LTM Console access via Cat5E via Terminal Console

Some of us always run into those situation where we need access to the serial console of the LTM via serial console terminal. What makes it more fustrating is that the serial terminal server is located in part of the datacenter and your LTM in on the far end where there isn't a big enough Serial console cable that can reach that far or due to the way the datacenter was cabled you simply can't use the serial cable.

After a bit of trial in error I found what appears the right wiring to allow you to use cat5e cable. Why? Because Cat5e is more common wiring then serial console cable.

I have attached a PDF of the diagram + other diagrams for other devices such as Cisco.

Please post any experience you have where you can make use of Cat5e as your serial connection.

Hope this helps you all

management

monitoring

14 Replies

hooleylist
Cirrostratus
Mar 30, 2009
Very helpful... thanks, cmbhatt.

Aaron
Scott_Lee_11117
Nimbostratus
Oct 13, 2009
Will this same pinout work with Cat 6?
The_Bhattman
Nimbostratus
Oct 13, 2009
I believe the wiring I am using now is CAT6E so it should work.

CB
Scott_Lee_11117
Nimbostratus
Oct 13, 2009

Thanks CB

I am trying to connect the serial port connected to an Avocent console server. The Avocent is configured for Cisco RJ-45 pinouts. I have tried a cat6 and cat5e cable and neither is working. This worked before when I had it connected to the now replaced Cisco router with the Async card.

Any ideas?
The_Bhattman
Nimbostratus
Oct 13, 2009
Not exactly sure. I tested this connecting LTM to laptop and LTM to WTI console and then between Cisco RJ45s to laptop serial and WTI Console. Not sure if Avocent has done something different.
FizzyBoy_29767
Nimbostratus
Oct 26, 2009
Hi CB

I am planning to use cisco 2911 as access server to connect to my Cisco and F5 gear, over the patch panel. So the async cable will terminate to a port of patch panel. On the other end of patch panel, I want to use modified cisco cable to connect to F5 serial console port.

On typical cisco serial cable if I want to re-wire the RJ-45 connector, what will be the color scheme?

FH
The_Bhattman
Nimbostratus
Oct 27, 2009
Hi Fiz,

I have never done this kind of setup before so I cannot provide you with the wiring. However I will dig around and see if others have done this.

CB
Scott_Lee_11117
Nimbostratus
Oct 27, 2009
I have set this up before using an older 2511, however I did not have to run it through a patch panel. The cable off of the 2511 was not long enough so I had to extend it using an inline coupler to a regular cat 6 cable then onto the RJ-45 to DB-9 connector. This worked fine so I imagine running it through a patch panel would work OK to as long as the wiring is straight thru.

SL
Scott_Lee_11117
Nimbostratus
Oct 27, 2009
BTW, I was able to get the Avocent console server to work using the wiring in this thread. I had to change the speed setting on the LTM to 56700 from the default of 9600. I also had to set the Avocent for cyclades wiring instead of Cisco RJ-45.

SL
The_Bhattman
Nimbostratus
Oct 27, 2009
Checkout this search on google

http://www.google.com/search?complete=1&hl=en&source=hp&q=Cisco+Serial+cable+rj45&aq=f&oq=&aqi=g1

CB