Check the IP address of the terminal connected to the switch

Use the show ip interface brief command in the switch CLI to view the IP address assigned to its management interface.

Accessing the Switch CLI

1. Connect to the switch using a console cable (RJ-45 to DB9 or USB adapter) or via SSH/Telnet if the switch is already network-accessible .
2. Open a terminal emulator such as PuTTY, Tera Term, or SecureCRT.
3. Enter privileged EXEC mode by typing enable and providing the enable password if prompted .

Viewing the IP Address

• Primary Command:

  show ip interface brief This command displays a concise summary of all interfaces, including their IP addresses, status, and protocol. The management IP is usually assigned to VLAN 1 by default, but it could be another VLAN if configured differently .

• Example Output:

  Interface IP-Address OK? Method Status ProtocolVlan1 192.168.1.254 YES manual up upFastEthernet0/1 unassigned YES unset administratively down down Here, 192.168.1.254 is the switch's management IP.

Additional Verification

• To see detailed IP configuration for a specific interface:

  show running-config interface vlan 1 This shows the IP address, subnet mask, and any configured default gateway .

• To check the routing table (for Layer 3 switches):

  show ip route

Notes

• If the switch has no IP configured, it will not appear in the show ip interface brief output. You may need to assign an IP to the management VLAN first for remote access .
• For Layer 2 switches, the IP is only required for management purposes, not for normal switching operations . By following these steps, you can reliably determine the IP address of a switch from a terminal interface and verify its network configuration.