Hardware

Create a Ceragon IP-20A to Cisco Console Cable Adapter

Posted March 12, 2024

By Kevin Schwickrath2 min read

You can use a standard Cisco console cable to connect to a Ceregon IP-20A with some modifications.

Let’s make a Ceragon to Cisco rollover cable adapter.

Parts

  • Two RJ-45 jacks
  • Scrap CAT5 cable
  • Electrical tape
  • Cisco console cable, also known as a “Rollover Cable”
  • Patch cable
  • USB to serial port adapter

Build

Build Picture
Wiring
Pinout chart
Pinout chart

Swap white, green, and white blue (pins 3 and 5) on the T-568B jack. The other two pins (4 and 6) are straight through.

Finished Product
Finished product

IP20A Chassis Pin Functions:

PinColorFunction
Pin 1WON/A
Pin 2ON/A
Pin 3WGN/A
Pin 4BGND
Pin 5WBRX
Pin 6GTX
Pin 7WBrN/A
Pin 8BrN/A

Cisco Rollover Cable Pin Functions:

PinColorFunction
Pin 1WON/A
Pin 2ON/A
Pin 3WGTX
Pin 4BGND
Pin 5WBGND
Pin 6GRX
Pin 7WBrN/A
Pin 8BrN/A

Console Settings

Configure the following settings for the COM port you are using on your PC or laptop:

OptionConfiguration
Bits per Second115,200
Data Bits8
ParityNone
Stop Bits1
Flow ControlNone

Thoughts

  • If I made another one, I’d use two different color jacks.
  • I chose to make it like this so I can use any length of patch cable I need. Sometimes, my laptop can’t sit nicely near the chassis. Also, I don’t particularly appreciate having a cable for every wacky device I might need to console into.

Enjoy!

This post is licensed under CC BY 4.0 by the author.

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