Digi CM32 console server

JeanM

astrogeek wrote: »

If you really need wireless why not just buy an access point or old router? I'm using an old Linksys WRT54G as an access point to connect my lab equipment, (with a Digi CM32 console server in the mix), with my home's wireless network. Just plug the Digi CM into one of the ports of the router/access point and you're good to go.

That's basically what I said above

astrogeek

oops, sorry about that, didn't mean to be repetitive lol

asfaltq

May I ask you what cables are you using to connect digi to any cisco switch/router

oli356

straight through cables.

asfaltq

oli356 wrote: »

straight through cables.

yea, I tried that and simply does not work on digi website I have found something like that : ftp://ftp1.digi.com/support/cabling/rj45_8pin_altpin_cisco_rj45_8pin.pdf so I am little bit confused.

LinuxRacr

Regular RJ-45 straight-through cable should work just fine with your CM32 to RJ45 console port of the router.

Death Dream

After reading some of the things mentioned here, I decided to place an offer on Ebay for one too. Hopefully he accepts my offer

Edit: My offer for $40 was accepted as someone else stated. If someone else tries lower, let us know.

ayseaf

after that what is the best digi cm32 or cisco 2511 ?

Patel128

I just ordered the Digi CM32 also for an offer of 40. I think that the CM32 is better because they are substantially then the cisco counterpart and has more ports. I sold my AS2509RJ for the CM32. If I am not mistaken you can also hook the CM32 onto the internet and can access it from outside the lab.

MAC_Addy

Patel128 wrote: »

If I am not mistaken you can also hook the CM32 onto the internet and can access it from outside the lab.

Yep, you'll just need to do port forwarding from your home router.

Patel128

Do a lot of people in this thread do that? It is solely to be able to study if you are at work or just because you can? I have thought about labbing while I am at school, but wanted everyones opinions on why they do it.

oli356

Don't people have work to do while at work ? My lab is at work so I can just telnet in if I'm on the network, never have time though!

Patel128

This is true, but I have heard from a lot of people who work at NOCs that they have good downtime to study.

Death Dream

It seems in the I.T. world, there is a lot of down time for everyone. If your equipment doesn't break, study! lol. Rarely happens when I'm at work but once in awhile I'll get an hour of quite time.

Death Dream

Nevermind. Delete.

jsb515

just bought one also, curious to get it setup once i get it.

k2737

Just configured mine (Digi CM 16) and love it. So much better then dragging out a laptop to console in all the time. I only have 6 or 7 devices hooked up but its worked very well so far...can't beat it for the money.

westwood

I just picked one of these up as well. Currently waiting for it to arrive.

Sounds like you guys got good deals, shipping was quite expensive for me.

Sure will make labbing much easier though.

mgates67

My CM32 is supposed to arrive today. $50 shipped to my door. Looking forward to get it up and running.

Death Dream

I really enjoy mine. The only issue I have is how slow it is to switch from device to device.

Ctrl+Z, wait, x, enter, wait, then press a key to whatever the device is. (This is all while consoled into the device)

Did anyone here figure out a way to just press Ctrl+z and send them straight to the port menu/custom menu?

jsb515

just got mine in, had to make a crossover cable, connect to the ethernet port, reset the digi to factory, then restart it, then set my pc to ip 192.168.161.6 /24 mask. then was able to open up firefox and go to https://192.168.161.5

also the fan on mine doesn't turn on when i power on the unit, i thought it was DOA when I got it.

now to figure out how to set this thing up

JeanM

jsb515 wrote: »

just got mine in, had to make a crossover cable, connect to the ethernet port, reset the digi to factory, then restart it, then set my pc to ip 192.168.161.6 /24 mask. then was able to open up firefox and go to https://192.168.161.5

also the fan on mine doesn't turn on when i power on the unit, i thought it was DOA when I got it.

now to figure out how to set this thing up

I've ran mine for months w/o the fan, they don't even get warm. I unplugged mine as it was louder than 10 cisco devices under it combined.

LinuxRacr

Death Dream wrote: »

I really enjoy mine. The only issue I have is how slow it is to switch from device to device.

