Managing your network devices via console

Fri May 15 05:09:20 UTC 2009

Cisco makes a 16 port Async card for ISR routers, they even bundle it
with a 2811 router for fairly inexpensive $$$...  Cisco2811-16TS is the
partnum I think
You can scale up very high or down very low for your console needs with
cisco routers, and inexpensive used or obsolete routers are available
for not much money.
The octal cables are available with rj45's already on them, which is
nice.... Email if you want a sample term server config for a 2800
router.

If Cisco is not what you want... Consult the Zonker's Greater Scroll of
Console Knowledge:  http://www.conserver.com/consoles/ ... You may find
what you are looking for there.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tomas L. Byrnes [mailto:tomb at byrneit.net] 
> Sent: Thursday, May 14, 2009 10:00 PM
> To: Mehmet Akcin; nanog at nanog.org
> Subject: RE: Managing your network devices via console
> 
> I've found Avocents to be a nightmare, and the company to be 
> horrible to deal with.
> 
> They work fine as a local console switch, but they are 
> absurdly expensive for that use. The rest of their features 
> are byzantine in implementation and usage, and their support 
> and licensing policies exorbitant.
> 
> Old school terminal servers and IPMI/DRAC cards work very well.
> 
> 
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: Mehmet Akcin [mailto:mehmet at akcin.net]
> >Sent: Thursday, May 14, 2009 7:30 PM
> >To: nanog at nanog.org
> >Subject: Managing your network devices via console
> >
> >Hello,
> >
> >It's always cool to have console access to routers/switches and 
> >nowadays they are going from RS-232 to RJ-45 as a standart. 
> I have got 
> >Avocent DSR 2035 which is a KVM+Serial console (all in 
> one).. but while 
> >I was able to have it work against servers via KVM or/and Serial , I 
> >was unable to make it work properly against any network device. I am 
> >wondering if anyone had experience on DSR or similar boxes 
> to configure 
> >them against network devices console ports.
> >
> >Making suggestions for alternative ways of centralizing 
> network device 
> >console management is also more than welcome, I guess the 
> old fashioned 
> >server attached usb-serial console is one of the most preferred way, 
> >but feel free to provide if  you have good ideas
> >
> >cheers
> >
> >--
> >Mehmet
> 
> 
> 