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Thorin

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Cisco PIX 501 - reset to default?

Howdy Experts!

I recently found a Cisco PIX 501 Firewall at a garage sale (for only $1) and brought it home.  It appears to work fine, but I would like to reset it to factory defaults.  Is there some special combination of buttons I can push to accomplish this?  The documentation refers to the config pages....but I don't know the device's IP address or any passwords that might be on it.  

Thanks in advance!

-Thorin
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Thorin

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nodisco,

How do I connect to it to do this?  I don't know the IP to connect via telnet or HTTP.  Do I need the 'console' cable?  Many devices I have seen have a way to hold down the power and press a reset or something.  This device doesn't have that?  

-Thorin
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Okay....I got a console cable, connected it, and now I am talking to the device.  One down!

So now I have gone back to the document you first posted...and I am stuck on the TFTP stuff.  I have gotten the connection going, set up my TFTP server, and uploaded the file.  But it stops there.  In the document you reference (under "PIX without a floppy drive") it stops at step #10 - I never get the prompt described in step #11.  HyperTerminal shows "Received 110592 bytes" but nothing happens after that.  Is there some 'execute' command I need?  

I am a little concerned I am using the wrong reset file.  When I boot the device, the terminal session shows "Embedded BIOS version 4.3.200" so I assumed that meant I want "nppix.bin".  Is that the right way to determine the version?  

Thanks for all your help on this.

-Thorin
It does sound like you have the wrong version file..
Let the pix boot up and at the prompt:
pixfirewall>sho ver
This should show you which version you are running. 6.x
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ASKER

Wahoo! That was it....wrong version.  Once I got the right one, resetting the passwords was a snap.  Thank you so much for your help.  Once again experts exchanges makes it look like I know what I am doing!!!

:-)

-Thorin
hi Thorin

Glad you got working - I suggest you split the points on this Q as it was a dual effort!
If you are happy to do so - Lrmoore can reopen the Q or you could open a question with Community Support.

cheers
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Oh!  You are right!  I did not even notice there were two of you on this.  I apologize!  

I suppose the argument could be made that you provided the answer to the original question in your first link.  However, without lrmoore's information about the console cable and the version, I would never have gotten there.  A point split sounds fair to me....

lrmoore, can you make this point split change?
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Great, thanks again!

-Thorin
Thanks!
Good job - cheers