What is Access Control list Cisco?

In a network environment which consists of a large number of employees and network devices, there will be a lot of incoming and outgoing data traffic. This leads to bandwidth bottlenecks, which in turn affects the transmission of important data. In order to control this, you need to identify the network devices which consume a lot of bandwidth using a traffic monitoring tool. Once the devices are identified, you can apply the 'Access control list' (ACL) policies on the network devices to determine the priority of data during transmission. Network Configuration Manager serves this purpose since it allows you to apply ACL policies in multiple devices by bulk execution of configlets.

Now let us see certain guidelines to follow while configuring Acess Contol Lists:

• Only one ACL per interface, per protocol, per direction is allowed.
• ACLs are processed top-down; the most specific statements must go at the top of the list. Once a packet meets the ACL criteria, the ACL processing stops and the packet is either permitted or denied.
• ACLs are created globally and then applied to interfaces.
• An ACL can filter traffic going through the router, or traffic to and from the router.

It is important to configure an access list before applying it is pushed to the network devices. If the access list is not configured, then all the traffic will be permitted. Here, we have taken three examples to explain how different types of access lists can be pushed to a Cisco router using Network Configuration Manager.

Example 1: If you want to block icmp traffic from any network but allow IP traffic, the following configuration commands can be used:

The corresponding configlet commands for executing the above commands in Network Configuration Manager:

Example 2: If you wish to permit traffic between any two specific IP addresses, you can specify the necessary IP addressees. Further, you can also specify the transmission type as ip, tcp, icmp, udp, etc,. The terminal given below shows the configuration between two specific IPs along with the transmission type.

The corresponding configlet commands for executing the above commands in Network Configuration Manager:

Example 3: If you wish to permit traffic from ip addresses which fall within a particular range, you can do so by specifying the start IP and the end IP.  Thus, you can ensure that all the IP ranges which fall in between receives and transmits data traffic. The terminal given below shows the configuration of ACL commands to permit traffic in all the IP's falling within a particular range.

The corresponding configlet commands for executing the above commands in Network Configuration Manager:

Executing ACL in Network Configuration Manager 

Access Control List commands can be executed in Network Configuration manager using Configlets. The user can select the most suitable type of access control list based on their network needs. Network Configuration Manager primarily uses script execution mode to carry out ACL commands. Once the suitable ACL commands are entered in the "Configlet Content" box, that particular configlet can be pushed to multiple devices in bulk.Thus, Network Configuration Manager helps to keep network traffic under control along with saving users from manually executing commands for every single network device. 

Not just that, with the help of configlets you can also upgrade firmware and execute commands to fix errors and to make bulk changes. Click here to know more about Configlets!

FAQ

What is an Access Control List (ACL)?

An Access Control List (ACL) is an ordered set of rules for filtering traffic. Access control lists can be used to filter incoming or outgoing packets on an interface to control traffic. Access lists also help in defining the types of traffic that should be allowed or blocked at device interfaces. For example, if you wish to permit e-mail traffic to be routed and block the TELNET traffic from entering a network, an Access Control List can be used. Access Control Lists play a major role in controlling bandwidth bottlenecks and is crucial for every organization to maintain a consistent network performance.

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Network Configuration Manager is a configuration change and compliance management tool for 3Com switch and router configurations. With the solution's enhanced configuration management capabilities, you can automate repetitive network operations, ensure industry compliance, and generate configuration reports as needed.

What can Network Configuration Manager do?

Using Network Configuration Manager, you can back up 3Com configurations, automate configuration tasks, check compliance, enable change notifications, and much more. You no longer have to manually connect your devices using Telnet or PuTTY to modify configurations; with Network Configuration Manager, you can modify them directly.

Manage 3Com network configurations.

With Network Configuration Manager, you can modify running and startup configurations of your network devices, perform searches to find configuration files or strings, and perform the following operations:

• Back up device configurations in bulk.
• Analyze network configurations.
• Label trusted configuration versions.

Implement 3Com configuration change management rules.

To ensure network configuration modifications meet network requirements and to secure the network from breaches, these configurations need to be moderated.

Using the change management option, you can:

• Implement change management policies.
• Compare configurations
• Receive real-time notifications on configuration changes.
• Instantly rollback to previous or trusted configuration versions.

Ensure your 3Com configurations comply with industry standards.

To ensure maximum security and avoid penalties, organizations must comply with various standards. Using Network Configuration Manager, you can perform manual compliance checks, or schedule them when required and receive detailed reports.

