515E Installation and Configuration

[bert.penney1]

Hello,

I just bought a couple of old 515e's and I need to configure them but I am not having much luck finding the necessary documentation.  Can anyone point me n the right direction to get some information on how to connect a Windows 8.1 machine to the console port?

Thanks

Bert

[sarabsin]

Step 1 Connect a PC to the console port using the provided console cable, and connect to the console using a terminal emulator set for 9600 baud, 8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit, no flow control.

Please follow the documentation :

http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/security/asa/asa70/configuration/guide/config/start.html

Please rate it if helpful.

[bert.penney1]

As you can see in my reply above, I can't get Step 1 to work yet.  :-(

[Marvin Rhoads]

You need a serial console cable. If your Windows 8.1 computer does not have one, then you also need a USB-serial adapter.

Once you have a working serial console cable, you can see the details on connecting it here:

http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/security/pix-500-series-security-appliances/15247-pixfaq.html

[bert.penney1]

I have a USB cable that came with the devices.  It is 2 part with USB - DB9 and DB9 - RJ45 cables.

The first problem I  have run into is that I can't get my Windows 8.1 box to talk to the Cisco box.  I installed the Cisco serial drivers and it is supposed to detect when a Cisco device connects to the USB port but it never does.

Is there a preferred terminal emulation software to run when configuring the Cisco box?

Thanks.

[Marvin Rhoads]

Without being able to use the USB-serial device you are indeed stuck at step 1.

I use a Trendnet TU-S9 adapter - only $9.95 at amazon.com with free Prime shipping. I've been using this model without problem for over 5 years now.

Any terminal emulation software will work. Personally I use a paid program (xshell from netsarang.com) since I use many of the more advanced features and it's my day job. However, the free ones like putty or even old Windows hyperterm will work just fine.

Begging the bigger question - these are very old devices that are long past their end of support. They would not be recommended to protect a production network in the current threat environment and even as a learning tool, you would be better served by something like a used ASA 5505 which at least has the same syntax as the more modern hardware and a lot more capability than the old Pix 515e.

[bert.penney1]

Odd.  I let it sit overnight and the connection now works.  I guess I was a bit impatient.

Yes, I know that it is old technology and went EOS in 2008 but I got them cheap and was hoping to use them more as a learning tool.  I have never supported a Cisco environment and figured that this would be a cheap way to get my hands dirty.

Having said that, I do have a small, two site network and if they can provide simple site to site VPN, that would be advantageous to me.