Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Practice Exam 2026 – The Comprehensive All-in-One Guide to Exam Success!

The correct first step to reset the password on a Cisco 2500 series router is to power cycle the router. When you power cycle the device, you can interrupt the boot sequence, which allows you to enter ROMMON mode or the command line interface without loading the IOS software initially. This is crucial for initiating the password recovery process, as it enables access to the router's configuration without needing the existing password.

After the router is power-cycled, you would typically hold down a specific key combination to enter into recovery mode, followed by a sequence of commands to reset the password. Other options presented describe steps that come later in the process; for example, entering user mode or typing commands is not possible until the router has been reset and you're able to access its configuration. Holding CTRL and PAUSE BREAK is also part of getting into recovery mode but it follows the action of power cycling the router.