Console problem from Linux
 

Hi,

I'm trying to get linux to talk to a Cisco 837 using the supplied blue
console cable.
The serial port is detected by linux and seems alright as you can see
below.

/proc/tty/driver/serial
0: uart:16550A port:000003F8 irq:4 tx:149 rx:121

Tx and Rx indicate that bytes are being sent/received. Now here's the
thing, neither minicom nor kermit will show any output at all (i'm no
guru when it comes to this but i have my settings correct as in speed,
parity, stop bits etc..)

Also, the cisco shows this:

-------------------------
eon#show line console 0
Tty Typ Tx/Rx A Modem Roty AccO AccI Uses Noise
Overruns Int
0 CTY - - - - - 0 163 0/0
-

Line 0, Location: "", Type: ""
Length: 24 lines, Width: 80 columns
Baud rate (TX/RX) is 9600/9600, no parity, 2 stopbits, 8 databits
Status: Ready
Capabilities: none
Modem state: Ready
Special Chars: Escape Hold Stop Start Disconnect Activation
^^x none - - none
Timeouts: Idle EXEC Idle Session Modem Answer Session
Dispatch
00:10:00 never none
not set
Idle Session Disconnect Warning
never
Login-sequence User Response
00:00:30
Autoselect Initial Wait
not set
Modem type is unknown.
Session limit is not set.
Time since activation: never
Editing is enabled.
History is enabled, history size is 20.
DNS resolution in show commands is enabled
Full user help is disabled
Allowed input transports are none.
Allowed output transports are telnet ssh.
Preferred transport is telnet.
No output characters are padded
No special data dispatching characters
-------------------------

Notice the 'noise' column, and that value of 163 since that's what
happens when i connect using minicom and type random stuff. Though I
don't get replies, that increases the noise count, so it must be that
the Cisco is discarding the packets as noise.

Does anybody know how to solve this and get it to work?

Cheers.

Re: Console problem from Linux
 

On 30 May 2006 08:35:37 -0700, elixxir wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I'm trying to get linux to talk to a Cisco 837 using the supplied blue
> console cable.
> The serial port is detected by linux and seems alright as you can see
> below.
>
> /proc/tty/driver/serial
> 0: uart:16550A port:000003F8 irq:4 tx:149 rx:121
>
> Tx and Rx indicate that bytes are being sent/received. Now here's the
> thing, neither minicom nor kermit will show any output at all (i'm no
> guru when it comes to this but i have my settings correct as in speed,
> parity, stop bits etc..)
>
> Also, the cisco shows this:
>
> -------------------------
> eon#show line console 0
> Tty Typ Tx/Rx A Modem Roty AccO AccI Uses Noise
> Overruns Int
> 0 CTY - - - - - 0 163 0/0
> -
>
> Line 0, Location: "", Type: ""
> Length: 24 lines, Width: 80 columns
> Baud rate (TX/RX) is 9600/9600, no parity, 2 stopbits, 8 databits
^^^^^^^^^^

Try "1" And I didn't see any mention of flow control... IIRC, I had to
turn flow control off for my 29XX switches.

--
* John Oliver http://www.john-oliver.net/ *
* Reform California gun laws - http://www.reformcagunlaws.com/ *
* http://www.gunownersca.com - http://www.crpa.org/ *
* San Diego shooters come to http://shooting.forsandiego.com/ *

Re: Console problem from Linux
 

Are you using an external serial adapater (DB9 to RJ45)? If so are you
sure you're using one with the right pinout? Confirm that both your
cable and adapter work with a known good computer. I'll send you my
two minicom config files as well.

J

Re: Console problem from Linux
 

John Oliver wrote:
> Try "1" And I didn't see any mention of flow control... IIRC, I had to
> turn flow control off for my 29XX switches.

I tried setting the stop bits to 1 and manually turning off flow
control in the cisco but this had no effect. All that it records is
still noise.

