In Cisco IOS, which is the correct order to reach the mode where configuration commands are entered?

In Cisco IOS, which is the correct order to reach the mode where configuration commands are entered?

• A. user EXEC mode -> privileged EXEC mode -> global configuration mode -> line configuration mode
• B. user EXEC mode -> global configuration mode -> privileged EXEC mode -> line configuration mode
• C. privileged EXEC mode -> user EXEC mode -> global configuration mode -> line configuration mode
• D. user EXEC mode -> privileged EXEC mode -> line configuration mode -> global configuration mode

Answer: (A)

In Cisco IOS, configuration commands are entered by moving through a hierarchy of modes. You start in user EXEC mode, which is the least privileged. To make changes, you must elevate to privileged EXEC mode using enable. From there, global settings are changed in global configuration mode with configure terminal. Only from global configuration can you reach line configuration mode (used to configure specific lines like the console or VTY lines) by issuing a line command such as line console 0 or line vty 0 4. This sequence—user EXEC → privileged EXEC → global configuration → line configuration—is necessary because you can’t reach global configuration without first entering privileged mode, and you can’t reach line configuration without being in global configuration. The other options try to skip steps or jump to line configuration before global configuration, which isn’t allowed in IOS.

In Cisco IOS, configuration commands are entered by moving through a hierarchy of modes. You start in user EXEC mode, which is the least privileged. To make changes, you must elevate to privileged EXEC mode using enable. From there, global settings are changed in global configuration mode with configure terminal. Only from global configuration can you reach line configuration mode (used to configure specific lines like the console or VTY lines) by issuing a line command such as line console 0 or line vty 0 4.

This sequence—user EXEC → privileged EXEC → global configuration → line configuration—is necessary because you can’t reach global configuration without first entering privileged mode, and you can’t reach line configuration without being in global configuration. The other options try to skip steps or jump to line configuration before global configuration, which isn’t allowed in IOS.