Cisco 2600 Router Wipe All Config

Create a small text file containing only the config yiou want. Upload it with copy tftp startup, and reload.
Kvistofta

I think this fits the sequence of commands

erase startup-config
reload

never do a reload if you want to make shure to keep a single setting. You dont know if the reload works, someone might have booted the router manually from the boot monitor prompt, and then a reload will throw you in the boot monitor. Your best option is actually negating all the commands, as you suggested you didnt want to do. This can be ran from your console and edited offline. Then you just paste it in your CLI

If the majority of configurations that you are wanting to remove are contained under interfaces then you can also try using the "default" command to reset an interface to it's default settings (generally no IP address, shutdown interface, etc.). It has been awhile, but going this method I don't believe it will erase sub-interfaces and those would first need to be removed with a no interface statement. e.g.:

Interface Serial 0

Interface Serial 0.1

For making an instant global change it sounds like the tftp option is your best bet. Unless you have a console cable plugged directly into the router do not use the "erase startup-config" and reload as this will force the router after booting up to start the initial setup and you will loss your telnet connection because all interfaces at that point would have no IPs and be shutdown.

There are a number of options:

(1) If you just want to clear the config on the interfaces (Cisco 2600 does not have many of them), you can just issue the global config command "default interface ", e.g. "default interface f0/0" will clear all the config on interface f0/0.  This should remove the config on that interface and return the interface back to default settings.

(2) if you want to get rid of all your config and replace it with a new one, you can do what someone has already suggested, i.e.:

- erase start   (making sure you have a backup, e.g. "copy start flash:backup-start" or take a copy off the router)
- reload  (say no to save config)

When the router comes back (hopefully), you will have a clean sheet to work with and you can do whatever you like from there.

Now if you have a fresh config to put on the router, you can put it in a note pad and FTP/TFTP to the router, making sure that your new config is pointing to the correct IOS on the router. You need to set the basic FTP / TFTP commands on the router to let you do that FTP or TFTP, e.g. in the global config mode:

- ip tftp source  for example "ip tftp source-interface f0/0" making sure that f0/0 is the interface attached to the ftp or tftp server.

Then in the exec mode, you can do copy tftp: flash:   (and follow on-screen instructions)

So once your new config is on the flash card, you can copy it on the nvram as the new start config by doing:

copy flash:new-config-file start

So your new config becomes the starting config. Then you need to reload the router again so that the new config takes effect. Before you reload, make sure that the new start config, has the IOS you want by doing:

sh start | i boot system

This will show you the line in the config that points to the IOS image file to be loaded when the router starts.

There are some precautions to take:

- Avoid getting stuck in the rommon: when you reload a router (any router), there is always a chance the router may not return normally.  So it is always useful to have access to some materials on recovering the router.  Access to the Internet is a good safety net.

- Make sure you have a list of the IOS on the router to hand if you have to boot from the rommon

- Make sure you have the old config backed up off the router just in case

- Don't cut the tree on which you are sitting: if you are remotely working on the router and changing interface configuration, you may find yourself locked out.  

There should be enough information here to get you going. However, if this is not sufficient, please post back.

Thanks,

Koudry