Access Server

control

Hi,

Could some explain why you would use an "access server" to manage Router/Switches in your lab/work environment?

Can't you just telnet to the hardware from any PC on the network? Or connect the hardware to a switch, and manage it all across that?

I know I must be missing the whole point here so if someone could explain in basic terms, then I'll kick myself.

Thanks

networker050184

So what if you don't have an IP on your device to telnet to? Or if you need to wipe your device clean for a lab? Or what if you are doing labs that cause connectivity issues between devices? You have to physically move a console cable from device to device which isn't the end of the world, but definitely inconvenient. Its much easier to have console access to each device and not have to worry about maintaining IP connectivity in your lab.

In a live network you should ALWAYS have console access. Much easier to remote into the access server when something goes down then drive all the way out there and hook up your laptop to it.

odysseyelite

When you are starting from the ground up there is no IP addresses set and in a lab enviroment you are resetting up your devices all the time.

Its also good because you can bounce from one to another router\switch while they are doing something.

At first I thought the same thing. Then after I started labbing and moving the console cable from one to another I had enough. Best 150 bucks I spent.

Now I have my rack in the closet and the console cable going through the wall, so moving the cable would be ten times harder than before.

MAC_Addy

I use mine because it's easier to get into all my devices. I have a Lantronix SCS1620 - probably the best purchase I've made for my lab.

You can setup each device with an IP address that connects to the console port. From there you can configure your devices off of your subnet, therefor you can create other networks and still be able to remote into each switch/router.

Netwurk

For a small lab, console cables and telnetting should be enough as you can move the console cables around if you need console access.

As your lab gets larger, a terminal server gets to be almost a must. I use a Cisco 2511-RJ with rollover cables.

Good luck with your lab and your studies.

alxx

telnet isn't secure as its all in plain text. ssh is better - but need an ios that supports encryption.

You would use an access server as out of band management with telnet and ssh disabled
so management/control of the routers and switches is not on the same network as the traffic
so in the event of to much traffic or other problems like a mis-configuration or failure or a dos(denial of service) attack the management interfaces are still accessible.

For a home lab an access server lets you access devices when you don't have them set up or configured so you don't have to keep switching console cables which gets annoying quickly especially if you are doing a lab exercise with more than a couple of devices.

telnet is only available after you have setup the interfaces and enabled it.

control

Thank you so much to you all. Appreciate it.