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Zonker's Cisco Console Server Connections Guide

http://www.conserver.com/consoles/Cisco/ciscocons.html
(updated:Jun 26, 2008, 11:51 am )

This document will outline terminal server connections to Cisco terminal server devices (namely the 2509-11 products), as well as any of the Access Products family that use the NM-16A, NM-32A async modules (such as some of the 2600 and 3600 family products), or the HWIC-8A and/or HWIC-16A Async interface cards (such as the 1800, 2800, and 3800 series devices). These connections use the Cisco-defined signal pinouts for the RJ-45 connector. All connections presume that you area using either a Cisco "Hydra" cable (to male RJ-45 connectors), the built-in RJ-45 Console or AUX ports, or you are using a Cisco-wiring-scheme patch panel, connected to the high-density connectors on the terminal servers (or NMs), with connections configured as shown below. All connections make use of standard Ethernet cables (RJ-45, 8-conductor, 'straight through' cables) unless specified otherwise.

Cisco RJ-45 signaling to Table of Contents The older Cisco CS-500 was a terminal server with 8-port and 16-port versions, using an 8-wire RJ-45 female connector. Oddly enough, the production CS-500 didn't have a dedicated console port. Only the CS-500 units built for engineering development had a separate "console", and that port was an RJ-13, 6-wire interface (which shared the same pinouts as the ports on the older Cisco AGS/CGS/IGS routers and the Cisco ASM terminal server), while the remaining async ports used what has become the Cisco RJ-45 console interface. On Cisco devices that have an RJ-45 "Console" or "Aux" port, those RJ-45 ports also use the same wiring pinouts, and so they can also use the same adapters. The table below shows the signal information for both the Cisco RJ-45 Console and Aux ports (considered to be wired as DTE), as well as the Cisco Patch Panel solutions (which are considered to be wired as DCE) Patch Panel Signal Type Pin Console/Aux Signal Type CTS Input 1 RTS Output DSR Input 2 DTR Output RD Input 3 TD Output Sig. Gnd. Reference 4 Sig. Gnd. Reference Sig. Gnd. Reference 5 Sig. Gnd. Reference TD Output 6 RD Input DTR Output 7 DSR Input RTS Output 8 CTS Input Notes: 1) Input means a signal from the external device, coming in to the RJ-45 connection. 2) Output means a signal source from the RJ-45 connection, going out to the external device. The reference ground, and data signals, are located on the center pairs of the RJ-45, so you can use a straight-through RJ-11 cable for simple, data-only connections. (However, you should not use RJ-11 or RJ-12 connectors in your RJ-45 jacks for longer than short tests, as these smaller connectors will tend to bend the outer RJ-45 pins up, and this can lead to intermittent or open connections on the RJ-45 jack later on, affecting the hardware flow control and hardware handshaking leads.) It's also important to note that not ALL Cisco devices with an RJ-45 console and/or aux jack implement all of the signals. When Cisco acquired various hardware lines, they made an effort to implement the RJ-45 serial schema. But, for example, if that hardware platform only implemented the data lines, Cisco wouldn't try to add the flow control or handshaking signals. (In the case of the Arrowpoint CSS Load Balancer products, they used an existing RJ-45 wiring schema, not the Cisco version, so early Cisco versions had this non-Cisco RJ45 pinout. See the Cisco CS11555 pinouts on my Signals page.

(The connection between pins 4 and 5 on the loopback, and on the assorted adapters, is very important, to tell some of the Cisco serial interfaces that the port should be in RS-232 mode!)

Other servers and devices which share this wiring schema;

• Logical Solutions SCS product line
  • The SCS port default (DCE mode) looks like the Cisco Patch Panel above
  • Ports can be configured (DTE mode) to match the Console signals.
  • The SCS supplies ground on both pins 4 and 5.
• Lantronix SCS 1600, 3200
  • Signals match the Cisco Patch Panel above. (Null-modem of Cisco console)
• SUN Microsystems Netra T1, SunFire series (and other) LOM ports 
• Signals match the Cisco Console above.
• Juniper Networks J series, NetScreens and more
• ADC (now BigBand Networks) Cuda Cable Mgmt Termination Systems
• Enterasys Networks Dragon Sensors
• Nokia VPN Gateways, including CC2500
• Server Technologies Remote Power Managers

This means that you could use any of the Cisco-schema adapters and specialty cables listed below, using the Cisco Host-to-Adapter page as a guide.

You can find and compare other RJ45 wiring signaling on my Signals page

Note: The RJ-45 Console and Aux ports on many Cisco devices will send serial BREAK when the device loses power. If you have connected these console/aux ports to a Sun TTY port for control of the Cisco, it's probable that the Sun will be halted when the power to the Cisco device is lost, leaving you without a good method to remotely access the Cisco. It would be better to monitor your Cisco RJ45 console and aux ports with some other device, such as a console server or access server instead.

