3560 Showing Garbage (Gibberish) in Console

[Jake Pratt]

I have few 8-port 3560's (WS-C3560-8PC) that I have been using to roll out a Metro Ethernet upgrade.  I have one switch that originally configured just fine, but now it is displaying all kinds of gibberish in the console window.  Stuff like this:

þ]ÿë¿moÿsöëïÝ{æÿMíë·oùÛÛÛý=÷í¾_Ù÷÷¿~}ó¾Û_îoóþ¯ºý{«ÛWÿý÷öë

I can telnet into the switch ok.  The configuration register on it is set to 0xF.  But I have tried using a serial connection from multiple computers, and they all show the same garbage.  I have 4 of these switches next to each other.  They all have the same IOS: 15.0(2)SE image.  They all have the same configuration register.  I can console into all of them except for this one switch.

I have tried the steps in this article: https://supportforums.cisco.com/docs/DOC-1670, but none of them seem to work.

I have verified my terminal settings, and they are as suggested:

• Speed: 9600 bps      
• Databits: 8      
• Parity bits: 0      
• Stop bit: 1      
• No flow control

When I've run into this in the past, I have just changed my baud rate to something else on my terminal settings, and I have been able to console in and read the text.  This time, I have tried changing to all of the following baud rates, and they all produce gibberish:

• 1200 bps      
• 2400 bps      
• 4800 bps      
• 9600 bps      
• 19200 bps   
• 38400 bps      
• 57600 bps      
• 115200 bps

Does anyone have any ideas on what else I can try.  I'm not quite ready to deploy this switch, and I still need console access.  Not to mention I will certainly need it again down the road.

Thanks

[Reza Sharifi]

Can you try changing your terminal emulation software?  If you are using Tera Term tray Putty or if you have the license SecureCRT is the best.

HTH

[Jake Pratt]

I have been using putty, but I also have licensing for SecureCRT.  I just tried it in SecureCRT, and it does the exact same thing.  This one particular switch shows garbage via console, from multiple computers and multiple emulators.  My other switches all display correctly.

This switch that isn't working, had been working a few days prior.  But now, I'm not sure what happened.

[acampbell]

Jake,

Try changing the parity setting and data bits

till you finf what the port is using

On SEcCRT

7 space 1

7 even 1

7 odd 1

8 none 1

etc

Regards,
Alex.
Please rate useful posts.

[Jake Pratt]

Thanks for the suggestions.  I just went in, and tried all 60 possible combinations of the following values:

5,6,7,8

none, odd, even, space, mark

1, 1.5, 2

And every one of them produces garbage, or an error message about incorrect console settings.  I haven't tried all those with a combination of the 8 different supported baud rates, because that would be 480 possible combinations, and I don't have that kind of time.

The other possible problem is that I did a write erase in an effort to send it back to defaults, and get it working again.  Now it's still messed up, and I can't console or telnet into it.

Does anyone else have any other ideas?

Thanks

[Reza Sharifi · Accepted solution]

Couple more suggestions:

Delete the current IOS, load a new one and reboot

If this doesn't work open a ticket with TAC and RMA the switch.

HTH

[brianw360]

I know this was a long time ago. But considering he is getting gibberish in the emulator program, how would one "delete the current IOS"?  I only ask as I have a C9300 that is doing the same thing.  And it's not even two years old.

[simon-leigh]

Hi there.

Check the baud speed in your console software.
I had the same issue and the speed was set to 11500 where it should have been the default 9000 or so.

Sent from Cisco Technical Support iPhone App

[Jake Pratt]

Thanks for the reply.  If you read my original post more closely, you'll see that I have already tried that.  That has worked for me in the past, so that was the first thing I tried, but it did not help.

[Jake Pratt]

So, I setup an RMA with the vendor I purchased the switch from.  Its replacement should be here today.  So of course, I plugged it in again today, just to see.  And it's working just fine again.  I didn't do anything to fix it, it just started working again on its own.  Crazy.  I wish I could post some better results for people that run into similar problems, but I literally did nothing to fix it.  I guess I just had to put it in "time out" for a few more days.  But that's also how the problem started: leaving it on the shelf for a couple weeks.

Thanks for all your help.