Logging in to SONiC

In this article we will explore how to log in to Enterprise SONiC and the basics of the Command-Line Interface (CLI). We will cover:

Access methods
User login
Privilege levels
Basic navigation commands

Access Methods

You can access the switch using:

Console port (direct physical connection).
SSH (remote secure login).

ssh admin@192.168.1.10

Default username is admin Password is YourPaSsWoRd

User Login

When logging in, you will be prompted for credentials.

login as: admin
admin@192.168.1.10's password: ********
admin@sonic:~$

sonic-cli

When logged in, you will be in the linux shell. To go to the SONiC CLI use the command sonic-cli

admin@sonic:~$ sonic-cli
sonic#

Privilege Levels

The CLI provides different modes:

1. 1. User EXEC mode (prompt ends with >).
    - Limited set of commands (e.g., ping, show).
  2. Privileged EXEC mode (prompt ends with #).
    - Full access to configuration and monitoring commands.
    - Entered by typing:
```
sonic> enable
sonic#
```
  3. Global Configuration mode (prompt ends with (config)#).
    - Entered with:
```
sonic# configure terminal
sonic(config)#
```
  4. Interface Configuration mode (prompt ends with (config-if-<interface>)#).
    - Used to configure interfaces:
```
sonic# interface Ethernet1
sonic(config-if-Ethernet1)#
```

Basic Navigation Commands

Some essential commands to get started:

enable → move from user to privileged EXEC mode.
configure terminal → enter configuration mode.
exit → move back one level in CLI hierarchy.
end → exit directly to privileged EXEC mode.
show running-configuration → view active configuration.
show version → display SONiC version and build info.

Verification

You can verify SONiC version and logged-in users using:

sonic# show version 
 
Software Version  : 4.5.1-Enterprise_Base
Product           : Enterprise SONiC Distribution by Broadcom - Enterprise Base package
Distribution      : Debian 11.11
Kernel            : 5.10.0-35-amd64
Config DB Version : version_4_5_3
Build Commit      : 7ef4c1a1eb
Build Date        : Tue Oct 21 06:17:22 UTC 2025
Built By          : sonicbld@bld-lvn-csg-01
Platform          : x86_64-accton_as5835_54x-r0
HwSKU             : Accton-AS5835-54X
ASIC              : broadcom
Hardware Version  : R01F
Serial Number     : 583554X2345027
Uptime            : 09:20:24 up 3 days, 17:06, 2 users, load average: 1.48, 1.61, 1.69 
Mfg               : Edgecore

sonic# show users 
INDEX   LINE     USER                              ROLE                              APPLICATION     IDLE      LOGIN-TIME                  LOCATION
1       pts/0    admin                             admin                             bash            19:38     28-11-2025 09:00:53.627406  192.168.2.13 [ssh]
2       pts/1    admin                             admin                             bash            6.00s     28-11-2025 09:19:58.650111  192.168.2.13 [ssh]

Notes

Usernames/passwords are managed by the system administrator. Default login credentials should always be changed for security.
Privilege separation ensures only authorized users can modify configuration.
SSH access requires that the management interface and IP are configured.

1 – Log in to SONiC