Reverse-TCP ports to Table of Contents Cisco normally implements three levels of Reverse-TCP connections for remotely connecting to their ports; 2000+line number for the normal (7-bit) Telnet-like session 4000+line number for an 8-bit-escapable session 6000+line number for an 8-bit non-escapable session The TCP-200n range mimics the normal Telnet session, passing 7-bit data normally. This is typically what you will use if you are connecting remotely to device consoles for remote control. The TCP-400n range is used if you need to pass 8-bit data, but you still need to be able to define an Escape character so that you can drop the session when you are ready. You would use this when your sessions use PC-type graphics characters (the 128-254 (decimal) character set used on Western keyboards). The TCP-600n range is reserved for sessions where you need a complete 8-bit binary path over the serial connection. You would require this if you need to use the console to transfer files using a binary protocol such as XMODEM. The disadvantage to this range is that you lose control of the session once you start it, and the device you are connecting to must then use hardware handshaking to signal the Cisco to disconenct the session. Because you need EVERY byte in the data path, you can't reserve an in-band character to invoke your escape from the connection. The serially-connected device you are communicating with will need to toggle the state of its DTR output (so that the Cisco sees the change on its DSR input...so you need to invoke Modem Control). If you cannot get the remote device to send the signal, your only other option is to clear the line from the Cisco console, at the Enabled prompt. Cable Diagrams to Table of Contents Because of the symmetrical wiring schema used by Cisco for their RJ-45 consoles, the best way to make a null-modem connection between two Cisco-schema RJ-45 consoles is to use a CAB-500 'rolled' 8-wire cable (see the diagram below). Note that a Crossover Ethernet cable will NOT work. If you don't understand why, follow the wires, and you'll see how the signals get misconnected... APACN part: 24490-21 APACN part: 24490-22 Standard Ethernet cables follow a specific wiring pattern. However, not ALL Ethernet cables have 8 wires in the cable, since a standard Ethernet interface only uses 4 of the wires. For console connections, you need to make sure that your cables have all 8 wires, either 'straight through' (as shown to the left) for most connections, or 'rolled' (as shown in the center). The USOC cable used for CDDI connections will also work as a 'rolled' cable, if you have them in the appropriate lengths. Making a Null Modem Cable with Cisco adapters to Table of Contents If you need to connect devices over a longer distance than your CAB-500, you can use standard 8-wire 'straight through' (Ethernet) cables and a pair of Cisco-schema DB adapters to make the null-modem signal transition. The four charts below show you how to use adapters to make a Null Modem, using standard Ethernet cables to provide the appropriate lengths. Always match vendor-compatible parts when you are making null-modem connections! That is, always connect a Cisco-schema adapter to another Cisco-schema adapter, MOD-TAP with MOD-TAP, etc., to ensure that the wiring is correct from one end to the other. Your connection will not work (or, if it works, it will likely not work completely) if you mix adapters with different wiring schema.) Essentially, you need to make sure that you are using a pair of adapters that; have the same RJ-45 wiring schema (it doesn't matter if they are Cisco-schema) they have complimentary DB connectors (the same number of pins; one male, one female) (it doesn't matter which gender is on which end) one adapter is DTE, and the other is DCE (If they are both DTE, or both DCE, it's not 'Null') The diagram below shows this concept. Cisco Adapter combinations Version A-side B-side 1 CMDCE CFDTE 2 CMDTE CFDCE Micro-Annex Adapter combinations Version A-side B-side 1 AMDCE AFDTE 2 AMDTE AFDCE Xyplex Adapter combinations Version A-side B-side 1 XMDCE XFDTE 2 XMDTE XFDCE IOLAN Adapter combinations Version A-side B-side 1 IMDCE IFDTE 2 IMDTE IFDCE Cisco devices with female RJ-45 console ports to Table of Contents To connect most Cisco console ports to another Cisco console port, use a 'rolled' (8-wire) cable. Due to the nature of Cisco acquiring other companies, there are some devices with a Cisco brand that use the Cisco RJ-45 wiring schema, but they do NOT use all of the signals. That is, they may only use the Data leads, or they may not use Hardware Handshaking. However, if they have converted to the RJ-45 connector, they have also used the legacy wiring schema. I'm still on the lookout, in case there is a Cisco product from an acquisition that uses the previous companies RJ-45 pinouts. In order to make it easier to connect various devices to Cisco console ports, or to Cisco-schema patch panels, I've created my Cisco Host-to-Adapters Page, which lists the various devices on which I've checked the serial interfaces. There are more than 500 devices in my connectivity database, and the adapter pages list the devices, and tells you which adapter (or cable) you will need to connect each device to either a Cisco console port, or to a patch panel. There are a few Cisco devices that have RJ-45 consoles that are wired the null-modem opposite from the Cisco wiring standard. The three devices listed below were (I believe) Catalyst products. They are also listed on the Cisco Host-to-Adapters Page, with information about which cable to use. (The RJ-45 wiring used on the console on these devices appears to be a patch panel, and not a console port.) 1100 switches 1200 switches 1400 switches Cisco also sells an 8-cable "Hydra" interface (Cisco part 72-0845-01) from the 68-pin high-density connector to male RJ-45 connectors, having 3-foot long leads. These can be used with the 68-pin connectors on the Cisco 2500-series terminal servers, as well as the NM-16A and NM-32A async serial Network Modules. These