USB to serial connection

so I have a laptop that doesn't have a COM port on the back. so I bought a USB to DB-9 cable. The problem is when I start TeraTerm I dont' have a COM port to designate to my cisco 2650XM. Any suggestions on how to telnet in using the config I have described?

thanks

Any specific reason why your using TeraTerm? It looks like a very old application, and it simply might not see the USB to DB-9 cable. This is assuming you installed the drivers correctly. Does the device come up in device manager? Start off there and make sure Windows can see the device.

I recommend either using SecureCRT or Putty to connect to your devices. I personally use SecureCRT and have no problems connectin to my devices from Windows.


Cheers,

ZiPPy

I used a USB-to-Serial cable for a very short time while I was troubleshooting a firewall. One thing that struck me as a surprise was that the USB-to-Serial cable required you to install its drivers. I initially simply expected plug-and-play to kick in and naturally configure and install it, but that didn't happen. After I installed the drivers and plugged the cable in, the cable showed up in Device Manager as COM3 (since the computer already had COM1 and COM2).

The cable used was a Gigaware USB-A to Serial Cable bought at Radio Shack, in case that helps. I also did use TeraTerm for a very short time during that troubleshooting phase, though it was for such a short amount of time that I don't remember details on my experience.

I doubt you're making the same mistake I did of expecting plug-and-pray to auto-install it, but in case you are, I hope this sheds some light.

hello mikeybinsd, the USB-to-Serial cable usually comes with a CD and a drivers collection on it. I suspect that you might find out there a plug-n-play usb-to-serial cable as its basic idea is have a simple controller that emulate a serial connection, so you are definitely in need of a driver to your usb-to-serial controller.

Second, once you install the correct driver go to Device Manager and check its existent and confirm that it is properly installed in the Ports (COM & LPT) section.

KiLLaBeE had mentioned that on his laptop when he plug his usb-to-serial cable it takes COM3, this is really normal behavor and if you unplug the cable and plug it into another usb port onto your laptop it will be assigned another COM number, but that is fine because you can modify the COM number to match the COM port number you want. so if your application as tera term only support COM 1 to 4 and your laptop assigned it COM 5 you can simply from device manager change the COM number to work fine with your desired application.

here is how it is made:
From "Device Manager" go to "Ports (COM & LPT)" choose your usb-to-serial controller and right click it choose Properties a new Properties window for your controller will show up, from the tab menu choose Port Settings tab, in the Port Settings tab click the Advanced button, in the Advanced dialog box down the end of it there is a Port COM Number drop down menu, from the Port COM number drop down menu select the COM port number you want to assign to your usb-to-serial connection.

from there you can use your preferred application with the COM number you assigned.

good luck,

I also did use TeraTerm for a very short time during that troubleshooting phase, though it was for such a short amount of time that I don't remember details on my experience.

No doubt it was for a short period of time, and that you don't remember because the last time it was updated was in 1999 and for Windows 3.1 and 95. :lol:

Come on people, are we seriously still using applications from 1999 that were specifically programmed for Windows 3.1 and 95? wow!


ZiPPy

I hate to say this Zippy, we are all using programs that is emulating a VT100 connection. That was made back in the late 70’s… For most of us that haven’t seen one, here is a link.. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VT100

Anyhow they were made by Digital Equipment Corp.. I had the pleasure of working on cabling projects when I got started in networking.. What’s funny, I knew of a Bank of America office that had a VT220 connected to a Cisco 6509 to do all their config work..

As far as your USB to Serial dongle. I would recommend doing a google search based on the model number of the device to find the drivers if you don’t have the CD. Like KiLLaBeE said it would create a new COM port, so you will be able to select it.

Personally I don’t like them. I’ve had two of them die on me while out in the field. Just like any USB device, do not unplug them while you or the computer is accessing them. You can find quite a few alternatives out there.. here’s a few links..

StarTech 2 Port CardBus RS232 Serial Laptop PC Adapter Card
www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16839158019

Koutech IO-ECS120 Single RS-232 Serial Port ExpressCard Adapter
www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16839104020

With the line of work we do, how dependant we are on our equipment to constantly work for us. We need tools that are going to last and can be relied on time after time.