Complete Cisco IOS commands cheat sheet for switch and router configuration. Covers basic commands, VLAN setup, trunking, routing protocols, and troubleshooting.
Search all Cisco IOS shortcuts interactively
Interactive Shortcut Finder| Shortcut | Action | Description |
|---|---|---|
| enable | Privileged mode | Enter privileged EXEC mode. |
| configure terminal | Config mode | Enter global configuration mode. |
| show running-config | Running config | Show current running configuration. |
| show startup-config | Startup config | Show saved startup configuration. |
| copy running-config startup-config | Save config | Save current config to NVRAM. |
| show version | Version info | Show IOS version and hardware info. |
| show ip interface brief | Interface summary | Show IP and status of all interfaces. |
| show interfaces | Interface detail | Show detailed interface status. |
| Shortcut | Action | Description |
|---|---|---|
| show vlan brief | VLAN list | Show configured VLANs. |
| vlan [number] | Create VLAN | Create a new VLAN. |
| interface vlan [number] | SVI config | Configure a VLAN interface (SVI). |
| switchport mode access | Access mode | Set port to access mode. |
| switchport mode trunk | Trunk mode | Set port to trunk mode. |
| switchport access vlan [num] | Assign VLAN | Assign VLAN to port. |
| show mac address-table | MAC table | Show MAC address table. |
| Shortcut | Action | Description |
|---|---|---|
| show ip route | Routing table | Show IP routing table. |
| ip route [net] [mask] [gw] | Static route | Add a static route. |
| router ospf [process] | OSPF config | Configure OSPF routing. |
| show ip ospf neighbor | OSPF neighbors | Check OSPF neighbor relationships. |
| show ip bgp summary | BGP summary | Show BGP session status. |
| ping [IP] | Ping | Run ICMP ping test. |
| traceroute [IP] | Traceroute | Trace packet path. |
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Explore AllIOS commands only exist inside the right mode, and half of early confusion is mode confusion. You land in user EXEC (> prompt), enable lifts you to privileged EXEC (#), and configure terminal enters global configuration ((config)#) — from which interface, router, and vlan commands descend into sub-modes. show commands live in privileged EXEC; if a show command errors inside config mode, prefix it with do. exit steps out one level; Ctrl + Z (or end) jumps straight back to #.
The discipline that separates careful operators: read state first. show running-config is live truth; show startup-config is what boots — and the gap between them is unsaved work, which is why copy running-config startup-config ends every change window. show ip interface brief is the fastest health check on the box (every interface, address, and up/down in one screen), and show vlan brief, show mac address-table, and show ip route answer the three classic questions: which VLANs exist, who's on this port, and where does traffic go.
IOS has the best built-in help of any network OS. ? lists what's valid right here — alone for commands, after a partial word for completions, after a full word for its arguments. Tab completes unambiguous prefixes, and IOS accepts any unambiguous abbreviation outright: sh ip int br is the same command as its full spelling. The editing keys will feel familiar too — Ctrl + A/E for line start and end come from the same lineage as bash's readline.
running-config is the live configuration in memory; startup-config is what loads on reboot. Changes apply to running immediately and are lost on reload unless you copy running-config startup-config.
Prefix it with do — for example, do show ip interface brief — or press Ctrl+Z to return to privileged EXEC first.
It exits configuration mode entirely, from any depth, straight back to the # prompt — equivalent to the end command.
Yes, any unambiguous prefix works: sh run, conf t, int g0/1. If the abbreviation is ambiguous, IOS says so and ? shows the candidates.
show ip interface brief — one line per interface with IP, status, and protocol. It's the first command to run on an unfamiliar box.
Open your assistant with this page preloaded as the source — great for follow-up questions like "which of these work in other apps?"