cables have the same pinouts as an Ethernet cable plugged into the Cisco Patch Panel. You can check the online Cisco cable specification. BEWARE: The Hydra cable will not work directly with the 'different' devices listed above, because the consoles on those devices are wired the 'null-modem' opposite from the regular Cisco console schema. The Hydra cable was designed to connect to the normal console ports. The Cisco-schema patch panel from APACN are wired the null-modem opposite from the Cisco console ports, so that a Cisco RJ-45 console port can attach directly to a Cisco patch panel using an Ethernet (8-wire, straight-through) cable. Connecting modems to Cisco Products to Table of Contents You can connect a modem to almost any Cisco device. (Your modem configuration may be affected by the signals available on the Cisco device, i.e. flow control and hardware handshaking.) Attach the CMMOD adapter to the female DB-25 connector on most modems, and use an appropriate length of Ethernet cable (and another adapter on the host-side, as needed), as indicated in the illustrations below. Whether you attach your modem to the Console, or to the Aux port will need to be reflected in your line configurations. (Do you want to enforce a local login (with a crypt password, stored on the Cisco device), or use a stronger, centralized authentication service (such as RADIUS or TACACS+)? Your line configuration will probably need to include the "line in/out modem" parameter. You also need to configure whether you will need to enable the modem connection for a "protocol" session, such as PPP, which may need an 8-bit clean data path. (In the last case, your modem DCD signal needs to be able to tell the Cisco port when the modem is on-line, so it's more important to get the physical connection right, so that the Cisco port will log the user/session off when the modem connection is lost or dropped.) This section is, unfortunately, a bit vague, due to a few problems. The variety of connectors used on console ports on Cisco gear, mainly due to the acquisitions of other companies by Cisco. Some consoles may not care if DSR is toggled, but that's how the modem will signal whether a call is on the line, in the configurations shown below (since the Cisco RJ-45 schema doesn't have a separate DCD wire). The settings for the various devices, to talk to the modem Some consoles may need to be configured to understand that there is a modem on the console You should probably put an IDLE timeout on these console (or aux) ports, to hang-up after a period of inactivity, since these are your consoles! While you *may* be able to configure some ports to allow SLIP or PPP, you probably don't want that in most instances. You may need to invoke certain commands to prevent that possibility on some devices. The modem settings required to make whichever modem you choose work. I like the USR/3-Com Courier modems if you are connecting to these ports so you can dial into them. (Personally, I'd avoid the USR Sportster for dial-in use, because you cannot lock-down certain settings!) You may need to modify the settings so that DCD reflects the state of the phone connection, since the MMOD connector ties the DSR pin of the adapter to the DCD signal of the modem. As a result, configuration of the Cisco line and interfaces, for the most part, are left as an exercise for the reader. Sorry! If you have some specific questions, I'm willing to field them via email, but have your modem manual handy. Defining what you need the modem connection to do (and deciding what it shouldn't do, and what it doesn't need to do) should be your first step, then head for the Cisco configuration command reference for your version of IOS. Here are some guidelines for configuring the modems; Determine the highest reliable RS-232 speed, common to the Cisco device and the modem Set the modem port speed to that high speed Do NOT let the modem "auto-detect" the connection speed, or change the RS-232 port speed! Set up the connection for hardware flow control on the modem and the Cisco port Ensure that your cables and adapters are wired correctly for flow control. I normally turn software flow control off... Configure the modem so that the DSR and DCD line reflect the 'on-line' status Determine the optimum modem config string, and save that to NVRAM on the modem Teach the modem to auto-load that config when the modem resets Teach the modem to reset whenever the call is disconnected, or DTR is cycled... Teach the Cisco how to also send that config string, if needed Devices with a Cisco RJ-45(f) console port can be connected using an Ethernet Cable to the CMMOD adapter and modem. (You would use a USOC-rolled cable to connect the CMMOD to a Cisco-wired patch panel.) Devices with a DB-9(f) console port can be connected using an appropriate DB-9 adapter and an Ethernet Cable. You can refer to my Minor Scroll of Console Knowledge for tips on how to make sure you are using the appropriate adapter. Devices with a DB-25(m) console port can be connected using an appropriate DB-25(f) adapter and an Ethernet Cable. (Most Cisco devices which have a DB-25(m) console will also have a DB-25(f) Aux or Modem port, which you can also use.) Finally, realize that the physical connection will be an important starting point. Get the connection set first, including speed settings, before you go much further with your testing.  