Console Cable Pinouts - Cisco RJ-45-to-AUX Brochure

Figure 2.2: The different types of console ports on the switches.
The console port must be accessed through a PC or another device (such as a dumb terminal) to view the
initial configuration. From the console port, you can configure other points of entry—such as the VTY line
ports—to allow you to use Telnet to configure the switch from other points in your network.
On switches where the console port is an RJ−45 port, you must plug a rolled RJ−45 cable straight into the
port. If it is a DB−25 port, you must use an RJ−45−to−DB−25 connector to connect. If the switch uses a
DB−9 port, you will need a DB−9−to−RJ−45 connector. Fortunately, these connectors come with every
switch—you only need to know which connector and cables to use.
Whatever the type of console port in use on the switch, you will need to connect an RJ−45 cable from the
console port or connector to the dumb terminal or PC. On a PC, you can use a third−party program to gain
access, such as HyperTerminal (included with most Microsoft Windows operating systems).
Note

Console Cable Pinouts

Two types of RJ−45 cables are used with Cisco switches: a straight−through cable and a rolled cable. To
figure out what type of cable you have, hold the two RJ−45 ends side by side. You will see eight colored
wires, known as pins, at each end. If the order of the colored pins matches at both ends, then you are holding a
straight−through cable. If the colors are reversed, then you are holding a rolled cable.
When a problem occurs, having access to all the accessories to build your own cable is a big advantage.
Finding the correct cable or connector on a moment's notice is not always convenient. I have always wanted a
quick reference that lists the pinouts of each cable and connector, so that I could easily make my own cable or
connectors. Because I've never found such a reference, I've created it myself; the lists appear in Tables 2.2
and 2.3.
Table 2.2: Straight−through cable RJ−45−to−RJ−45 pinouts.
RJ−45
1
2
3
4
5
6
The HyperTerminal version included with Microsoft Windows is very limited. One
of its most notable limitations is its failure to perform the break command, which
does not allow you to obtain a lost password from some switches and routers. You
can download an upgrade to HyperTerminal from the Hilgraeve Web site,
http://www.hilgraeve.com;/ the upgrade will allow you to use this feature.
RJ−45
1
2
3
4
5
6
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