How to Configure a Router using Cisco SDM Express

Want to manage your Cisco Router more efficiently and quickly? SDM Express software makes it easy. It also lets you manage basic settings without complicated command lines. For example, you can change router names or enable DHCP.

In this article, I will walk you through the process of configuring basic settings with SDM Express on Cisco legacy devices.

How to Configure Router Using SDM Express

There is SDM software that manages Cisco routers using a web-based application. You can install this software on a computer or Router and set up many basic settings.

SDM Express Requirements

There are, of course, specific requirements for using Cisco SDM Express. They designed this web-based application to manage and configure Cisco routers. It is also straightforward to use as it offers us an intuitive graphical user interface.

If you want to use web access, first make sure that your equipment meets the minimum system requirements. The thing you need to have at the beginning is a compatible web browser. Others are a certain amount of memory and processor power. You can refer to Cisco’s official documentation for more information.

However, your Router must run a compatible version of Cisco IOS. Incompatible IOS versions will cause unexpected errors. In addition, you should create a reliable network connection between your device and your PC.

In short, a stable connection is critical for SDM Express to work correctly. No firewall or software should block this connection.

In addition, consider the hardware specifications of your device so that you can use this software without any problems because each router model has different hardware requirements. For this reason, the compatibility of your devices is essential.

As a result, it becomes easier for you to manage your network device based on the web. But what you need to remember is that for more advanced settings, you need to use the full version of SDM.

Before proceeding with the configuration steps, install Cisco SDM. Then, after running the SDM application, follow the steps below to manage Cisco routers web-based.

Step 1: Change Router Name

You can easily change the name or name of your Cisco Router with the CLI command. However, to do this with SDM Express, open your web browser. Then, click on the Basic Configuration option.

To change the name of your Cisco router, enter the name you want in the hostname section below.

Now, save the modifications you made by clicking the Apply Changes button.

You will see the operations created for the Router from the management interface. Here, you can check that you have sent the settings you made with the program as a command.

Step 2: Enable DHCP

You may want to enable the DHCP server from the web interface. So, after selecting DHCP from the settings that appear on the left, you will see the settings related to the service on the right.

Now, check the Enable DHCP server on the LAN interface (FastEthernet0/0) option to enable the service.

Then, enter the IP address range you want to distribute on the LAN. For example, you can configure the range 192.168.8.50 – 192.168.8.60.

Also, enter the IP address of the FastEthernet0/0 interface (192.168.8.1) in the DNS section. Then click the Apply Changes button to save the fine-tuning.

Wait while the changes made to the Cisco router are applied.

After setting DHCP, open a virtual machine running in VMware Workstation. Configure the TCP/IP settings of your virtual system to obtain an IP address automatically.

Set your virtual system’s IP address and DNS addresses to automatic.

As soon as you click the OK button, your virtual machine will receive TCP/IP information from the Cisco Router. In the image below, check that the Windows 8 VM is receiving network information from the Router.

Step 3: Router Security

You can set up Router security with SDM Express in a few steps. To do this, click on Security. Then, enable all 3 settings from the options on the right and save the settings.

In this process, you will be sending 29 commands to your Router.

Using Cisco SDM Express ⇒ Video

You can overlook our video tutorial below to learn how to use SDM Express on a router better. Plus, subscribe to our YouTube channel to learn more about Cisco!

Conclusion

You can use SDM Express to manage basic configurations on your Cisco routers. This method is especially suitable for you if you are starting. So you can take the first step of how to do the basic settings first.

However, for advanced configurations, you need the full version of SDM. For example, with the advanced one, you can set up VLANs and VPNs. In short, if you follow the steps I mentioned, you can easily configure your router management.