Flow control will likely be your biggest hurdle, since the modem can introduce data latency issues because of speed differences on the telco link, as well as the serial conenctions to the modems on each end of the link, as seen in the next illustration. If you want to use any compression between the modems, you need to set the serial speed to at least 2x, and preferably 4x (or more) faster than the modem link speed. At 2x, the compression will not give you much advantage, because the modems need time to compress and decompress the data. Using 4x or more will show you some data throughput improvement. But, the higher your serial speed, the more likely you will have flow control issues between the modems. And, if you have a high serial speed trying to send to a slower serial speed, you may find that you are filling buffers in the mode, and possibly at the slower serial link. If flow control isn's set up properly, you will see data loss. In summary; using modems in a data link will be a challenge, and maybe even a pain. You will save yourself some grief by spending a bit more, and getting really good modems, from a manufacturer with a good support staff. You should also try to download the manual for the candidate modems from the manufacturers website, and see if you can understand the configuration information about flow control, serial and phone speed controls, and compression. If you can't understand the manual, try looking at other manufacturers. Connecting to non-Cisco RJ-45(f) console ports to Table of Contents When you have a device with a non-Cisco RJ-45 console port, you will either need to use a combination of a Cisco adapter (connected to the Cisco device), and another non-Cisco adapter (connected to the non-Cisco device) to create the interface between the two wiring schemes, buy you will need to buy or make a special cable. The common choices for these connections are usually DB-25 RS-232 adapters, so you can easily check your work by connecting a passive RS-232 signal tracer, or a breakout box, in between the adapters. The table below documents such connections, using Ethernet cable (8-wire, straight-through) cables between the patch panel, the devices and the adapters. The keys to making this type of connection work are; Have the proper RJ-45 wiring schema, connected to each device (attach the Cisco-schema adapter to the Cisco device) (attach an adapter to the 'other' device which is wired for the appropriate RJ-45 schema) The adapters must have complimentary DB connectors (the same number of pins; one male, one female) (it doesn't matter end which is which gender) One adapter must be DTE, and the other must be DCE (If both adapters are DTE, or both are DCE, the connection will not work) Use your passive signal tracer to make sure that the signals are correct You can find more tips on my Minor Scroll of Console Knowledge page. Non-Cisco device Device-side adapter Cisco-side adapter Micro-Annex (preferred) Micro-Annex (alternate) IMDCE, or MOD-TAP 06-988-401-00 IMDTE, or MOD-TAP 06-988-262-20 CMDTE CMDCE to Table of Contents Tips for configuring the serial ports on terminal servers for remote access to attached serial devices. (This is the type of configuration that could be used with Conserver, or to allow someone to use a TCP session to a high-TCP port to the Cisco device, for connecting across the network to a specific serial port on the Cisco device.) Choose which line(s) will be used for connecting to serial devices. Don't run an 'exec' session on the port(s) (if you do, the Cisco login may 'chat' with the attached devices login session...) (output data from the attached devices would be perceived as attempts to log in...) Don't set the port(s) for local login. (this will cause the Cisco port to issue a login when it sees the connection. The login will time out, and disconnect the TCP session. Conserver will reinitialize the connection, but this will fill your Conserver logs...) Set the port to allow Reverse Telnet. Set the port speed, data bits, parity, and stop-bits (most folks use 9600-8-N-1) (there are arguments for setting the port speeds higher.) (make sure that the Cisco port speed matches the attached devices port speed.) Decide if you want/need software or hardware flow control. You can use the example below to get started. line 1 16 (set individual lines, or 'line ranges'...) no exec no login local (local login will fill your logs...) transport input telnet speed 57600 (pick your speed(s)...) databits 8 parity none stopbits 1 flow control [none|software|hardware] If you are connecting these Console Server ports to the serial consoles of your network equipment, remember to consider these other points; Set an idle timeout on the console exec of the network gear (on the attached devices, not on the terminal server!) You probably don't want someone to leave a port in the enabled mode, and then let another user to connect to the port after them to have the enabled access! Add a password (or other authentication) to the ports of your attached devices (just like you would do for read-only access via telnet.) Configuring the AUX port for Reverse-TCP Normally, the AUX port of a device can be configured with commands similar to those shown above, to respond to reverse-TCP connections. The Aux port has typically been assigned as the highest async line in the device, but some AUX ports may not respond to configuration for reverse-TCP. (For example, configure line aux 0 as described above, to be able to enable reverse-TCP to the Aux port.) Note: You can NOT set a Cisco console to respond to reverse-TCP. You can set line con 0 for any of the settings above except the transport input telnet, which is the bit that enables reverse-TCP. On a system that uses NM-nnA async modules, presume that all of the NM slots will have 32-port modules installed, and total the number of ports, and then add one to access the Aux port. (In a C3620, you could have two NM-32A modules, for a total of 64 ports, so the Aux port would be the 129th port, and you would reverse-TCP to port 2129 to reach it, if it has been configurd for transport input telnet. In a fully-loaded 3660, the Aux port would be port 2225.) On the 2800 and 3800 devices, it seems that the Aux port was assigned as line 1 (reverse-TCP to port 2001), and then all of the other async ports have line numbers assigned by which slot/port/hwic where they are installed. (See the 3800 Config sestion for more info about line to slot/port mapping.) This doesn't match the Cisco legacy, and Cisco folks are looking to see if they can change this in software to match the legacy mentioned here. It may be hard-coded in hardware. I don't know when/if it will match the legacy model in the future. For now, I can only tell