Console connectivity issue...

Hey up all.

I've got two Cisco 2500's and one Cisco 2600 that are no longer required by my employer and they've said I can have them! They'll come in use superbly for practising router config and routing protocols.

Problem is I can't access any of them via the console port.

I've got a rollover cable, a female DB9 connector which is attached to my PC serial port and the Router console port. All of the Hyper terminal settings are definitely correct. The COM port speed on my PC is set to 9600. I've tried two rollover cables.

Surely this is a problem with Hyper terminal on my PC?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers guys.

Ta

Matt

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Comments

mattipler

It's a little mad really... I'm the youngest on my course by about 10 years!?!?! Is it part of the prerequisite for entering a CCNA course that you have to own dentures and a bus pass lol???

sexion8

mattipler wrote:

It's a little mad really... I'm the youngest on my course by about 10 years!?!?! Is it part of the prerequisite for entering a CCNA course that you have to own dentures and a bus pass lol???

From my experience in the industry, you're likely seeing a lot of older people seeking certifications because they can no longer compete with the incoming generation. I heard on NPR (National Public Radio for the EU/Asia/etc folk) a segment on the workforce right now that people with PhD's are having difficult times getting work. (Outsourcing, etc.)

Many of the older crowd tend to have been "just do it"'ers from my perspective. My brother in law, Cisco guru to the extreme, worked at Citibank (Now Smith Barney Foo Foo Foo) for 23 years as a T1 network engineer. Never took his certs, never thought he needed them. Made an awful lot of money there, guess what... They outsourced. He was let go with about 2 1/2 years of pay in a package. He dreaded not doing his certs because now although he has the experience, other Fortune 500's are sifting through resumes for certs.

What you're likely seeing is an influx of the old schoolers getting wise. When I started in the tech industry I was working part time and going to school, I was 16. (Altogether I have 17-18 years industry experience, 15 are full time)... I started in the graphic design /pre press arena. I worked at an SGI (woohoo Irix 3.0!, Iris Crimsons woot...) shop, some Macs here and there, NeXT, etc., I remember the older staff there shrugged off networking big time as nothing major. In fact they shrugged off a lot of things I used to get hyper about. I took the time to dabble with everything I could get my hands on and never looked back... Long story short, I recently ran into my old supervisor's boss (my old manager) who thought he was the sh.t then, looking for a job. Knew nothing about anything new... A lot of people are moving forward as best as possible so I give kudos to those in that class. One thing that has always stuck in my head was something someone mentioned to me "the only stupid thing you could learn is what you don't learn... the only stupid question you could ask... is the one you don't."

Never let arrogance get the best of you

malcybood

mikej412 wrote:

malcybood wrote:

Cisco Console / Rollover Router Cable New RJ45 - DB9

FYI ... I edited the URL so I wouldn't have to scroll to the right to read the posts.....

Am I missing a option/preference in Firefox to break/wrap long lines? Or are you guys just used to texting on tiny screens and just scroll without thinking about it?

Or do you have one of those new 108" Plasma TVs that you use a computer monitor?

Mike,

This is for another forum I know ........but FYI looks like it's a problem in Firefox. The text wraps using IE 6 on work laptop and IE 7 on my own. Apparently it is OK on firefox (Mac) too.

The link I found doesnt work now but found it on another forum site

Malc

Johnny 5

Guys, there's a really easy way to do this. Just plug in to any Cisco switch (or connect another router using a crossover cable) and run "show cdp neighbors detail" on the switch. You will see platform, IOS version, and management IP of the other device. Of course, you'll still need passwords and no ACLs blocking in order to get in.

I'd keep working on getting in via the console or AUX port though. If you open Hyperterminal with the correct COM port and settings, then power cycle the router, do you get garbage on the screen or nothing at all?

sexion8

Johnny 5 wrote:

Guys, there's a really easy way to do this. Just plug in to any Cisco switch (or connect another router using a crossover cable) and run "show cdp neighbors detail" on the switch. You will see platform, IOS version, and management IP of the other device. Of course, you'll still need passwords and no ACLs blocking in order to get in.

I'd keep working on getting in via the console or AUX port though. If you open Hyperterminal with the correct COM port and settings, then power cycle the router, do you get garbage on the screen or nothing at all?

Would work provided that no cdp run was never typed... I personally thought about placing it on a hub then running a sniffer on it to see what traffic is spouted. Personally that would be my next step