Connecting PC to Cisco Router

[rossua994]

I am confused as to what type of cable is used to connect a PC to a Cisco router. (I don't yet own a real device so I have not yet seen the cable). In my CCNA guide it says that a console rollover cable with RJ45 connectors at each end is used. However a PC normally only has an RJ45 connector for its network card, and presumably this would not be the appropriate place to connect a router console cable.

Or is there a typo in the guide and the console cable actually has a standard female 9-pin DB-shell type serial connector at the PC end ?

[graemeporter · Accepted solution]

Hi there!

Cisco devices come with the familiar egg-shell blue Console Cable, which has the 9-pin RS232 serial connector on one end and the RJ45 connector that fits the Console port on the other.

It's also worth mentioning that a lot of newer PCs, particularly laptops, don't have serial ports - in which case, a USB-to-RS232 converter will do the trick (I have one for my HP NC6400 laptop)

Good luck on your studies!

Kind regards,

Graeme

[Pavel Bykov · Accepted solution]

Here is a picture of it.

http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/boxfire_1912_2530724

Connect RJ45 to router, DB-9 end to PC.

Beware that your PC has to have serial port! Some new notebook PCs come without Serial ports. In that case you should use Serial-To-USB converter.

http://www.acroname.com/robotics/parts/R233-USB-ADPT.jpg

[VenomSnake]

The Cisco console cable is RJ45 on the router end, and DB-9 on the computer end.