you to test one of the lines you have installed, and see which cable responds for you. Configuring 2600, 3600-series as Async Servers to Table of Contents When using the 2600 and 3600 family devices for remote access to attached serial consoles, there are a few things you need to consider. Foremost (in my opinion) is that the "line numbers" (also async interface numbers) are hard-coded to the slots of the chassis. This means that wherever you put your async interface module will determine which line numbers will correspond to those async serial ports. Here's the way the async line numbers are assigned; Slot 0: lines 1-32 Slot 1: lines 33-64 Slot 2: lines 65-96 Slot 3: lines 97-128 Slot 4: lines 129-160 Slot 5: lines 161-192 Slot 6: lines 193-224 So, my recommendation is to put the network interface module(s) in the highest-numbered slot(s) when you can, and start loading your NM-xxA cards starting in Slot 0, working your way up consecutively. The slot numbers are stamped in the sheet metal that makes up the rear of the chassis, but sometimes the stamping was a bit hard to see. The diagrams showing the slot numbers of the C3620 and C3640 are shown below (looking at the rear of the chassis). Here's the way the c3620 line numbers are assigned; Slot 0: lines 1-32 Slot 1: lines 33-64 (or network I/O...) Here's the way the c3640 line numbers are assigned Slot 0: lines 1-32 Slot 1: lines 33-64 Slot 2: lines 65-96 Slot 3: lines 97-128 (or network I/O...) The next issue to consider: the line numbers are assigned in blocks of 32, but you can also use the NM-16A (with only 16 async ports) in any of the slots. However, the port numbers will then have gaps in them. (The line numbers won't shift, due to the smaller number of ports on an NM-16A, to give you a contiguous range.) This is something to be aware of as you are determining which TCP port to call for remote access. Here's the way the async line would be assigned for NM-16A modules; Slot 0: lines 1-16 Slot 1: lines 33-48 Slot 2: lines 65-80 Slot 3: lines 97-112 Slot 4: lines 129-146 Slot 5: lines 161-176 Slot 6: lines 193-208 Finally, a pet peeve of mine: The designers of the c26xx product family, and the C3660 product, assigned the built-in network interfaces as "Slot 0". From a human-user interface standpoint, I think this was a bad move for two reasons; 1.) Since the 3620 and 3640 start the slot numbers on the lower-right (as you look at the slots on the back panel), then the lower-left, and then the next row up (first the right, then the left), until you run out of slots. In the case of the C3660, with six slots, I'd presume that these were slots 0-5, and Slot 6 was the built-in (since it's located at the top). Here's the way the c3660 line number are assigned; Slot 0: Network I/O Slot 1: lines 33-64 Slot 2: lines 65-96 Slot 3: lines 97-128 Slot 4: lines 129-160 Slot 5: lines 161-192 Slot 6: lines 193-224 What this design decision means is that, in the largest 3600 chassis (the 3660), which you would buy as a 192-port terminal server, that you can never assign lines 1-32. This only becomes a functional issue when humans need to map the 'first' serial port to TCP port 2033, instead of 2001. (Anyone interfacing with these 192 ports needs to keep this 32-port shift in mind, on every interaction.) Fortunately, if you are using Conserver to manage these ports, you only need to worry about this shift once, as you are adding these devices into the configuration file. 2.) In the case of the c2600 family, I'd have put the NM slot on the right (as you are looking at the rear of the unit), in the 'slot 0' position, and put the built-in interfaces on the left. Here's the way the C26xx line numbers are assigned; Slot 0: Network I/O Slot 1: lines 33-64 Configuring 1800, 2800, 3800-series as Async Servers to Table of Contents When using the 1800, 2800, and 3800 family devices for remote access to attached serial consoles, there are a few things you need to consider. Foremost (in my opinion) is that the "line numbers" (also async interface numbers) are hard-coded to the HWIC slots of the chassis. This means that whichever HWIC port you use for your HWIC async interface module will determine which line numbers will correspond to those async serial ports. Async line number 1 is reserved for the AUX port, and the line numbers for the HWIC ports are shited up accordingly. This is not consistant with Cisco legacy, where the AUX port is the highest line in the chassis. I found this curioustity in July of 2006. After I reported this, Cisco was looking for a way to make the 3800 conform to the legacy sequence. (Testing in September with the 2800 series found that they also have this anomally, and there is no word from Cisco whether this was a hardware mapping, or if they will change the behavior in a future version of IOS to match the legacy style.) Here's the way the async line numbers are assigned; * Even if you only use HWIC-8A modules, there is still the modulo-16 offset! Slot HWIC-8A lines HWIC-8A TCP ports HWIC-16A lines HWIC-16A TCP ports 0/0 0-7* 2002-2009* 0-15 2002-2017 0/1 16-23* 2018-2025* 16-31 2018-2033 0/2 32-39* 2034-2041* 32-47 2034-2049 0/3 48-55* 2050-2057* 48-63 2050-2065 1/0 64-71* 2066-2073* 64-79 2066-2081 1/1 80-87* 2082-2089* 80-95 2082-2097 1/2 96-13* 2098-2105* 96-111 2098-2113 1/3 112-119* 2114-2121* 112-127 2114-2129 TCP port 2000 should be the chassis itself, and TCP 2001 will be the AUX port, if you have configured it for reverse-TCP. So, my recommendation is to put non-async module(s) in the highest-numbered slot(s) when you can, and start loading your HWIC-xxA cards starting in Slot 0/0, working your way up consecutively. In my experience, it's more intuitive to have the async modules in a sequential order. That said, I also recommend loading HWIC-16A cards instead of HWIC-8A cards if you're going to load more than one card, so you have sequential line numbers. (For one thing, sequential numbers make it easier to script configuration settings.) Here's the way the c2800 line numbers are assigned; Slot 0: lines 0-63 Slot 1: lines 