Console access to multiple Cisco Devices from one Device

[john.armstrong]

Is anyone managing their routers and switches through the console port using an old router or something? I have a couple of AS5300 routers that I think I could use to create out of band management access for routers and switches in my lab and in our datacenter

[Collin Clark]

I use a 3645 in my lab for reverse telnet. An AS5300 should work fine.

[john.armstrong]

What cabling and config did you use?

[Joe Clarke]

Depends on the device. If you have RJ45 ports, you can use rolled cables. If you need to use the octopus cables, then a straight-through cat 5 cable will work. The following async line configuration will work with any IOS device setup for defaults:

line X Y

no exec

exec-timeout 0 0

transport input all

transport output none

stopbits 1

[Joe Clarke]

We typically have used 2511s or 2509s in the past for comm servers. We've started replacing these with 2600s. The AS5300 doesn't have any async line capacity as I recall, so I don't think it will make a good comm server. However, 2509s, 2511s, 2600s, 3600s, 3700s, etc. all have async modules, and will work quite well as comm servers.