Alternate Console Connections?

[snooter]

Is there any alternative ways of connecting to the console port on all the cisco devices other than using the blue RJ-45 to DB9 cable?

All the new laptops anymore are coming with no serial ports on them so we?re having to hold on to the ancient laptops to still access our devices in the even we lose network connectivity.

Any RJ-45 to USB deals? Others?

[Joe Clarke]

In our lab, we use 2600s, 3600s, and even some old 2500s as comm servers to allow us to connect to device consoles via reverse telnet (e.g. telnet COMM_IP 2033).

I also keep a USB-to-DB9 dongle in my laptop bag along with a DB9-to-RJ45 connector and a roll-over cable for when I need to go onsite. I use the Belkin USB-to-DB9 dongle, and I have never had a problem with it.

[snooter]

When using the USB-to-DB9 dongle, do you still use Hyperterm or do you use something else?

[Joe Clarke]

I'm primarily a UNIX user, so I use tip/cu, but Hyperterm should work on Windows.

[snooter]

hmm.. I didn't think USB used a COM port and as far as I know, Hyperterm only uses COM ports or Winsock.

[Joe Clarke]

It's my understanding the Windows driver should handle creating a com port for this device.

[Martin Ermel]

I am using a usb to serial dongle with win XP since my serial port on my laptop did get broken. It is working on a virtual COM Port, like Joe said, that was created when I had to install the driver for the dongle.

So it is definitely working without any problems on Win XP and Win2k!!

and nearly all of my colleagues do the same because of the absence of a physical serial port on their laptops.