Setting Up a New Switch

When your new switch arrives, it comes pre-loaded with minimal configurations. You can now set up this switch in one of two modes:

  • Standalone mode: The switch is disconnected from the network. Initial configuration is done via Bluetooth using the smartphone app.

  • Network mode: The switch is connected to the network. If you load a new configuration and reload the switch, it will boot and apply the configuration.

For details on mounting the switch and connecting the cables, refer to the Catalyst Digital Building Series Switch Hardware Installation Guide on cisco.com.

Standalone Mode

By default, the switch starts in standalone mode. This mode is used to perform initial setup when the switch is disconnected from the network. You can connect the switch via Bluetooth (with default credentials) using the smartphone app or Cisco Configuration Professional (CCP).

This mode is useful when the switch is ceiling-mounted and configuration via telnet is difficult. Using Bluetooth, you can load a software image on the switch.

In this mode:

  • Bluetooth is turned on.

    DHCP server is enabled, so the Cisco Digital Building — Installer app or CCP can connect to the switch via Bluetooth.

    MODE button is disabled (because the DHCP server is already enabled).

    Plug-and-play and Smart Install configurations will work.

    The default login username is cisco and default password is cisco.

To connect to the switch from a computer:
  1. Connect a Bluetooth dongle to the USB port and power on the switch.

  2. Turn on Bluetooth on your computer and discover the switch.

  3. Pair the computer to the switch.

  4. Connect to the switch as an access point. The computer will then get the IP address of the switch.
    • If you are connecting from a Windows computer: Go to Devices & Printers, select the switch, click on the Connect Using tab and select Access point.

    • If you are connecting from a Mac computer: On the menu bar, click the Bluetooth icon, hover over the switch name, and click Connect to Network.

  5. Once a connection is established, configure the switch from CCP by entering the switch IP address in a browser window. The IP address will be in the range of 172.16.20.x to 172.20.10.x.

To connect to the switch from a smartphone:
  1. Install the Cisco Digital Building — Installer app from the Google Play Store (for Android devices) or the Apple App Store (for iOS devices).

  2. Connect a Bluetooth dongle to the USB port and power on the switch.

  3. Turn on Bluetooth on your smartphone.

  4. Open the Cisco Digital Building — Installer app, go to Settings, and connect to the switch via Bluetooth.

After you have loaded the software image, you must move the switch to network mode for day-to-day operations. Ensure that you change the default credentials (username and password). After the default credentials are changed, you can use the smartphone app or CCP to move the switch from standalone mode to network once.

To move the switch to network mode using the CLI, enter the staging network EXEC command. (At this stage, you could enter the write erase command to bring up the switch without any default configurations.)

To check if the switch is in network mode, enter the show boot command. In the output, check the last line.
  • If the last line shows mode standalone, then the switch is still in standalone mode.

  • If the last line does not show mode standalone, then the switch is in network mode.

Network Mode

In this mode, the switch is connected to the network so that setup can be done via telnet. To start the switch in network mode, reload the switch with a new configuration file (by entering the write erase command followed by the reload command). The switch will restart in network mode and Bluetooth will be turned off.

In this mode:

  • Bluetooth is turned off by default.

  • Plug-and-play and Smart Install configurations will work.

  • MODE button is enabled.

You can now connect to the switch via telnet to perform the rest of the configurations.