64-127 Here's the way the c3800 line numbers are assigned; Slot 0: lines 0-63 Slot 1: lines 64-127 Slot 2: lines 128-223 Slot 3: lines 224-195 Here's the way the HWIC interfaces are assigned; interface Slot/HWIC/lines (0-7 or 0-15) Interface 0/0/0 0/0/15 Patch Panels for Cisco Async Servers to Table of Contents The Cisco 2509-11 Terminal Servers included async ports, delivered using 68-pin (SCSI-II) connectors to deliver 8 Async Line interfaces on each connector. (The C2511-RJ model had 16 RJ-45 jacks on the back panel, instead of the two 68-pin connectors.) The Cisco 2600 and 3600 series Access Devices can use an Async Interface module (NM-16A, or NM-32A) which also uses the 68-pin connectors. The Cisco 1800, 2800, and 2800 series Access Devices use an HWIC Async Interface module, and these use a different connector to deliver 8 Async Line interfaces. These patch panels described below will NOT work with the HWIC async modules! If your equipment is close to your Terminal/Console Server devices, you could use the "Hydra" cable (Cisco part 72-0845-01), but those cables are only 3 feet long. If you want to connect to devices farther away, you can connect these with Cisco-schema patch panel options from APA Cables & Networks. Option #1 is a single rack-unit-high patch panel, with 16 ports, and two (2) 1-meter-long cables, with the 68-pin connectors. Be aware that these are slightly larger than 1-Rack Unit tall, which will affect rack mount spacing. 1) One 16-port Patch Panel for each 2509-11 device (APACN part number 19309-01). You can use two of these patch panels for each NM-32A module. Option #2 is a combination of a 2-Rack Unit-tall, 48-port patch panel, having six (6) AMP 50-pin telco-type connectors with 1'-long cables. (Each AMP connector serves 8 RJ-45 connectors on the patch panel). You will also need an appropriate number of adapter cables with 68-pin (SCSI-II connectors) on one end, and the 50-pin AMP connectors on the other end. 48-port patch panel (APACN part number 19309-03, $475.00 USD each) 8-port 68-pin SCSI-II connector to 50-pin AMP (telco) connector (APACN part number 19309-02, $90 USD each), and you need one of these cable assemblies for every 8-port async connector. The port density with Option #2 is much better for high-density applications, where you want a lot of ports close to each other. I've seen these deployed in instances where the (usually) C3640 or c3660 are deployed, and the patch panels are mounted close to the C3600, and then Ethernet cables are used to connect the patch panel connectors to "infrastructure cabling" patch panels, in order to connect to devices in other racks in the data center. (A second option is to put the patch panel in the rack near all of the devices where you need console connections, and use longer Telco-type extension cables to connect the patch panels to the Cisco 3600 device in another rack. However, there are few instances that I've seen where you need 48 console ports in a single rack.) Useful Extras: The threaded nuts that retain the serial cable harnesses on the Cisco 2509-2511 communications servers, and the async modules for the 3600 series devices, is a wider diameter than the screws on the APACN cable harnesses themselves (so the screws on the harness cables cannot be tightened to the 68-pin connector on the C25xx or NM-xxA). You can get the proper threaded standoffs from APA Cables & Networks (www.apacn.com) by asking for part number 25057 ("AMP female screw-lock kit", only two pieces/bag), for about $2.50 (USD) per bag(!). You will need one bag per connector, so you will need two bags per 2509-11, and 4 bags for each NM-32A module. You can reach APA Cables & Networks at (voice) 800-422-2537 x-762 or (fax) 763-475-8457. Steve Vacik ('svacik' at apacn.com) has been helpful in the past. (I received notice in late DEC 2007 that APACN is changing thei name. I'll update this contact information once I can find out that they are still going to support serial console stuff) Option #3 is a product from Great Lakes Wire & Cable, (Kevin Reber, 888-833-4592, sales@greatwire.com). They have a 1 rack-unit panel with (16) DB25 connectors, and another 1 rack-unit panel with (32) RJ45 connectors. They have cables from the patch panels to either the Cisco NM async interface, or to the HWIC interface. You can also specify DTE or DCE interfaces (by choosing the appropriate interface cable) which offeres some interesting flexibility. 20091S-XXX DCE cable for NM 20091-XXX DTE cable for NM 20421-XXX DCE cable for HWIC 20413-XXX DTE cable for HWIC Attaching devices to a PC for configuration to Table of Contents When you are deploying console servers, you may still want to have a way to wheel a terminal or a laptop up to a machine to check configurations (basically, the practical (or paranoid) among us want to have a safety net, in case the console services fail). In this case, using modular adapters actually simplifies our job! By connecting all of your remote consoles to the patch panels using Ethernet cables, all you need to do is connect an adapter to your laptop, and set up a Terminal Emulator package to talk to the serial port of the laptop. If you want to set up a "crash cart", I'd also suggest that you set the serial port speed on all of your consoles to 9600 bps, 8-N-1 (since is the most common setting). Having a common speed removes one more variable to have to remember during a crisis. If you have any Sun workstations connected to your console services, you should test to make sure that your terminal emulator software doesn't send a serial BREAK when you start/stop it, since the BREAK signal will likely send your Sun host to the OK prompt. (This has also been reported on some SGI and NeXT hosts.) The standard "terminal" adapter that Cisco provides (APACN equiv. is CFDTE91), when connected to your laptop, will give you an RJ-45, Cisco-schema connection that is wired like a Cisco-wired patch panel port. Use the APACN CFDCE91 adapter, connected to your laptop (and a terminal emulation program) will give you an RJ-45, Cisco-schema