Network Configuration Manager comes with a set of default compliance policies like SOX, HIPAA, PCI DSS, and Cisco IOS. You can also create custom compliance policies to meet your internal compliance standards, and fix rule violations using configlets: executable configuration templates.

Automate 3Com configuration tasks.

Some configuration tasks, such as enabling or disabling Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), have to be performed repetitively in a network. These tasks consume a lot of time when there are many devices on a network, and IT teams can benefit greatly from automating them.

Network Configuration Manager can help you automate network operations with the help of configlets. Using configlets, you can:

• Enable or disable syslogs.
• Restrict bandwidth using access-control lists (ACLs).
• Export flows.

Generate 3Com configuration reports.

Configuration audits and reports are an integral part of keeping your network secure. Network Configuration Manager has a set of default reports, but you can easily create custom reports as well. Utilize out-of-the-box reports on:

• User activity.
• Startup-running conflicts.
• Configuration changes.
• Assets reaching end of life (EOL) or end of sale (EOS).
• Configuration analysis.

Supported 3Com Devices

Click here to request device support if your model is not on the list.

Using Network Configuration Manager, you can take complete control of your network configurations and gain total visibility into your network. With all of these capabilities, you can detect and fix vulnerabilities in time to prevent network disasters.

Start efficiently managing your 3Com device configurations by downloading your 30-day, free trial of Network Configuration Manager.

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3Com managed switches are widely used by many businesses around the world and form an integral part of many networks. Because configurations can make or break a network, it is vital to manage them. Network Configuration Manager provides this advantage.

Using Network Configuration Manager, you can back up 3Com switch config, manage 3Com switch config, and automate switch config. You can also audit compliance and enable change management and notifications using the 3Com switch management tool. These features save a lot of time and reduce the manual workload of network admins and operators.

Back up your 3Com switch configurations using Network Configuration Manager

Whenever a network outage occurs, admins have to manually troubleshoot the problem, which takes hours and sometimes days, eventually leading to downtime and business losses. But with Network Configuration Manager's advanced backup capability, you can have multiple backups of 3Com managed switches' configurations and upload the most stable version to the devices. Once the devices are up and running, IT admins will have plenty of time to troubleshoot issues and get to the root of them.

Track changes made to 3Com switch configurations

Using Network Configuration Manager's change management features, IT admins will not have to track configuration changes manually. Here's how change management works in Network Configuration Manager:

• Network Configuration Manager tracks the who, what, and when of configuration changes.
• It provides role-based access control through which network admins can assign admin and operator roles with different scopes. No change made by an operator will be uploaded to a device unless an admin reviews and approves it.
• Network Configuration Manager also has a feature called Diff View, which provides side-by-side comparisons of two versions of the same 3Com switch configurations so admins can easily check the changes made and revert them if needed.

Ensure compliance for 3Com switches

Maximum security is always the top priority. Once a 3Com switch is configured in Network Configuration Manager, you can check if the device is compliant with internal and industry standards by creating and applying policies. By default, Network Configuration Manager provides policies for Cisco IOS, PCI DSS, SOX, HIPAA, and more. It also allows users to create custom policies based on their own requirements. Once policies are applied to 3Com switches, Network Configuration Manager checks for violations and notifies you if the devices are non-compliant.

Automate 3Com switch management using Network Configuration Manager

Manual work is always hard and can lead to human error. In order to save time and avoid errors, automation is essential. Network Configuration Manager provides automation through Configlets, which are command templates. For example, you can use Configlets to enable SNMP for all 3Com switches at once, eventually saving time and reducing a lot of manual work.

Ensure safe firmware for 3Com switches

The firmware on network devices, especially switches, is threatened constantly by malicious attacks. To protect your network, Network Configuration Manager imports vulnerability data from NIST and scans the entire network for vulnerabilities. If vulnerable devices are found, Network Configuration Manager immediately lists them along with their CVE IDs that also carry suitable fixes for the vulnerabilities. On top of that, Network Configuration Manager provides reports with in-depth information on all vulnerable devices.

Generate reports on the management of 3Com switch configurations

Audits and reports are essential for keeping track of everything, especially in the networking field. Network Configuration Manager generates various configuration reports to give you in-depth information about your 3Com switch configuration management. Here are some of the report categories:

• Network reports
• Configuration reports
• User reports
• Policy compliance reports
• Device-specific reports

Supported 3Com devices

Fill out this form to request device support if your model is not on the list.

Using Network Configuration Manager, you can take complete control of your network configurations and gain total visibility into your network. With all of these capabilities, you can detect and fix vulnerabilities quickly to prevent network disasters.

Start managing your 3Com device configurations efficiently by downloading a free, 30-day trial of Network Configuration Manager.