This How To explains how to fix an annoying default behavior on Cisco IOS.
Mistype a command on a Cisco router and the router thinks you just typed a hostname. This is often an annoying problem. For example:
Router#shwo
Translating “shwo”…domain server (10.1.1.1) % Unknown command or computer name, or unable to find computer address
Router#
Here, we just mistyped the word ‘show’. We didn’t want to telnet to a device named “shwo.” The way to handle this is to change the preferred transport method:
! Console port
line con 0 transport preferred none
! VTY Ports
line vty 0 5 transport preferred none
With those modifications, the output below shows simply that we mistyped a keyword:
Router#shwo
^ % Invalid input detected at ‘^’ marker.