# OS X and Cisco



## huck (May 6, 2002)

Is it possible to connect to a cisco box via a powerbook running os x.  I'm not familiar with cisco routers and switches; but would like to connect to one and mess around.  

I know i need a roll-over cable.  What port do i use on my end though?


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## BSDimwit (May 6, 2002)

Do you mean that you want to connect to the console port, or do you mean via an ethernet port?

If its ethernet, a simple crossover cable should suffice if you plugging straight into its enet port.

If you are trying to plug into the console port, then I have to be honest here... I don't know... My powerbook doesn't have the same ol' serial ports that a my pc's do.  If it did, I would fire up a console and connect to it via the serial port to the cisco's console.

Ideally, connecting via the console should be what you are shooting for.  You don't need to know the IP address of the cisco and when you reboot it, you will see all of the startup dialogues...  if however, you know the ip address of the router/switch telneting into should behave similarly to the console... with the exception of being able to see the startup dialogues.

Hope this helps...


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## huck (May 6, 2002)

sorry about that...i did mean the console port.  The router is inactive and not connected to any netowork.  I just want to tinker and learn some cisco crap.

connecting to the console--i will need is a cross over cable, yes?

peace.


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## BSDimwit (May 6, 2002)

the console port on all Cisco's that I know of are not ethernet.  So even if you put a crossover cable between your ethernet jack on your Mac and connected it to the console port on the Cisco, its simply not going to work.  Its like trying connect your USB printer to the firewire port on your powerbook... Apples and Oranges.

The console port is a serial port...  so you would have to hook it up to a serial port on your mac for it to work.  I don't know which mac you have, but my tibook 550 doesn't have a standard, run of the mill, serial port like most PC's do.  Perhaps someone makes a USB to serial adapter that would allow you to connect a RS232 cable from the router to your mac.

What type of router is this anyway?  Even though the console port may look like an ethernet port(RJ-45 jack) its not Ethernet.  Cisco likes to sell proprietary cables that are used for their console ports... 

One thing we do where I work is use a db25 to RJ-45 adapter.  This basically allows you use a standard ethernet cable without having to do a funky pinout in the cable itself... The adapter is where the funky pinout is versus the cable.  

So in conclusion, you might have a rough time getting your mac to talk to the router via its console... 

here are some recommended solutions...

1. Use a PC instead(serial port included) and get either a DB9 or DB25 to RJ-45, then get on the internet to figure out what the pinout should be and crack open the adapter and re-pin it accordingly.

2. Use a VT100 compatable terminal adapter... these are the keyboard and monitors that have special ports on the back of them and are generally designed to do what you are trying to do.  Basically, a dumb terminal.

3. Find some sort of USB to RS232 adapater and do something similar in as noted in option 1. to get your mac to connect to the console port.

Sorry to make this sound so hard, but lets face it... Cisco wants to make money, and selling a funky cable helps them do this.


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## chenly (May 6, 2002)

A dumb terminal is the best bet; poke around and you're likely to score a perfectly usable box for free. If you want to emulate a dumb terminal on your Mac, the hitch is in hardware (USB to serial), not the softare--Terminal.app is excellent. Cisco also makes a web-based version of the Cisco Broadband Operating System (CBOS). All the software for this, including the web server, is already inside the router, but you'll need to get/purchase a username and password from Cisco. Additionally, you should be able to telnet (not SSH, to the best of my knowledge) in through the ethernet port as long as the two machines are connected with the appropriate cable and turned on. If you don't know the username and password for the router, you may need to blank it, i.e., restore all the default settings. CBOS, once you're in, is (1) really good, and (2), remarkably UNIX-like--you'll get the hang of it right away. Good luck!


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## mactroll (May 6, 2002)

Ain't no thing. You just need a few things.

1. Cisco console cable, duh. This is the blue flat  Cat-5 looking cable. This should also come with a RS-232 adapter that you connect to...
2. A 9 pin male to 8 pin male serial adapter. These used to come with the Palms before they got USB cradles. Green things. That you connect to...
3. A KeySpan 2 port Serial to USB adapter. The USA-28X or whatever the current model is.
4. Copy of ZTerm. This runs in both X and 9.

With this setup you can pretty much rule the world, or most any router or managed switch out there. I have personally done this with Cisco Asante switches and routers and 3Com and Dell switches. Isn't exactly the easiest, but once you get all of the pieces, no problem.

Joel Rennich
www.afp548.com
4 cats, one mouse


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## theed (May 7, 2002)

Could you borrow a PC to set up telnet access to the router so that you could simply ethernet to it?  It seems reasonable enough.  When I was playing with Cisco equipment, my first goal was to set up enough networking and access to switch to my mac and ethernet as the connection of choice.  Halfway knowing commands, and ? or esc completing, you should be there in an hour even bumbling around.

You have a good Cisco book, right?  You'll want one if you don't.


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## mpw6 (Apr 22, 2005)

sorry, disregard this post


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## Pengu (Apr 23, 2005)

why the hell would you need a PC if you're going to Telnet?


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## Lycander (Apr 25, 2005)

Pengu said:
			
		

> why the hell would you need a PC if you're going to Telnet?


Thank you! I was waiting for that. LOL!

Oh God no! It's CCNA all over again!


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## Pengu (Apr 25, 2005)

< did CCNA course. got job (at place where i did my Diploma of IT). never got time to do CCNA exam. (and never used it since, EDS manage all our Comms. Equipment.)


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## cavaughan (Apr 25, 2005)

BTW, what I did was set the cisco switch up on a PC with a serial port, to which the console cable was then connected. The is Linux based so I used the package minicom - works great! Anyhow, I ssh-ed from my iBook (what I work on all the time) over to the Linux server and then used minicom to "telnet" into the cisco router. Everything else is just by the book as if from a windows machine - except you never experience a crash or strange moments of latency ;-)


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