Console problem from Linux

^^^^^^^^^^

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

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.

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.

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.

Check this out.

Installing Minicom to connect to Cisco router using console cable.

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

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

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

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

Cheers guys!