Cisco vs Juniper vs Huawei Commands: Side-by-Side Comparison

Many network engineers work with more than one vendor. The concepts are the same, but every vendor has its own CLI: Cisco IOS, Juniper Junos and Huawei VRP. This side-by-side Cisco vs Juniper vs Huawei commands comparison shows the equivalent command for the tasks you do every day, so you can move between platforms without searching the documentation each time.

Commands below are for common IOS/IOS XE, Junos and VRP versions. Exact syntax can vary by model and software release, so confirm on your device with ? (Cisco and Huawei) or ? and tab completion (Junos).

1. How each CLI works

	Cisco IOS	Juniper Junos	Huawei VRP
Configuration style	Changes apply immediately	Edit a candidate config, then `commit`	Changes apply immediately
Enter config mode	`enable` → `configure terminal`	`configure`	`system-view`
Leave config mode	`end`	`exit` (after commit)	`return`
Remove a command	`no …`	`delete …`	`undo …`
Save the configuration	`copy running-config startup-config` (or `write memory`)	`commit` (saved automatically)	`save`
Undo recent changes	Reload or use archive/rollback features	`rollback 1` then `commit`	`undo` the command, or roll back the configuration file

Key difference: Junos’s candidate configuration and commit model lets you review changes with show | compare before they take effect, and commit confirmed rolls back automatically if you lose access.

2. Viewing the configuration and system

Task	Cisco IOS	Juniper Junos	Huawei VRP
Running configuration	`show running-config`	`show configuration`	`display current-configuration`
Saved / startup configuration	`show startup-config`	(committed config is the saved one)	`display saved-configuration`
Software version	`show version`	`show version`	`display version`
Hardware inventory	`show inventory`	`show chassis hardware`	`display device`
CPU usage	`show processes cpu`	`show chassis routing-engine`	`display cpu-usage`
Logs	`show logging`	`show log messages`	`display logbuffer`
Clock	`show clock`	`show system uptime`	`display clock`

3. Interfaces and IP addressing

Task	Cisco IOS	Juniper Junos	Huawei VRP
Interface summary	`show ip interface brief`	`show interfaces terse`	`display ip interface brief`
Interface details	`show interfaces g0/0`	`show interfaces ge-0/0/0 detail`	`display interface GigabitEthernet0/0/0`
Set an IP address	`interface g0/0` `ip address 10.0.0.1 255.255.255.0`	`set interfaces ge-0/0/0 unit 0 family inet address 10.0.0.1/24`	`interface GigabitEthernet0/0/0` `ip address 10.0.0.1 24`
Enable an interface	`no shutdown`	`delete interfaces ge-0/0/0 disable`	`undo shutdown`
Description	`description Uplink`	`set interfaces ge-0/0/0 description Uplink`	`description Uplink`

4. Routing

Task	Cisco IOS	Juniper Junos	Huawei VRP
Routing table	`show ip route`	`show route`	`display ip routing-table`
Static default route	`ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 10.0.0.254`	`set routing-options static route 0.0.0.0/0 next-hop 10.0.0.254`	`ip route-static 0.0.0.0 0 10.0.0.254`
OSPF neighbours	`show ip ospf neighbor`	`show ospf neighbor`	`display ospf peer brief`
OSPF interfaces	`show ip ospf interface brief`	`show ospf interface`	`display ospf interface`
BGP summary	`show ip bgp summary`	`show bgp summary`	`display bgp peer`
BGP routes	`show ip bgp`	`show route protocol bgp`	`display bgp routing-table`

5. Switching: VLANs, MAC and ARP

Task	Cisco IOS	Juniper Junos (EX/ELS)	Huawei VRP
VLAN list	`show vlan brief`	`show vlans`	`display vlan`
Create a VLAN	`vlan 10` `name USERS`	`set vlans USERS vlan-id 10`	`vlan 10` `description USERS`
Access port	`switchport mode access` `switchport access vlan 10`	`set interfaces ge-0/0/1 unit 0 family ethernet-switching interface-mode access vlan members USERS`	`port link-type access` `port default vlan 10`
Trunk port	`switchport mode trunk`	`… interface-mode trunk vlan members [ USERS VOICE ]`	`port link-type trunk` `port trunk allow-pass vlan 10 20`
MAC address table	`show mac address-table`	`show ethernet-switching table`	`display mac-address`
ARP table	`show ip arp`	`show arp`	`display arp`
Spanning tree	`show spanning-tree`	`show spanning-tree bridge`	`display stp brief`
LLDP neighbours	`show lldp neighbors` (or `show cdp neighbors`)	`show lldp neighbors`	`display lldp neighbor brief`

6. Troubleshooting

Task	Cisco IOS	Juniper Junos	Huawei VRP
Ping	`ping 8.8.8.8`	`ping 8.8.8.8`	`ping 8.8.8.8`
Traceroute	`traceroute 8.8.8.8`	`traceroute 8.8.8.8`	`tracert 8.8.8.8`
Filter output	`show run \| include ospf`	`show configuration \| match ospf`	`display current-configuration \| include ospf`
Who is logged in	`show users`	`show system users`	`display users`
Compare pending changes	—	`show \| compare`	—

7. Users and remote access

Task	Cisco IOS	Juniper Junos	Huawei VRP
Hostname	`hostname R1`	`set system host-name R1`	`sysname R1`
Local admin user	`username admin privilege 15 secret …`	`set system login user admin class super-user authentication plain-text-password`	`aaa` → `local-user admin password irreversible-cipher …`
Enable SSH	`ip ssh version 2` + `transport input ssh` on VTY lines	`set system services ssh`	`stelnet server enable`

Tips when switching vendors

Juniper: nothing changes until you commit. Use commit confirmed 5 on remote devices so a mistake rolls back automatically.
Huawei: display replaces show, and undo replaces no. Remember to save, or changes are lost after a reboot.
Cisco: changes are live immediately, so test carefully and save with copy run start.
Interface names differ: GigabitEthernet0/0 (Cisco), ge-0/0/0 (Junos), GigabitEthernet0/0/0 (Huawei).

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Huawei VRP similar to Cisco IOS?

Yes, the structure is similar: hierarchical views, immediate changes and similar keywords. The main differences are the verbs (display, undo, system-view, save).

Why do engineers like the Junos commit model?

Because you can stage many changes, review them with show | compare, apply them all at once, and roll back easily with rollback.

Where can I get full command references?

Download the free PDFs below for detailed command lists for each vendor.

Free command reference PDFs

← PreviousJuniper Show Commands PDF – Complete JunOS Reference Guide

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