Setting up console connections

Setting up console connections
5.2.7 This page will explain how console connections are set up.


To initially configure the Cisco device, a management connection must be directly connected to the device. For Cisco equipment this management attachment is called a console port. The console port allows monitoring and configuration of a Cisco hub, switch, or router.

The cable used between a terminal and a console port is a rollover cable, with RJ-45 connectors. The rollover cable, also known as a console cable, has a different pinout than the straight-through or crossover RJ-45 cables used with Ethernet or the ISDN BRI. The pinout for a rollover is as follows:

1 to 8 
2 to 7
3 to 6
4 to 5
5 to 4
6 to 3
7 to 2
8 to 1

To set up a connection between the terminal and the Cisco console port, perform two steps. First, connect the devices using a rollover cable from the router console port to the workstation serial port. An RJ-45-to-DB-9 or an RJ-45-to-DB-25 adapter may be required for the PC or terminal. Next, configure the terminal emulation application with the following common equipment (COM) port settings: 9600 bps, 8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit, and no flow control.

The AUX port is used to provide out-of-band management through a modem. The AUX port must be configured by way of the console port before it can be used. The AUX port also uses the settings of 9600 bps, 8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit, and no flow control.