Summary

Question

How to access the Command Line Interface (CLI) of the RUCKUS ICX-7150-C12P Switch?

Customer Environment

Symptoms

1. Unable to connect to the Internet even though the Access Points (APs) have power.

2. RUCKUS ICX-7150-C12P Switch is not appearing in the Unleashed dashboard or RUCKUS app.

3. APs are not getting powered or showing as disconnected, indicating a possible PoE or network configuration issue.

4. Switch LEDs show abnormal behavior (e.g., Amber or no light on status ports).

5. Cannot access the Switch Web UI, requiring direct access through CLI for diagnostics.

6. Network connectivity drops intermittently, and you need to verify VLAN, trunk, or spanning-tree configurations.

7. Switch stuck or unresponsive after power cycle, needing a CLI-based reboot or configuration check.

8. Forgotten login credentials or misconfiguration, requiring CLI access to reset or recover.

9. Firmware mismatch or version conflict, where CLI access is needed to verify or perform firmware upgrade commands.

10. Telnet/SSH access failure, prompting the need to troubleshoot CLI connection methods or keys.

Root Cause

Troubleshooting Steps

Troubleshooting Steps

1. Find the Switch IP Address

   • Use a free IP scanner tool (e.g., Advanced IP Scanner) to locate the ICX-7150-C12P switch on your network.

2. Verify Connectivity

   • Ensure your computer is connected to the same network as the switch (wired or Wi-Fi).

3. Download and Open PuTTY (Windows)

   • Enter the Switch IP address.

   • Choose SSH (Port 22) first; if that fails, try Telnet (Port 23).

4. Login Credentials

   • Use known or default credentials such as:

     • Username: admin

     • Password: sp-admin, Lennar, or Ruckus1.

5. For Mac Users

   • Open Terminal ? run ssh admin@<IP>

   • If SSH fails, run ssh-keygen -R '<IP>' to reset the key.

   • Alternatively, use nc <IP> 23 for Telnet access.

6. Check CLI Prompt

   • Successful access shows prompt like:
     ICX7150-C12 Router> or ICX7150-C12 Switch>

7. If Access Fails

   • Reboot the switch and try again.

   • Confirm SSH/Telnet is enabled in switch settings.

   • Check network/firewall blocking ports 22 or 23.

   • Use a direct Ethernet connection between PC and switch if needed.

8. Next Step

   • Once CLI is accessible, run diagnostic or configuration commands as needed.

Workaround

• Try Telnet if SSH Fails

  • Use Port 23 instead of Port 22 in PuTTY or Terminal.

  • Telnet often works if SSH is disabled or blocked.

• Use Direct Ethernet Connection

  • Connect your PC directly to the switch via an Ethernet cable.

  • Manually assign a static IP (e.g., 192.168.1.10) to your PC and try accessing the switch IP again.

• Reset SSH Keys (Mac)

  • Run: ssh-keygen -R '<IP Address>'

  • Then retry SSH connection.

• Try Default Credentials

  • Username: admin

  • Password: sp-admin, Lennar, or Ruckus1.

• Power Cycle the Switch

  • Unplug the power for 10 seconds and reconnect, then retry CLI access.

• Check Firewall or Security Software

  • Temporarily disable antivirus/firewall that may be blocking ports 22 or 23.

Resolution

For Windows machines:

To access the Command Line Interface (CLI), you will need the IP address of the RUCKUS ICX-7150-C12P Switch and the PuTTY application. We can download PuTTY (Figure 1) and learn how to find the IP address of RUCKUS devices (Switch and Access Points) using free IP scanner tools.

FIGURE 1: Putty application download information

We can attempt to log in to the CLI using either the SSH or Telnet option in PuTTY.

SSH- Port 22 

To access the CLI via SSH (Figure 2), you will need valid login credentials (username and password). If the credentials are unknown, you may attempt to use the default login details.

FIGURE 2: Accessing CLI using SSH option

OR

Telnet – Port 23 (If SSH doesn’t work)

To access the CLI via Telnet, no login credentials are required. If Telnet is enabled on the switch, it can be accessed directly using the switch’s IP address.

FIGURE 3: Accessing CLI using the Telnet option

If we are able to access the Command Line Interface, the prompt should appear as one of the following:

ICX7150-C12 Router> OR

ICX7150-C12 Switch>

Once we see this prompt, you can proceed to execute the necessary commands.

For MAC devices:

Example "open terminal":

FIGURE 4: MAC device terminal access information

SSH:

ssh username@IP Address of the device

Login command examples:

ssh [email protected]

ssh [email protected]

FIGURE 5: Accessing CLI on MAC terminal using SSH option

The password may be one of the commonly used defaults such as: Lennar, sp-admin, or Ruckus1. we may also try other known default login details.

Note: if access to ssh does not work try the following ssh-keygen -R 'ip address of the device' this generates a public key pair for use when authenticating with a remote server.

Telnet – Port 23 (If SSH doesn’t work)

nc <IP Address of the device> 23

Login command example:

nc 192.168.1.182 23

FIGURE 6: Accessing CLI on MAC terminal using Telnet option

If we are able to access the Command Line Interface, the prompt should appear as  following:

????telnet@ICX7150-12P Switch>

Once we see this prompt, you can proceed to execute the necessary commands.

By following these steps, you should be able to successfully establish a Command Line to your RUCKUS ICX-7150-C12P Switch and begin configuring it via the CLI.