Ctrl+Z, wait, x, enter, wait, then press a key to whatever the device is. (This is all while consoled into the device)

Did anyone here figure out a way to just press Ctrl+z and send them straight to the port menu/custom menu?

One thing you can do is to ssh directly to the corresponding port (default port numbers start at 7000, for example, 7001 for port 1,7002 for port 2,7003 for port 3, etc...) for the port of each device you want to access at the same time. A good ssh client with tabs makes this a snap (like putty with putty connection manager, or SecureCRT. Just create your connections to ssh to the address, and port number.

astrogeek

Death Dream wrote: »

I really enjoy mine. The only issue I have is how slow it is to switch from device to device.

Ctrl+Z, wait, x, enter, wait, then press a key to whatever the device is. (This is all while consoled into the device)

Did anyone here figure out a way to just press Ctrl+z and send them straight to the port menu/custom menu?

As LinuxRacr mentioned, you can just open tabs or multiple connections within your ssh client. I just have my router forward ssh connections to my CM 32, and I'll open multiple connections for the different devices I want to connect to.

So it takes a little extra time when I start everything up, but it's by far faster than backing out and reconnecting in the CM 32 whenever I want to change devices. Once the tabs are open I'm good to go and just flip back and forth between each device. Just make sure you configure the CM 32 to not time out, I forget what the default timeout setting is but when I first started using mine it was timing out very quickly. I set them to never time out so that's no longer an issue.

As for having the downtime to actually use the equipment, that depends on your job. I work in a NOC environment that has more downtime than I would prefer so this works for me, (although I should be getting a new, busier job soon I hope). However, even if I'm labbing at home it still makes the setup super easy. My equipment is in my garage so I can lab from the comfort of my dual monitor PC in my house without ever stepping foot in the cold garage - unless I want to change the cable connections of course.

Krunchi

Is there a difference with the Digi CM-48 other than the extra ports I have looked over the specs and nothing is jumping out at me anyone have the CM-48?

rsty

Has anyone used this server to connect to a perhaps non-cisco device that uses null modem db9? I bought a few RJ45-DB9 adapters but I am confused on the pinouts. Digi references several pinouts. Any advice?

ftp://ftp1.digi.com/support/documentation/90000301_E.pdf - "DB9 Female Console Adapter" pg. 145

ftp://ftp1.digi.com/support/cabling/cm32_rj45_db9f.pdf - "RJ45 to DB9 Female Crossover cable"

I would assume it would be the first but I am not sure. These adapters from Digi are like 20 bucks a piece or 8 for 60! I bought 10 for 8 bucks off ebay.

I will do a bit of trial and error if I don't hear anything in a day or so and post results for future undergoers. But I would rather not waste any adapters unless I have to.

Thanks!

swild

Serial pinouts usually vary by manufacturer. You may be able to find something on wikipedia or google depending on the device.

rsty

swild wrote: »

Serial pinouts usually vary by manufacturer. You may be able to find something on wikipedia or google depending on the device.

The manufacturer just says a standard serial null modem cable.

The console port on the unit is an EIA-232 data terminal
equipment (DTE) interf
ace with 8 data bits, no parity, and 1
stop bit,
running at 9600 bps

roch_greg

I have one and love it. Didn't have any issues connecting it to my routers and switches, just used straight through cat5 cables. Could never get the auto detection of attached devices to work. Changed the default escape sequence from ctrl ^z to something else as that was driving me nuts.

Command line menus are faster than the web based administration. No shock there.

Mine doesn't make any noise. Not that I would hear it over my supermicro super server with chassis/power supply fans from hell.

JeanM

roch_greg wrote: »

I have one and love it. Didn't have any issues connecting it to my routers and switches, just used straight through cat5 cables. Could never get the auto detection of attached devices to work. Changed the default escape sequence from ctrl ^z to something else as that was driving me nuts.

Command line menus are faster than the web based administration. No shock there.

Mine doesn't make any noise. Not that I would hear it over my supermicro super server with chassis/power supply fans from hell.

They are double-stacked fans from hell!