Chase IOLan with cisco hardware

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I've been offered a chase iolan for free and from a google search it seems it should be able to support connections via the console port of cisco hardware according to info from an old chase iolan document.

Has anyone had any experience with doing this?

Any help and suggestions are welcome

 

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So it would seem nobody here has tried this before.

After several days, a soldering iron and a trip to maplins (which it turned out I didn't need in the end) I have it working.

I now have network access to the console port on 1 piece of my lab. Tomorrow if I get time I will hook up the lab and plug the iolan in to the wireless network via my wireless bridge adapter giving me wireless access to the console ports of my lab from anywhere in my house ;)

If anyone tries the same I can send you documents and links that will help with the setup and maybe give advice and pointers.

You will need cat 5e cable, crimps, and ends though

 

Cool, glad you got it sorted

 

Hi there,
I've just found your post, and have being trying to do the same thing myself.
I have made a cable and can connect to the console by telnetting to the iolan with the assigned port.
My problem is with the operation, when i hit return, I get 2 cisco prompts everytime.
When I enter a simple command it works fine, I get the boot info with no extra lines. I have checked local echo is off in telnet which it is, and have gone through every iolan setting that I thought it might be.

Have you had this problem? Do you think I have made an error with the cabling?
I also made an adaptor to convert the cisco console cable DB9 connector to RJ45 and patched this through to the router, but I get exactly the same symptoms.

Any advise would be greatly appreciated, or if not would you mind telling me your cable pinouts so I can check them against mine. Your iolan port settings would be great to check against mine also?

Many Thanks in advance.

 

Thanks for the info on setting up the IOLAN for the Cisco consoles.

Regarding the doubling up of prompts, it sounds like something is set for full duplex when only half duplex should be used.

 

Right,

I have got somehwere!

Firstly, there is a setting on the iolan port that needs disabling:

Disable ‘Map CR to CR + LF’ on the Iolan port.

After this, I get it in microsoft telnet every other return key, and it is still unusuable to do complicated commands that wait for further input.
Hyperterminal (via winsock) works like a treat.
Putty works like a treat with the above mentioned fix applied (de-select the check-box ‘Return key sends Telnet New Line instead of ^M’)

To fix microsoft telnet use the following command: unset crlf

This has resolved the issues (both fixes need applying, iolan port setting and telnet client).


A quick note:

Trying to break out into rommon (cisco console through iolan telnet session) using ctrl+Break:

I can't get this working in microsoft telnet, but this does work fine in putty and hyperterminal.
I will just use another client for now should I need to do this, but it would be nice to know a way (if anyone knows a way to break out using microsoft telnet, please let me know).

Thanks for all the help everyone. Good luck and all...

 

I know this is 4 years on, but I've just bought an IOLAN myself, and seem to have found 4 "prefered" ways to cable it for Cisco....go figure

If you are still about could you forward me the details? Cheers!