Console Cable Guide: Types, Drivers & Pinouts for Network Devices
What is a Console Cable?
A Console Cable (also called a Rollover Cable) provides out-of-band management access to network devices like routers, switches, and firewalls. It connects your PC's serial port (or USB with an adapter) directly to the device's console port, bypassing the network entirely.
When You Absolutely Need a Console Cable
The console cable is your lifeline when SSH/Telnet isn't available: initial device setup, password recovery, firmware recovery, and troubleshooting devices with no IP address or when the network stack has crashed.
Types of Console Cables
🔌 RJ45-to-DB9 (Classic Cisco)
The original "light blue" Cisco console cable. RJ45 on one end (device), DB9 female on the other (PC serial port). Requires a USB-to-Serial adapter for modern laptops.
🔌 USB-to-RJ45 (Modern)
All-in-one cable with built-in USB-to-Serial chip (FTDI or Prolific). Plugs directly into USB-A. This is what you want for most devices today.
🔌 USB-C Console Cables
Newer Aruba CX and Juniper devices have USB-C or Micro-USB console ports. Get a USB-C to USB-C/Micro cable or use a USB-C adapter with a classic USB-to-RJ45 cable.
Installing USB-to-Serial Drivers
Most USB console cables use one of two chipsets. You may need to install drivers manually on Windows.
FTDI (FT232R)
Higher quality, widely used in Cisco and professional cables. Usually auto-detected by Windows 10/11.
Driver Download: ftdichip.com/drivers
Prolific (PL2303)
Common in generic/cheap cables. Some driver versions conflict with Windows 10/11 and may show "Code 10" errors.
Fix: Use an older driver version (3.8.12.0 often works).
Identifying Your COM Port (Windows)
RJ45 Rollover Pinout
The "rollover" cable is so named because the pinout is reversed end-to-end (pin 1 connects to pin 8, pin 2 to pin 7, etc.).
| RJ45 Pin (Device) | Signal | DB9 Pin (PC) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | RTS | 8 |
| 2 | DTR | 6 |
| 3 | TxD | 2 |
| 4 | GND | 5 |
| 5 | GND | 5 |
| 6 | RxD | 3 |
| 7 | DSR | 4 |
| 8 | CTS | 7 |
If you're making your own cable, use a standard Ethernet cable and a RJ45-to-DB9 adapter with this pinout.
Console Port Settings (Universal)
The console port on virtually all network devices uses these settings. Configure your terminal emulator (PuTTY, SecureCRT, etc.) accordingly:
Exception: Some devices (especially during ROMMON/boot recovery) may default to 115200 baud.
Troubleshooting
-
No Output / Blank Screen
Cause: Wrong COM port selected, or baud rate mismatch.
Fix: Verify the COM port in Device Manager. Try pressing Enter a few times. If still blank, try 115200 baud.
-
Garbled Characters / Gibberish
Cause: Incorrect baud rate or flow control settings.
Fix: Ensure settings are 9600/8/N/1/None. Set Flow Control to "None" (not Hardware or XON/XOFF).
-
"Code 10" Error in Device Manager
Cause: Prolific PL2303 driver incompatibility with Windows 10/11.
Fix: Manually install an older Prolific driver (version 3.8.12.0). Or buy an FTDI-based cable.
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