How to use a MAC for connecting through the console port ?

[riveron08]

I have a MAc book air with OS x 10.7.5,

I bought the adapter usb to serial port, but the drivers that come with it are for Windos , I am stuck .

No idea what to do for using the mack for connect to the console port of my cisco labs routers.

Please any idea of what to do would be graet .

Thanks

[John Blakley · Accepted solution]

You'll need to get a usb-serial adapter and then connect with a console cable. Adapters aren't very expensive.

Connecting to the Console Port with Mac OS X
To connect a Mac OS X system USB port to the console using the built-in OS X Terminal utility, follow these steps:
Step 1 Use the Finder to go to Applications > Utilities > Terminal.

Step 2 Connect the OS X USB port to the router.

Step 3 Enter the following commands to find the OS X USB port number:

macbook:user$ cd /dev
macbook:user$ ls -ltr /dev/*usb*
crw-rw-rw- 1 root wheel 9, 66 Apr 1 16:46 tty.usbmodem1a21
DT-macbook:dev user$
Step 4 Connect to the USB port with the following command followed by the router USB port speed:

macbook:user$ screen /dev/tty.usbmodem1a21 9600
To Disconnect the OS X USB Console from the Terminal Window
Enter Ctrl+A followed by Ctrl+\

Hth,
John

Sent from Cisco Technical Support iPhone App

[riveron08]

Thank you for your time answering my question , I appreciate it .

Let me try it.

[riveron08]

What I am making wrong ?

Last login: Tue Jan 21 21:49:18 on ttys001

Ernestos-MacBook-Air:~ riveron08$ cd /dev

Ernestos-MacBook-Air:dev riveron08$ ls -ltr /dev/*usb*

ls: /dev/*usb*: No such file or directory

Ernestos-MacBook-Air:dev riveron08$ crw-rw-rw- 1 root wheel 9, 66 Apr 1 16:46 tty.usbmodem1a21

-bash: crw-rw-rw-: command not found

Ernestos-MacBook-Air:dev riveron08$ DT-macbook:dev user$

-bash: DT-macbook:dev: command not found

Ernestos-MacBook-Air:dev riveron08$

[riveron08]

I found this in my MAC in about my MAC

USB-Serial Controller D:

Product ID:          0x2303

Vendor ID:          0x067b  (Prolific Technology, Inc.)

Version:           4.00

Speed:          Up to 12 Mb/sec

Manufacturer:          Prolific Technology Inc.

Location ID:          0xfd110000 / 3

Current Available (mA):          500

Current Required (mA):          100

[John Blakley · Accepted solution]

There are a couple other things that can be tried. Connect the usb cable to your laptop, and then drop to terminal and type this:

ls /dev/tty*

Find the device that's associated to your usb port. Then use screen to that:

screen /dev/tty-xxxx

If that doesn't work try this:

ioreg -c IOSerialBSDClient  | grep usb

If it comes back with something, find the IOSerialCallOutDevice and screen to that:

screen /dev/cu.usbserial

HTH,
John

*** Please rate all useful posts ***

[nathan]

Hi

Whilst I am using the Serial app successfully, I would still like to understand how one could connect with the min-USB cable without paying $30. It is not a lot of money, to be sure, but it is a barrier to adoption, which is a shame.

I am using El Capitan 10.11.3. None of the options for finding a device I can use the "screen" command with are working for me.

Many thanks

Nathan

[ahenao]

Thank you John. Although my terminal command use knowledge is limited, your first two terminal commands in this post clued me into what I needed to do. thank you.

Albert

[JoeHClifford1968]

John,

I tried a lot of suggestions before yours. Lets just say I don't need to try anymore. Thank you.

[pepperc1@uri.edu]

The "screen" command worked for me as well after I stopped trying to copy and paste the name of the port!

[kmccourt]

Have you installed a driver for the Prolific 2303 chipset on the serial-USB adapter?

http://www.prolific.com.tw/US/ShowProduct.aspx?p_id=229&pcid=41

[davidbroadnax]

Thank you so much..Up and running! So long third party software....

[ejlbarcelon]

hi,

hope someone still answer my question, i have installed the drivers and was able to see the the tty.usb from my mac terminal, i can also connect properly. My problem is that when i issue a command through console, it freeze up after a few lines of output. It will not let me continue and i have to exit "screen" and run it to gain access. Even if i use other terminal application, results are the same.

Am i missing something or do i have to configure something on my terminal app?

TIA for those who will answer.

[edlazarenko]

Hello! Your solution works great, except Mac went to some kind of BSOD, after unpluging usb-to-com adapter. 

[rakeshreddy210]

New to MAC and found this post helpful. Thank you