip ssh password-authentication no
```
Now we have to generate our key pair with [puttygen](https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/latest.html) on windows or ```ssh-keygen -t rsa``` on linux. The default settings of RSA @ 2048 bits works without issue. Generate the pair and save out both the public and private key.
Copy the public key file to your TFTP server. Then use the following command to import it into your switch:
```
ip ssh pub-key-file tftp 192.168.1.49 public.key
```
You shouldn't need to be told basic key management if you're following this section, but just in case - copy your private key to the proper location on the *nix machine you'll be SSH'ing from, or if you're on windows, load it using [pageant](https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/latest.html). Now when you SSH to the switch, it will authenticate using your private key.
Whenever you make changes (like above) they take effect immediately, however they are not saved to onboard flash. So if you reboot the switch, they will be lost. To permanently save them to onboard flash, use the following command:
To remove configuration options, put a ```no``` in front of them at the appropriate CLI level:
```
no hostname intertubes
```
## Tips
To exit the CLI level you are at, use exit. So assuming you are still at the ```configure terminal``` level, type the following to exit back to the ```enable``` level:
```
exit
```
Commands can also be shortened, as long as they are still unique. So to re-enter the configure terminal level, Instead of typing the entirety of ```configure terminal```, the following will also work:
```
conf t
```
There is also tab help and completion. To see all the commands available at the current CLI level, just hit tab. To see the options available for a certain command, just type that command (like ```ip```) then hit tab.
To give the switch a default route and a DNS server so it can reach external hostnames and IP's (to ping external servers or to update time via NTP etc), do the following. replace the IP with the IP of your gateway/router/etc. Assuming you are still at the ```configure terminal``` level:
```
ip dns server-address 192.168.1.1
ip route 0.0.0.0/0 192.168.1.1
```
### NTP
To have the switch keep its time synced via NTP (so its logs make more sense), use the following. If you live in an area that doesn't use Daylight Savings, skip the ```clock summer-time``` command. Use tab completion for the timezone command to see what's available. The IP's in the following example are google's NTP servers and work well for most cases:
```
clock summer-time
clock timezone gmt GMT-05
ntp
disable serve
server 216.239.35.0
server 216.239.35.4
exit
```
### SNMP
To quickly enable SNMPv2 (read only), follow the below. SNMP v3 is available but you'll have to refer to the included documentation:
```
snmp-server community public ro
```
## SFP/Optics Information
Brocade does not restrict the use of optics by manufacturer, they'll take anything given it's the right protocol. However optical monitoring information is disabled unless it sees Brocade or Foundry optics.
So if you want to see information like this :
```
telnet@Route2(config)#sh optic 5
Port Temperature Tx Power Rx Power Tx Bias Current
The markdown source for these guides is hosted on [**my Github repo.**](https://github.com/Fohdeesha/lab-docu) If you have any suggested changes or additions feel free to submit a pull request.
