Cisco Access Server Configuration.

Configuring a Cisco Access Server

Introduction

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Cisco access servers are used to give you multiple connections to the console port of Cisco devices. The cisco access server models are:

Model 2509

1 Ethernet port

2 synchronous serial ports

8 asynchronous serial ports

Model 2510

1 Token Ring

2 synchronous serial ports

8 asynchronous serial ports

Model 2511

1 Ethernet

2 synchronous serial ports

16 asynchronous serial ports

Model 2512

1 Token Ring

2 synchronous serial ports

16 asynchronous serial ports

You can read more about these models via the below link which is a shortened like to a Cisco.com page:

http://tinyurl.com/4lglbp

You will need an octal cable which you can easily buy from ebay if you search for 'Cisco octal cable.' The octal cable plugs into your asynchronous port on you router and you then plug the 8 console leads into the console ports on the routers or switches you wish to connect to.

Each console lead should have a number on it from 1-8 and when you configure the Cisco access server you number the ports from 2001 to 2008 which indicates the number on the console lead.

Configuring the Access Server

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You need to add an IP address to the access server. It can either be on the loopback interface or if you wish to connect it to your LAN it can be on the ethernet interface. The above models have the old style AUI ethernet connectors so you will need to use an adaptor if you wish to plug in an ethernet cable.

router(config)#interface loopback 0 router(config-if)#ip add 192.168.1.1 255.255.255.0

next you determine host names and which ones are plugged into which routers

ip host R1 2001 192.168.1.1
ip host R2 2002 192.168.1.1

so in the above config we are using console leads 1 and 2 to connect to Router 1 which is called R1 and Router 2.

We then add a very minimal config to the console lines. We will have lines 1-8 with a one asynch router and 1-8 then 9-16 on a router with two asynch ports. Please double check which port you connect to and remember that all octal cables are numbered 1-8 so if you plug a second one in, on the config it will start with port 2009.

On the console lines you have several options. You need to determine which traffic can open the line with the 'transport input' command.

router(config)#line 1 8
router(config-line)#transport input all

You can also specify timeouts if the line is quiet with 'session-timeout' command. You can specify the exec timeout with the 'exec-timeout 0 8' command.

I would apply the bare minimum commands you can get away with which will be the 'transport input all' command.

In order to test the connection you can simply put the hostname of the router after the router pound sign:

router#r1
Trying r1 (192.168.1.1 , 2001)....Open Hit enter key

(you then press the enter key)

Router>

And hey presto you are on Router1.

To quit hold down the control-shift-6 keys together and then let go and press the x key (don't ask me who thought that up).

You can use the 'show line' command on the access server to see which lines are in use as indicated by the *.

Somtimes you try to connect to the router but it says:

% Connection refused by remote host

This means that somebody else is on the router console port or it didn't clear. Clear it with the 'clear line 1' command (for line 1) and press enter to confirm.

You can use the 'show users' command to see what connections have been made to the router. Also try the 'show users' command.

I hope it helps.

Paul