Controllerless Networks

Dear Community,

 

 please help us to figure out how can we use the serial cable of the RAP-155? We ordered this from Aruba but I got nothing on console. What is the right way to connect it to the AP? I hope you can help because it starts to be ridiculous that we can not use this cable and there is no any documentation or how-to about it.

 

Thanks a lot!

 

Best Regards,

Gabor

From the RAP-155 installation guide:

 

"Serial Console Port The serial console port is located at the bottom of RAP-155 or RAP-155P and closed by a rubber insert when not in use."

Hi cjoseph,

 

 thanks for the answer, I was not so clear. Well I can find the pins for the serial on the ap. My problem that I don't know what is the right orientation to connect the cable, because there is no sign on the pins what I can use for the right connection. By the way I tried to connect the with the two possible orientation but I can not see anything in the putty (serial, speed 9600). I am using Serial to USB converter because my laptop has no serial port but there is no problem with the normal RJ45 console ports, only with this special pin-based serial connection.

 

 So this is my question, what is the magic for the right connection?

 

Thanks a lot!

Picture of the connector and pins, please.

Hi, here is the photos.

On the black connector there should be a cutout that matches the shape of the opening.

Make sure your console to USB is recognized and record the com port from device manager.

Use a terminal program to connect with no flow control using that com port.

There is a cutout on the back of the connector but I can not see any matches the shape of the opening. I can connect it two way without any breakthrough. The console to usb recognised by my win7 corretly this is the com6, and there is no flow control. I am using putty to connect here is the serial settings:

 

Serial line to connect to: COM6

Speed (baud): 9600

Data bits: 8

Stop bits: 1

parity: none

flow control: none

 

Start the serial connection with putty looks like there is a connection but can not see the boot informations and can not get the prompt of the device in the putty window.

 

RJ45 console ports on other aruba devices are working fine with these settings.

 

Hi Friend,

 

Small cut ( 2 line ) of the Console cable should match with the small notch ( bottom side in your pic) of the serial port of the AP, let the connector slide completely.

 

Please feel free to comeback if it is not solved, I will share a video on this.

Hi Gabor

If you had connected it backwards and powered it up - it is possible that you damaged the serial port on the AP and it may never actually work again. Your settings of 8N1 9600 are correct. The ports are reasonably robust though, you would have to be unlucky to have blown it on first attempt. Connect it as below and try again - do take note of the progression of the LEDs - it might be that the RAP is actually damaged and not booting. From power on, at least you should see this

 

a> power LED red briefly (< 1sec), enet port LEDs flash yellow, then all off

b> power LED is solid green for about 10 seconds (enet0 should come on at about 4 seconds)

c> power LED will go through various sequences of flashing and solid, after about 3 mins it will hold solid and the WLAN leds should turn on

 

With regards to the cable itself, yes the notch on the cable is useless, it "matches" (sort of) but it doesn't actually provide any physical guidance or locking. Yes, you should locate the vague notch in the serial cable to the thinner of the two plastic protrusions in the serial port hole (for RAP-155 and RAP-3)

 

 

I am not sure it was the intention, but I am yet to see them match physically. You may note that my rap-155 has been the recipient of some surgery (the tab redrawn above in photo editor), the lower plastic tab was actually too tall relative to the prongs of the serial port preventing the plug from being able to be pushed onto the prongs. Not sure if that's a problem for others - but better to chop the plastic than trying to bend the serial port prongs.

 

Final view - plus reminder sticker:

 

Alternatively:

RAP-155 -- red cable towards ethernet ports

RAP-3  -- red cable towards LEDs on the front

 

regards

-jeff

jgoff,

 

 many thanks for the nice answer! I got a new console cable, attach based on your post and everything works fine. Now it looks like I tried with a defective or damaged cable whole time ... 

 

Thanks for your help everyone!

HI WHat is the model of the console cable you have procured for RAP 155

AP-CBL-SER aka JW071A

thank you

--
Aparna Ramakrishna