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Can router/switch be administered through console (RJ-45) only?

johnifanx98

If you have two routers or switches, and you want to administer them at the same time, does it mean you have to rotate the same cable among the console ports of those devices?

Does a router/switch support administration via an IP interface?

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Comments

networker050184

If you don't have a console server then yes, you have to move it back and forth.

Routers and switches can definitely be managed by an IP address. Assign an IP, configure your access method and you should be able to connect as long as you have IP reachability.

echo465

You could also use a multiport USB to Serial adapter - especially handy if you're using a laptop with a limited number of USB ports. I use a Serialgear 8-port one - this model: USB Serial Adapter RS-232 Serial Adapter USB serial ethernet to serial PCMCIA serial, rs485 Serial Multi I/O RS-422 and More

(disclaimer, I have a couple spares on ebay)

KrisA

networker050184 wrote: »

If you don't have a console server then yes, you have to move it back and forth.

Routers and switches can definitely be managed by an IP address. Assign an IP, configure your access method and you should be able to connect as long as you have IP reachability.

To elaborate a little on that, once the initial config is completed (included the vty lines) you can use your choice of terminal emulation software to get in to the devices and have multiple sessions active. If you have the your devices connected and configured to talk, you can telnet say from the router into the switch to make changes without switching the cable. If you need more details I can explain.

EDIT: Also I noticed your other post stating your computer does not have a serial port. My does not as well. My USB->Serial cable was shipping when I received my lab gear. However I was lucky in the aspect I had an older machine with a serial port available. Once I completed the initial addressing and configured the vty lines with the older machine, I was able to get into the devices on my laptop via TeraTerm using the assigned addresses.

earweed

Initially you have to administer switches/routers with the console. Once you assign vty lines you can either telnet or ssh in and do pretty much everything. As long as you have ip addresses assigned (assign it to Vlan1 on the switch) you can telnet into the device.

alxx

Do the serial gear ones work with mac and linux ?

The ftdichip based ones from http://www.easysync-ltd.com do work with mac, linux and windows

Still I'd like to get a nm-16 or nm32 and do it all on cisco equipment.

echo465

alxx wrote: »

Do the serial gear ones work with mac and linux ?

They work with Ubuntu - that's what my lab workstation uses. I don't have a mac, so I don't know about that.

alxx

Thanks.

On mac the ftdichip ones come up as /dev/ttyUSB.serial_number which is pretty handy.
On linux they come up as just plain /dev/ttyUSBx