Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Goodyear, AZ USA
Posts: 2

I am looking for a way to use my Visor to configure Cisco routers and switches. Can anyone advise on a simple way to do this? I know the serial cable for the Palms can be hacked, but what about the Visor??? HELP!!

Dave

Registered: Mar 2000
Location:
Posts: 98

Well, not quite what you are asking for, but maybe this will at least get you started. I took my serial cradle and butchered it up to make a cable to connect my GPS. You can see pics and stuff at
http://www.getcis.com/gps/

If you get it to work, let us know!

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Goodyear, AZ USA
Posts: 2

This does look feasible but I don't have a serial cradle. I was hoping to build a cable that would attach to the ports without the use of a cradle. I will need to be able to hold the Visor in a normal position for use and am afraid that it may come disconnected from the cradle during use. This definitely gives me some ideas though.

Registered: Apr 2000
Location:
Posts: 73

the EFIG.com diagnostics springboard does terminal emulation

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: aurora, co, usa
Posts: 21

here's how I do it

You get the following:
a serial port hotsync cable from handspring
a null modem adapter
a gender bender(until I get a new null modem adapter with m/m interfaces)
a serial to rj45 terminal jack from cisco (pn:74-0496-01)
a rollover cable from cisco, pn: 72-0876-01.

Then install the software from http://www.clairvoyantsoftware.com/www/go_figure.html
it's called gofigure and its a Cisco IOS client for the PalmOS. Works just fine in read-only mode, you can transmit commands to the router once you pay for the software, I think the cost is $99.

You may need two of the serial-rj45 terminal jacks to talk to some cisco products like their Local Directors, and some require the 25pin-RJ45 connector: pn: 29-0881-01(not sure if this is correct as our routers all have either the 9pin serial console port or the rj45 console port).

good luck...only glitch so far is that sometimes when I try to initiate a console session it forces a reset of my handspring prism unit but not sure if its the gofigure software or all the other crap I got installed in the prism.


hth

Registered: Dec 2000
Location: Baltimore, MD
Posts: 260

quote:

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Originally posted by dissent
I am looking for a way to use my Visor to configure Cisco routers and switches. Can anyone advise on a simple way to do this? I know the serial cable for the Palms can be hacked, but what about the Visor??? HELP!!

Dave

---

Registered: Mar 2001
Location:
Posts: 43

i wanted the same functionality for my prism plus various ethernet capabilities for a nice handheld network tool. i gave up on the prism and got a handera. it supports compact flash peripherals(i use a kingston cf ethernet adapter). i can ping as well as telnet into our routers, switches, and hubs. i also use it for lan hotsyncs, email, and websurfing. my prism is good for esoterica, but my handera's my #1 unit because of the wired ethernet capability.

Registered: Jun 2001
Location:
Posts: 2

Doesn't the serial cradle need external power to deliver the necessary RS-232 voltage levels ? The USB port of the Visor uses TTL levels as far as I know.

Just wondering since some of you say that you have it up and running much the same way you do with Palm/HandEram devices.

Registered: Dec 2000
Location:
Posts: 76

Visor to Cisco connection

It is true that a normal serial cradle draws power from the device that it plugs into (on the D-Sub end) to power the RS232 interface electronics.

However, there is a different type of RS232 adapter cable available - say for instance, the PDCH-M9, available from

www.pcables.com

Which is powered from the Visor Solo, Deluxe, or Prism. (There is a version called the PDCH-M9D-6 which, like the serial cradle, must draw power from the device it plugs into on the D-Sub end.)

As far as using the PDCH-M9 with the Cisco: There is an adapter cable available which connects the Cisco RJ45 output from the console port to a D-Sub 9 connector in the modem configuration.