Planning for Configuration and Management

Step 5 When diagnostics are complete, continue with the steps under "Using the Console Panels."

Connecting a Modem to Allow Remote Terminal Access

You can monitor the Catalyst 2600 remotely by using a connection established through any Hayes-compatible modem. To connect a modem to the Catalyst 2600, perform the following steps:

Step 1 Set up your modem according to its instructions.

Step 2 Connect the cable from the EIA 232 port on the modem to the EIA 232 port on the Catalyst 2600.

Step 3 Set the modem as follows:

Echo	Off
Result codes	Off
Wait for connection	45 seconds
Pause between calls	6 seconds
Drop DTR between calls	Yes
Send CR between calls	Yes
Auto baud detect	On
Send init if CD high	Yes
Maximum dial attempts	999

Caution Some modems use slightly different names for the options. It is important that your modem be configured correctly. The settings shown in bold are particularly important. If your modem is not configured correctly, the connection may cause the Catalyst 2600 to reset.

Step 4 Begin running your terminal emulation software on the PC or other DTE to which you will be connecting the Catalyst 2600.

Step 5 Set the terminal using the emulation parameters listed in Table 4-1.

Step 6 Dial in to the Catalyst 2600 modem from your remote site.

Step 7 Continue with "Using the Console Panels."

Troubleshooting the Serial Link Connection

There are three types of communications problems that you might encounter: no communication, corrupted communication, and dropped characters. This section suggests steps to resolve such problems. In some cases, you are instructed to alter the configuration of the connection at the terminal or at the Catalyst 2600. For information about altering the configuration of your terminal emulator, refer to the documentation that accompanied your emulation program. For information about altering the configuration of the connection at the Catalyst 2600, refer to the section "Customizing the Console Session."

No Communication

If no communication is established:

Step 1 Check the cables and physical connections. Ensure that you are using the proper cable and adapter.

Step 2 Check the handshaking configuration at the terminal and the Catalyst 2600. Handshaking at the Catalyst 2600 is controlled by the Hardware Flow Control field on the Serial Link Configuration panel. Refer to the section "Customizing the Serial Link" for more information.

Caution Hardware handshaking must be turned on at the Catalyst 2600 and at the terminal. You must also be using a 7-wire or 9-wire cable to the terminal. If hardware handshaking is off and you are using a 3-wire cable, a catastrophic failure of the Catalyst 2600 can occur.

Step 3 If the Catalyst 2600 has just been installed and is not yet in use, reset the Catalyst 2600. Resetting the Catalyst 2600 while it is in use will disrupt your network.

Step 4 If the problem continues, contact the Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC).

Corrupted Communication

If communication is established but the data displayed is corrupted:

Step 1 Ensure that the baud rate set at the Catalyst 2600 and at the terminal match.

Step 2 Verify the configuration of the terminal emulation, specifically:

• Parity---None
  

• Data Bits---8
  

• Stop Bits---1
  

Step 3 If the Catalyst 2600 has just been installed and is not yet in use, reset the Catalyst 2600.

Caution Resetting the Catalyst 2600 while it is in use will disrupt your network.

Step 4 If the problem continues, contact the Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC).

Dropped Characters

If communication is established but some of the characters appear to be dropped or lost:

Step 1 Reduce the baud rate configured at the Catalyst 2600. We suggest using a baud rate of 9600.

Step 2 Enable the software handshaking feature. Handshaking at the Catalyst 2600 is controlled by the Software Flow Control field on the Serial Link Configuration panel. Refer to the section "Customizing the Serial Link" for more information.

Caution Hardware handshaking must be turned on at the Catalyst 2600 and at the terminal. You must also be using a 7-wire or 9-wire cable to the terminal. If hardware handshaking is off and you are using a 3-wire cable, a catastrophic failure of the Catalyst 2600 can occur.

Step 3 If the problem continues, contact the Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC).

Using a Telnet Session

As an alternative to a serial link connection, you can use a Telnet session to access the Catalyst 2600 console panels. Using a Telnet session to configure, monitor, and manage the Catalyst 2600 can be more convenient. There are some limitations, however, that you might encounter if using a Telnet session to access the console panels. These limitations are also discussed in this section.

Starting the Telnet Session

To establish a Telnet session to the Catalyst 2600:

Step 1 On the IP Configuration panel, the IP State must be set to "BootP When Needed" or "BootP Always."

Step 2 Configure your Telnet client to use a VT100/VT220 compatible setup.

Step 3 Telnet to the Catalyst 2600 using its assigned IP address. For information about assigning an IP address to the Catalyst 2600, see "Configuring IP Information" in "Configuring the Catalyst 2600."

Step 4 Continue the Telnet session with "Using the Console Panels."

Stopping the Telnet Session

To terminate the Telnet session, press Ctrl-B, or use the method provided by the Telnet application.

Troubleshooting a Telnet Session

If you experience difficulty opening a Telnet session with the Catalyst 2600, verify the settings for your Telnet client. Ensure that the terminal type is set to VT100, VT102, or VT220.

Limitations of Telnet Sessions

If you choose to use a Telnet session to access the console panels of the Catalyst 2600, you should be aware of the following limitations:

• Not all parameters can be altered from a Telnet session.
  

• There is a risk of involuntary termination of the Telnet session.
  

If you attempt to access a console panel that is already accessed by another telnet or serial link session, "Console is currently in use" is displayed.

Parameter Limitations

If you are using Telnet to access the console panels, be aware that:

• On the Telnet Configuration panel, you cannot change the values for the fields "Number of Telnet Sessions Allowed" or "Disallow New Telnet Sessions", or select the option Terminate All Active Telnet Sessions.
  

• You cannot select Serial Link Configuration on the Console Configuration panel.
  

• You cannot select Close_Session on the Telnet Sessions panel.
  

• There may be conflicts between Telnet sessions. If a Telnet session is disrupted, the user's configuration changes might not have been completed. In some menus, changes take effect immediately, as in adding filters, and in other menus, such as Spanning Tree Parameters, the changes are not saved until the menu is exited.
  

Involuntary Termination of the Telnet Session

A Telnet session can be terminated involuntarily from the console or as a result of certain configuration changes.

When the console is idle and Telnet is active, a user at the console can terminate the Telnet session without warning (refer to the section "Customizing and Managing the Telnet Sessions"). When the Telnet sessions ends, the Telnet session panel displays the message: "Your session has been terminated due to system maintenance work."

The Telnet session also ends if a user changes any of the following:

• Domain assignments for the ports
  

• Spanning-tree parameters
  

• IP address
  

• Default gateway
  

• Subnet mask
  

• IP state
  

• TokenChannel
  

Using the Console Panels

After you have established a connection to the Catalyst 2600 via either a serial link or a Telnet session, the Copyright Panel (Figure 4-1) is displayed.

Figure 4-1 : Copyright Panel

To access the console panels:

Step 1 Type the password, if one has been configured. The default is that no password is set.