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If you're reading this, then you probably already know a little bit about Cisco routers, and maybe even the 2509 in particular. As part of my endeavors to aquire a CCENT/CCNA certification, I also decided I needed a home lab for the 'hands-on' experience. As I increased the number of routers in my lab, the task of moving the console cable from one to the other quickly became a hassle. That's where the 2509 comes in to play. You can access the 2509 via it's console cable and then, using a special key combination, switch between all of your the other routers in your lab via thier console ports. If you decide to use this router as an access server, then you will also need something called an octal cable. An octal cable hooks up to the 2509's serial port and has (8) RJ45 connectors that goes to all of the other routers' console ports. Overall, the 2509 doesn't have to be flashy device, just one that works. It definately makes life easier when used as an access server to access multiple routers. Happy Routing! :)Read full review
Though it's not close to be a new product it's a great tool. Very simply, once you get a few routers and or switches together and want to move fast from one another without starting to play around with cables this is a great cheap solution. The basic configuration to get you started is very simple, you can see an example on Chris Bryant's site at: http://www.thebryantadvantage.com/CCNACCNPHomeLabAccessServerTutorial.htm Best thing about this is that since the router controls other equipments via their console port it's a lot easier to still control the device and or boot it in case you made a configuration mistake. You should be aware however that this model has 8 connections to control other devices and as your lab grows it might not be enough. Cisco has a different model - AS2511-RJ which to my understanding is basically the same, only difference from what I saw is that this model has 16 available connections instead of "just" 8. Another thing you should consider is that if you want to connect this router to your network so you can control it remotely, you will notice that the Ethernet interface here is not a standard RJ-45 connector, instead it is an AUI interface. If you will want to connect it to your network you will need an AUI adapter which changes to connection type from AUI to RJ-45. Might be a little tricky to find one so you should think about it first.Read full review
this is a terminal server designed by Cisco. Works similar in nature (though with a very different end user experience) to the digiport terminal servers. The 2509 (2511, 2510, 2512) were originally designed around modem banks. today most of us (network administrators) use these old boxes as a way to gain console access in to the serial ports of network gear in our data centers. If you are a Cisco engineer then this is the easiest way to setup a telnet session to you gear, using the familiar IOS commands. If you are not familiar with IOS you may want to look at the Digiport TS units they have a very nice GUI setup interface.
I bought this product to manage Cisco switches and routers remotely. It worked right out of the box. It was delivered when they said it would be. And it came with all the accessories (cables: console and octopus, and power cord) needed to to operate successfully. With a little Cisco Web search, I was able to install and configure the box to perform the way I expected it to.
Its working at its best. After Buying this I found lab management pretty easy. Now I feel 16 consoles are not enough as I have more boxes to play with.