Skip site navigation (1)Skip section navigation (2)
Date:      Tue, 02 Jul 2002 16:44:42 -0400
From:      Tom Limoncelli <tal@lumeta.com>
To:        "Dan Mahoney, System Admin" <danm@prime.gushi.org>
Cc:        questions@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: 2-way serial console
Message-ID:  <3D2210BA.5374CB1A@lumeta.com>
References:  <20020702112137.V66871-100000@prime.gushi.org>

next in thread | previous in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
"Dan Mahoney, System Admin" wrote:
> I have a core router running FreeBSD, and a Cisco.  I'd like to be able to
> serial cable them together in such a way that either the router or the BSD
> box could open a connection to the other via the serial line.  Does anyone
> know if this is possible?

Sure is!

Cisco sells serial cables that connect from their various console
connectors to PC ports.  That's a fairly standard configuration (if I
recall correctly, if you buy the cable from Cisco it will be the same color
(usually blue) as the label of the Cisco side.  It would be the same cable
no matter what OS you use, so you might find a local Cisco expert that
connects to router consoles from a laptop using Hyperterm.

Seach for "console cable" and your model number on www.cisco.com.  They
have a fairly complete listing.

To test the cable, use the most simple software you can find.  I recommend
'tip' in FreeBSD (which is configured by editing the /etc/remote file). 
Look for "cuaa0b" as an example and clone it.  I usually create a config
called "out" so I can literally "tip out" to get to the machine I'm working
on.

Anyway, once you get tip running, you can look into more interesting
software.  My favorite is conserver (http://www.conserver.com/).

However, your question seemed to imply that you wanted a bi-directional
connection.  To do that, you'd need to configure each to have a login
prompt, you'd need to set things up properly so that the two don't get into
a battle (each system's prompt being interpreted as a login attempt from
the other side).  That doesn't sound fun, but it could be possible with a
lot of testing.

--tal

-- 
Tom Limoncelli -- tal@lumeta.com  --  www.lumeta.com

             http://www.EverythingSysadmin.com

To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org
with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message




Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?3D2210BA.5374CB1A>