connection that is wired like a Cisco RJ-45 console port. When you have successfully configured your devices, you can then disconnect the Ethernet cable on the device that you want to connect to, and use an Ethernet cable between the connector on your PC and the other device. Your physical connection will be in place, and you only need to ensure that your logical port settings on the PC match those of the other device. RJ-45 Adapter Schematics to Table of Contents I've only had three reports of a Cisco NM-xxA interface causing a Sun device to halt. In resolving two of the three cases, we finally absolved the Cisco port, after the sites used a properly-wired serial adapter. (The first site didn't involve me until they had abandoned the Cisco solution, so they couldn't be sure, or show me the parts they had used.) I'm still hopeful that I may one day get the schematic of an adapter that causes such a scenario. I am a strong proponent of buying pre-wired, pre-labeled adapters and cables. Generally speaking, you probably can't build an adapter cheaper, if you consider the value of your time as well as the component costs. And, whether or not I can make 100 adapters without a mistake isn't being questioned, I'm sure I'd rather not make 100 by myself. The best advantages for buying pre-built adapters and pre-wired cables include; Consistent wiring and labeling of the parts. Consistent shell colors and labels aides in troubleshooting, by visually identifying the parts. Enhances reliability, knowing you can grab any adapter and count on it being wired correctly. If you need a LOT of adapters or cables for a build-out, you probably don't want to build them all yourself! You can purchase any of the adapters and cables listed on these pages individually (or in bulk) from APA Cables & Networks (www.apacn.com). You also have the option of buying a Cisco Console Kit, which includes a complete set of adapters, and some of the specialty cables listed above, as well as a passive RS-232 Signal Tracer. The default shell color is black for Cisco adapters. You can get the shells in another color if you want, provided you want one of the colors listed below: Available colors: BK = black, GN = green, RD = red, YL = yellow, BL = blue, GY = grey So, the APACN part number CFDTE91-GN would denote the DB-9 female DTE adapter, wired for the Cisco RJ-45 format, but supplied with a green plastic shell (instead of the default black shell). APA Cables & Networks also sells adapters and adapter kits for other RJ-45 schema, including the Annex/Bay/Nortel, IOLAN Rack+ and Xyplex terminal server families. APA Cables & Networks uses different default colors to make it easier to visually identify the different RJ-45 wiring schema. The DB-25 adapters are wired according to the older Cisco equivalents (from the CS-500 days). The DB-9 parts are derivative works. The signaling for the Cisco RJ-45 consoles is shown at the beginning of this guide. With all of this said, I also understand that sometimes you just need to make that one cable or adapter, and buying just one isn't practical. So, here are the schematics. (The APA Cables & Networks part number is shown below each adapter. If there is a Cisco equivalent, I've noted the Cisco part number as well.) APACN p/n 24490-01 Cisco p/n 29-0809-01 APACN p/n 24490-02 Cisco p/n 29-0810-01 Logical p/n ADP-000006 APACN p/n 24490-03 Cisco p/n 29-0808-01 APACN p/n 24490-04 Cisco p/n 29-0811-01 Logical p/n ADP-000005 APACN p/n 24490-14 APACN p/n 24490-07 Cisco p/n 74-0495-01 Logical p/n ADP-000008 APACN p/n 24490-24 APACN p/n 24490-23 Logical p/n ADP-000007 APACN p/n 24490-60 APACN p/n 24490-59 Logical p/n ADP-000012 APACN p/n 24490-24 APACN p/n 24490-23 Logical p/n ADP-000011 APACN p/n 24490-05 Cisco p/n 29-0881-01   (The connection between pins 4 and 5 on these adapters are very important, to tell some of the Cisco serial interfaces that the port should be in RS-232 mode!) Specialty Cables for Cisco Console Servers to Table of Contents As with adapters, I recommend buying pre-built, pre-labeled, tested cables. APA Cables and Networks sells specialty cables for connecting Cisco consoles and patch panel ports to other console servers and devices, and these can be ordered from the descriptions and part numbers shown below. The default length is 7 feet, but you can order custom lengths as needed. The cables come with black boots on the RJ-45 end, and labels denoting the Cisco end. The MMJ end does not get a boot, since they can't find anyone who makes a colored MMJ boot. APACN p/n 24490-71 APACN p/n 24490-74 APACN p/n 24490-72 APACN p/n 24490-69 APACN p/n 24490-48 APACN p/n 24490-75 APACN p/n 24490-52 APACN p/n 24490-47 There are other cables listed on the Cisco Adapter Kit Page. U.S. Robotics (USR, now 3-Com) digital modem chassis have a different pinouts than Cisco on the console ports on their NICs and NACs. You can accommodate these devices by combining a Cisco 29-0810-01 (CFDTE) adapter with a USR cable (part number 1.009.691-B) attached to the USR console port, and an Ethernet cable to connect the CFDTE adapter to the Cisco port. You can also make a single cable, with RJ-45 male connectors on each end. Make sure that you label both ends of the cable, since the wiring is not symmetrical (it makes a difference which end plugs into the Cisco port!) APA Cables and Networks sells a couple of cables for this (black boot on the Cisco end, orange boot on the USR end); APACN p/n 24490 APACN p/n 24490-16 There are more cables listed on the Cisco Host-to-Adapters Page. Sun Netra Hardware Most Sun hardware has used a female DB-25 connector for the TTY A and B ports. (Use a CMDCE adapter to connect to a Cisco console port, or a CMDTE adapter to connect them to a Cisco-wired patch panel.) The Sun Netra T-1 (model 105) uses an RJ-45 console, and it happens to be wired identically to the Cisco console port. To connect a Netra T-1 105 to a Cisco console port, use a rolled cable. To connect a Netra T-1 105 to a Cisco patch panel, use an Ethernet cable. The DB-25 serial adapter that comes with the Sun Netra T-1 (Sun p/n 530-2889-02) is wired similarly to the APACN CMDCE adapter, with the addition of adding a 'frame ground'. The plastic DB-25 shell has a metalized coating, and a drain ground lead is attached from pin 1 of the DB-25(m) connector to a lead attached to the metalized shell. The schematic on the Sun p/n 530-2889-03 is similar, except they changed the colors of the wires inside the shell (and the tabs which hold the DB-25 connector are much more fragile, so take my word on the wiring inside!) The Sun Netra T-3 disk arrays use an RJ-13 connector for it's RS-232 console, and you only get data and ground for your connection (no flow control or handshaking). APA Cables and Networks sells a couple of cables for connecting these devices (black boot on the Cisco end, no boot on the RJ-13 end); APACN p/n 24490-62 APACN p/n 24490-63 There are more cables listed on the Cisco Host-to-Adapters Page. Digital Equipment Corp. (DEC, then Compaq, then H.P.) equipment often used an RJ-13 with an offset locking tab, referred to as a Modified Modular jack (MMJ). This included their VT-series terminals, VAX equipment, and even newer Alpha series equipment. APA Cables and Networks sells a couple of cables for this (black boot on the Cisco end, and no boot on the DEC end); APACN p/n 24490 APACN p/n 24490-17 There are other cables listed on the Cisco Host-to-Adapters Page. Devices with DB-9 console ports to Table of Contents Cisco provides one female DB-9 to RJ-45 adapter (Cisco Part Number: 74-0495-01, labeled "terminal"), which is most often used to connect PC serial (COM) port to the RJ-45 console of a Cisco device, using the CAB-500 (Cisco, rolled) cable. This adapter can also allow you to connect to other DB-9 or DB-25 console ports on devices made by Cisco and other vendors. The APA Cables and Networks equivalent part number is 24490-07 (also called "CFDTE91"). This adapter does not include wiring for the DCD signal on the DB-9 connector (pin 1), which many PC-platforms expect for their "console redirection" functions. There are three other compatible DB-9 to Cisco-schema RJ-45 adapters available from APA Cables and Networks female adapter, APACN part number: 24490-14 ("CFDCE91"). male adapter, APACN part number: 24490-23 ("CMDTE91"). male adapter, APACN part number: 24490-24 ("CMDCE91"). Rather than list all of the connection possibilities on this page, I have created my Cisco Host-to-Adapters Page, which lists which adapter (or cable) you will need to connect any device on the list to a Cisco console or aux port, or to a Cisco-schema patch panel port. There are currently four additional DB-9 to Cisco-schema RJ-45 adapters with DSR tied to DCD available from APACN; female adapter, APACN part number: 24490-59 ("CFDTE92"). female adapter, APACN part number: 24490-60 ("CFDCE92"). male adapter, APACN part number: 24490-67 ("CMDTE92"). male adapter, APACN part number: 24490-66 ("CMDCE92"). Note: Some Cisco 1900-series switches use a DB-9 console connection, instead of the RJ-45 connector. Some of these devices do not like a connection between DB-9 pin 1 and pin 6, connecting DSR to DCD on the DB-9, while other versions of the 1900 will require this connection. (If the Cisco 1900 you have attached a DB-9 adapter to is spewing AT modem commands out the port, you've got the wrong adapter...add or remove the loop as needed.) The CFD*E91 does not have the DCD connection tied to DSR, while the CFD*E92 series does have the tie connecting DSR to DCD on the DB-9. There was a previous APACN part number: 24245-DTE-BK, which was wired to tie DB-9 pins 1 and 6 together. However, the wire was connected directly to pin 1, and then looped to pin 6. (If you decided that you didn't need the DCD signal, and cut the loop, you would still have DCD, but would have lost DSR...things may not behave the way you might expect.) APACN sells any of these adapters (individual or bulk), as well as a complete adapter/cable set. Devices with DB-25 console ports to Table of Contents Cisco provides either one or two DB-25 to RJ-45 adapters with new equipment; one female adapter (Cisco Part Number: 29-0810-01, commonly labeled "Terminal" or "CAB-500DTF"), which is most often used to connect to male DB-25 AUX ports on many Cisco devices. (APACN part number: 24490-02 ("CFDTE"), previous part number: 24245"-DTE-BK) one male adapter (Cisco Part Number: 29-0881-01, commonly labeled "MODEM" or CAB-500DCM"), (APACN part number: 24490-05 ("CMMOD"), previous part number: 24238-DTE-BK; MOD-TAP part number 06-888-E76-20.) There are three other DB-25 to RJ-45 adapters that Cisco used to provide; female adapter (old Cisco Part Number: 29-0809-01), connect to male DB-25 AUX ports on many Cisco devices. (APACN part number 24490-01 ("CFDCE"). male adapter (old Cisco Part Number: 29-0811-01), APACN part number: 24490-04 ("CMDTE"). male adapter (old Cisco Part Number: 29-0808-01), APACN part number: 24490-03 ("CMDCE"); MOD-TAP part number 06-888-E76-20. Rather than list all of the possibilities here, I have created an Cisco Host-to-Adapters Page, which lists the various combinations of male and female, DTE/DCE, DB-9 and DB-25, with a list of the various devices which fall under each connector type. The list also tells you which adapter (or cable) you will need to connect each device to either a Cisco console port, or to a Patch Panel. APA Cables and Networks sells any of these adapters (individual or bulk), as well as a complete adapter/cable set. For basic RS-232 troubleshooting info, view my Minor Scroll of Console Knowledge NOTICE: Most of the pages, articles, and tutorials on this website are copyrighted works. You may make 'deep links' to various pages. (If you let me know which page(s) you are linking to, I'll let you know if I move the page(s) during updates.) Please send me email if you wish to republish any material, or use it on your own website. Made using Nvu Copyright 1996-2008, David K. Z. Harris, N6UOW   Questions? Comments? Additions? Email consoles at conserver.com. (Don't harvest my address, I don't want SPAM!) How does he do it? And Why?