Although, it’s, probably, too late, want to throw an idea:
Cisco "light blue" console cable RJ45-RJ45 comes with RJ45 toDB9 adapter.
The adapter can be opened easily and "adapted" to connect to Linksys serial-inside-wan port.
Although, it’s, probably, too late, want to throw an idea:
Cisco "light blue" console cable RJ45-RJ45 comes with RJ45 toDB9 adapter.
The adapter can be opened easily and "adapted" to connect to Linksys serial-inside-wan port.
have you actually tried this cable?
the connectors for the serial port on the wrt300 and other linksys home routers are on the pcb, inside the wan ethernet connector carve-out, on the other side of the rj45 connections. i don't know, but the picture in the article you refered to was for a separate rj45 connector for serial connections, which is NOT what is on the home routers.
That is NOT a ttl adapter.. I have several of those cables snatched from equipment installed.
It is specific for the management port on a high end cisco router.
Guys,
I didn’t suggest using this adapter AS IS.
Apokrif wrote:
The adapter can be opened easily and "adapted" to connect to Linksys serial-inside-wan port.
Obviously, don’t connect it to 12v RS232.
I meant:
Ethernet female part fits nicely into WAN port, need to remove extra pins and file sites a little still.
Dismount DB9 part and connect to CA-42 or insert CA-42 wires into appropriate DB9 holes.
Sorry for not making it clear...
Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2011 22:51 Post subject: Idea!
With a CA42 I was using, it is only necessary to connect grd, rx and tx to use it as a serial adapter connected to the mother board.
Would it be possible to create a THREE wire (grd, tx and rx) adapter to avoid the risk of running vcc+ to the pin next door, and still have the serial work? _________________ I fix "shortcuts". If you don't have time to read thoroughly, I don't have time to re-type what you missed.
Joined: 26 Jan 2008 Posts: 13049 Location: Behind The Reset Button
Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2011 23:32 Post subject: Re: Idea!
Peabody wrote:
With a CA42 I was using, it is only necessary to connect grd, rx and tx to use it as a serial adapter connected to the mother board.
Would it be possible to create a THREE wire (grd, tx and rx) adapter to avoid the risk of running vcc+ to the pin next door, and still have the serial work?
Sure.. However, a 4 conductor ribbon cable fits the notch for the rj45 clip perfectly so that helps you position the cable.
Just don't strip (expose) the vcc conductor..
Attached is my latest cable (4 conductors). I use my rs232 to ttl converter instead of the ca-42 usb.. That damn thing always gives me trouble. Point: I need vcc for my adapter.
The cable is attached to the plug using a pinch of super glue. I gotta kinda tip it when I am plugging it in. Always test with an ohm meter befor powering up the router! _________________ [Moderator Deleted]
I tried using the ribbon cable, but all my older style IDE cables (40 wire, not 80 wire) had too small of strands in the cable and it was difficult to strip the cable without corrupting the wires. I tried 3 different styles.
Next I tried doing the Dave Hansen solution of using pins form a telephone RJ11 jack. I was not satisfied with the connection quality, and I could not bend the pins just right. I am not very good with precision bending, and doing it with 3 or 4 pins they kept fighting me.
I realized I only need to get two pins in the difficult spot, and attacking it from the front might be easiest.
I did all this with cheap parts form the local "Dollar Store".
1. flexible plastic cut to the size to match the bottom notch of a network jack. I used a plastic tooth cleaner that I cut with a knife and dremel tool (I did it both ways).
2. RJ11 telephone coupler. Disassemble and extract the pin-wires from their house. You will need two of the pins strengthened out.
3. A small spacer to put between the two pins. Orange in my photograph. I used a small piece of wire (like the inside wire of a cat5 cable). about 10mm in length.
4. Super glue or equal. I used gell Super Glue (the original brand).
All of this costs $3 total at the Dollar Store here in USA. No soldering is required! A knife can be used to cut the plastic. And no other special tools!
I have made 3 of these so far and they are all stable and I have removed/inserted them on 2 different Cisco routers I have testing them.
A KEY aspect of this design is that you only try to attack to two of the 4 available pads. You are going after the TX and RX only, the center two. Now, you will also need ground, but I easily hooked up the 3rd wire to the metal housing of the USB port. This is far easier to access. (See photograph)
Also break the holding tab off of a network cable / RJ45 cable. You insert your plastic/cable combo piece, then insert the RJ45 connector.
Observe the black wire going to the USB port. Then only two wires are attached to the plastic piece under the network cable. Photo:
If I have time, I'll try to make better pictures of assembly and sizes. This was a prototype batch, but it works well I was amazed that all 3 I made worked without much adjustment.
FTDI TTL-232R-3V3 worked fine on Linksys E2000. I used GND, RX and TX connections, with the drivers installed automatically by Windows XP SP3.
Images here.
Posts in this thread should be restricted to info about using the WAN port serial interface only. For information on serial recovery generally, including what usb connection you need, see the serial recovery wiki. _________________ SIG:
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That's awesome. For us electronically ignorant people would you mind posting a very brief parts list? I didn't recognize the red PCB you had the pin header on. I'm sure I could build this and it would be very helpful once I know where that red PCB fits in.
Is that just your switching chip to go from serial to USB? Could you just take the splitter and fit it to the end of a CA-42 cable?