Btw, the default config is what I posted originally but I too believed
it should be 9600 8N1. I've checked this with multiple devices at my
workplace and they are all set to 2 stop bits.

Re: Console problem from Linux
 

J wrote:
> Are you using an external serial adapater (DB9 to RJ45)? If so are you
> sure you're using one with the right pinout? Confirm that both your
> cable and adapter work with a known good computer. I'll send you my
> two minicom config files as well.

Cheers dude. Well I'm using the light blue cisco cable as supplied with
my router.

The only thing is that my machine doesn't have a serial port built-in
except for the mobo header, so I had to connect one of those adapters
that fit in a PCI bracket and hook up to the COM header via a small
ribbon cable. This essentially gives me an available serial port on the
box. Do you think this adapter bracket might be wired incorrectly?

Anyway I will go an check it on another box somehow to verify.

Re: Console problem from Linux
 

elixxir wrote:
> Anyway I will go an check it on another box somehow to verify.
>

Check this out.

Installing Minicom to connect to Cisco router using console cable.
http://www.davidsudjiman.info/?p=94

--
thx
David Sudjiman

http://www.davidsudjiman.info

Re: Console problem from Linux
 

"elixxir" <elixxir@ucc.asn.au> writes:


>The only thing is that my machine doesn't have a serial port built-in
>except for the mobo header, so I had to connect one of those adapters
>that fit in a PCI bracket and hook up to the COM header via a small
>ribbon cable.

There are at least _two_ different pin-assignement for those headers.
Always use that cable which came with the MoBo.

> This essentially gives me an available serial port on the
>box. Do you think this adapter bracket might be wired incorrectly?

Have one of those LED-boxes ready and look at it with the port at
rest and with minicom running. Then, use a paperclip to short the
pin's 2 and 3; all keys pressed should come to the screen (IF you
DISabled Hardware-Hanshake).

Greetings, Holger

Re: Console problem from Linux
 

elixxir wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I'm trying to get linux to talk to a Cisco 837 using the supplied blue
> console cable.
> The serial port is detected by linux and seems alright as you can see
> below.
>
> /proc/tty/driver/serial
> 0: uart:16550A port:000003F8 irq:4 tx:149 rx:121
>
> Tx and Rx indicate that bytes are being sent/received. Now here's the
> thing, neither minicom nor kermit will show any output at all (i'm no
> guru when it comes to this but i have my settings correct as in speed,
> parity, stop bits etc..)

Using kermit:

In my home directory I have in .kermrc:
set file type bin
set file name lit
set rec pack 1000
set send pack 1000
set window 5
set CARRIER-WATCH OFF
set prompt Linux Kermit>

(The CARRIER-WATCH OFF line is the important one iirc)

Then call kermit with:

kermit -l /dev/ttyS0 -p n -8 -c

I use this to connect to a variety of Cisco devices (routers, switches)

crt

Re: Console problem from Linux
 

Holger Petersen wrote:

> "elixxir" <elixxir@ucc.asn.au> writes:
>
>
> >The only thing is that my machine doesn't have a serial port built-in
> >except for the mobo header, so I had to connect one of those adapters
> >that fit in a PCI bracket and hook up to the COM header via a small
> >ribbon cable.
>
> There are at least _two_ different pin-assignement for those headers.
> Always use that cable which came with the MoBo.

Yeah, I think that you've hit the nail on the head Holger. I was using
a bracket stolen from an old P100 since my mobo didn't come with one.

I hadn't realized that there could be different standards for the
header pinouts, but that seems to have been the problem. It also
explains why the cisco was only seeing noise on the line.

Anyway, thanks to all for your extremely helpful contributions. My
solution was to actually take David's advice and go out and buy a
USB-Serial converter.

I ended up getting the Aten UC-232A

http://www.aten.com/products/product...erid=subClass4

which works perfectly using the CONFIG_USB_SERIAL_PL2303 module in
Linux.

Cheers guys!