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Better or quicker way to connect to console ports?

BeanyBeany Member Posts: 177
in CCNA & CCENT
Afternoon,

Is there a quicker way of connecting to the console ports of the cisco switches/routers?

At the moment i'm playing around with the different routing protocols but its a pain in the a55 connecting/disconnecting the console cable from one hardware to another when i need to access the hardware direct. Jeremy uses an access server but that seems expensive.

How do you peeps get around this?

thanks
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    bbarrickbbarrick Member Posts: 242 ■■■□□□□□□□
    Buy more than one console cable?
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    bbarrickbbarrick Member Posts: 242 ■■■□□□□□□□
    You can also set ssh or telnet up on them, connect them all to a small switch via crossover/straight utp cat5 or cat6 cable.
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    Samo3411Samo3411 Member Posts: 35 ■■□□□□□□□□
    SSH and Telnet will be better ,
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    BeanyBeany Member Posts: 177
    bbarrick wrote: »
    Buy more than one console cable?



    would be too messy. I have restricted space.
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    theodoxatheodoxa Member Posts: 1,340 ■■■■□□□□□□
    A console server such as the Digi CM32, Cisco 2509, or Cisco 2511. I bought a Digi CM32 [before the prices went up]. Great piece of equipment. Now, I can just SSH into each router/switch's console port via the Digi CM32 and never have to change console cables or deal with USB Adapters that don't work right.
    R&S: CCENT → CCNA → CCNP → CCIE [ ]
    Security: CCNA [ ]
    Virtualization: VCA-DCV [ ]
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    bbarrickbbarrick Member Posts: 242 ■■■□□□□□□□
    Wouldn't a little 8 port switch provide similar functionality once telnet/ssh has been configured?
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    NetworkVeteranNetworkVeteran Member Posts: 2,338 ■■■■■■■■□□
    Beany wrote: »
    Is there a quicker way of connecting to the console ports of the cisco switches/routers?
    Use a console server. That's what just about everyone does.
    Jeremy uses an access server but that seems expensive. How do you peeps get around this?
    If you don't want to spend time fiddling with such things and/or space/cost is a concern, use a simulator or emulator such as Packet Tracer, Boson Netsim, or GNS3 to master the exam topics and latest IOS.
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    theodoxatheodoxa Member Posts: 1,340 ■■■■□□□□□□
    bbarrick wrote: »
    Wouldn't a little 8 port switch provide similar functionality once telnet/ssh has been configured?

    Yes. But, VTY (Telnet/SSH through the router itself) access is dependent on the router being properly configured. It is incredibly easy to take out your own access...for example by changing the IP Address on the interface you are connected through or anything else that causes you to lose connectivity. A Console Server uses out-of-band (Console Port) management and will allow you to access the router even if it has no configuration at all.
    R&S: CCENT → CCNA → CCNP → CCIE [ ]
    Security: CCNA [ ]
    Virtualization: VCA-DCV [ ]
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    bbarrickbbarrick Member Posts: 242 ■■■□□□□□□□
    Ah, ok. I figured there had to be some benefit to it.
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