User Manual

NETGEAR M4500 Series Switches CLI Command Reference Manual 77
3. Console and Telnet Administration Interface
This chapter discusses many of the features used to manage the Switch, and explains many concepts and
important points regarding these features. Configuring the Switch to implement these concepts is discussed in
detail in chapter 5.
The command-line interface (CLI) provides a text-based way to manage and monitor the switch features. You
can access the CLI by using a direct connection to the console port or by using a Telnet or SSH client. To access
the switch by using Telnet or Secure Shell (SSH), the switch must have an IP address configured on either the
service port or the network interface, and the management station you use to access the device must be able to
ping the switch IP address. DHCP is enabled by default on the service port. It is disabled on the network
interface.
3.1. Local Console Management
Local console management involves the administration of the Switch via a direct connection to the RS-232 DCE
console port. This is an Out-of-band connection, meaning that it is on a different circuit than normal network
communications, and thus works even when the network is down.
The local console management connection involves a terminal or PC running terminal emulation software to
operate the Switch’s built-in console program (see Chapter 5). Using the console program, a network
administrator can manage, control, and monitor many functions of the Switch. Hardware components in the
Switch allow it to be an active part of a manageable network. These components include a CPU, memory for
data storage, other related hardware, and SNMP agent firmware. Activities on the Switch can be monitored with
these components, while the Switch can be manipulated to carry out specific tasks.
3.2. Setup Your Switch Using Console Access
Out-of-band management requires connecting a terminal, such as a VT-100 or a PC running a terminal-
emulation program (such as HyperTerminal, which is automatically installed with Microsoft Windows) to the RS-
232 DCE console port of the Switch. Switch management using the RS-232 DCE console port is called Local
Console Management to differentiate it from management done via management platforms, such as DView or
HP OpenView.
Make sure the terminal or PC you are using to make this connection is configured to match these settings. If you
are having problems making this connection on a PC, make sure the emulation is set to VT-100 or ANSI. If you
still don’t see anything, try pressing <Ctrl> + r to refresh the screen.
First-time configuration must be carried out through a console, that is, either (a) a VT100-type serial data
terminal, or (b) a computer running communications software set to emulate a VT100. The console must be
connected to the Diagnostics port. This is an RS-232 port with a 9-socket D-shell connector and DCE-type wiring.
Make the connection as follows:
1. Obtain suitable cabling for the connection. You can use a null-modem RS-232 cable or an ordinary RS-232
cable and a null-modem adapter. One end of the cable (or cable/adapter combination) must have a 9-pin
D-shell connector suitable for the Diagnostics port; the other end must have a connector suitable for the
console’s serial communications port.
2. Power down the devices, attach the cable (or cable/adapter combination) to the correct ports, and restore
power.