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ecfmis

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Baystack 350f console and serial connection

I am trying to find the IP address of our Baystack 350f switches.  When I connect with a straight through cable per the instructions and hyperterminal I get a blank screen when I am connected.  I hit ctrl+c ctrl+Y ctrl+D like other baystack switches, but I only get bizaare symbols.  I tried with a null serial cable and get nothing.  I did a search in these forums and saw a similar question asked, but the solution made now since to me.  

Please help,
ecf

PS this was their answer but I dont understand it:

I got your problem, I also faced the same problem.

You have to switch off and switch on to use console in baystack 350-12T switch(after connecting the console cable to PC)
..... (Power down and up????)..... ecf

For console cable, if you can get the cisco DB9F connector with RJ45 backside(Normal console connector which come along with cisco router) two numbers and one patchcable(stright cable) this can be used for BayStack switch.
.....(Huh? Serial to RJ45?? which com, what is this cable???)....ecf

For accelar you have to use RollOver cable inplace of stright cable.

See if you can get cisco DB9F(RJ45 backside) two numbers
then using the following mapping for console cable which can used as respectively.

DCE to DCE Stright Cable (between DB9F)
DCE to DTE Roll Over Cable (between DB95)

Regards
Jayavel.
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Pentrix2

do a rollover cable, which is a console cable to see if that works.  if you get bizarre characters, that means either your speed is wrong or your terminal emulation is set incorrectly.
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"When I connect with a straight through cable per the instructions and hyperterminal I get a blank screen when I am connected.  I hit ctrl+c ctrl+Y ctrl+D like other baystack switches, but I only get bizaare symbols. "

The fact that you're getting any output at all suggests you have a connection with that particular cable.

What it SOUNDS like is your serial port is not configured properly. Make sure its set to 9600 bps, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, no parity bit. Also make sure you turn off hardware flow control.
Thats what I was saying too, it's your connection settings.


"if you get bizarre characters, that means either your speed is wrong or your terminal emulation is set incorrectly."
Sorry, I was on the phone in the middle of writing my Comment. I started it before you posted, but didn't finish the Comment until after you posted yours.
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ASKER

Ok, I have tried this EXACT same connection with a baystack 304 and it works flawlessly.  Same serial cable same settings same emulation.  I have seen this same problem with other people but no answers:  http://www.bgp4.as/newsgroups/article.php?id=11632&group=comp.dcom.sys.nortel

And what is a rollover cable?  Null Cable?  I tried that and get no data at all.  Only the straight through gets the funky characters.  I tried autodetect emulation and each other setting hyperterminal has.  The only tty ht has is 33.  Any other ideas?
Hmmm...works on the 304 but not on the 350T.

Have you considered the possibility that the 350T's serial interface is damaged?
No problem, PsiCop has a point there.  If it works on one, then it should work in the same family.  Nevermind the rollover cable, that's just for cisco routers and switches.
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ASKER

Its 350F, but yes you have the right picture of what happened.  Is there any other way to determine the IP address? I have one other 350f I havent tried yet.  I may go over and try that one to see if maybe it is damaged serial interface.
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ASKER

I checked the other 350 and it does the exact same thing.  Must be the model.  Maybe there is a specific cable i need?
Nah, it should be all the same.  Just as long as you stay in the same family, meaning same product and same series.
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ASKER

Well the 304 is not a fibre switch, the 350f is a newer model.  So I am not sure if its same series.  The bad thing is that Nortel has bought out Bay Networks and they only provide support to customers with service contracts.  I guess we might have to look into that, or replace the switches.
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ASKER

Another note, with Ethereal i can see the spanning activity and get the mac address of the switch.  Anyway to get the ip?
Yeah, if you can look at an ARP table (perhaps on a router), you can see the IP associated with the MAC.

I agree with Pentrix2, the cable requirements should be uniform. I don't think Nortel dinked with that, but I could be wrong. I loved Bay, used their switches extensively in the late 90s. Really hated to see Nortel buy them out. Same thing with Ascend (bought by *gag* Lucent). Good companies with good products bought by bigger, clue-free companies.
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Pentrix2

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ASKER

The problem with that is its on its own physical network... 2 win98 pc's 2 baystack 350f routers and one NT pc.  The NT pc has been formatted and replaced with and XP pc.  The networked 98's have been off the network for years.  We are only reinstalling the network to run backups on the 98 pcs.  


I just called nortel and their per call support is $300/hour with minimum 2 hour call.  Time to check ebay ;)
eBay sounds like a plan. Or a local computer consignment place. I picked up a 350T for $175 locally (RTP, NC). Dunno what a 350F would run.
eBay was my first thought, didn't know you were willing to go that route.  Hope the next switch you get is not a broken one like this one.  Puchases on eBay, I always ask for a running-config and a show version of the router, at least some comfort.  Then again, when you get it, it could be a whole different story, lol.  :)
No comment has been added to this question in more than 21 days, so it is now classified as abandoned. I will leave the following recommendation for this question in the Cleanup topic area:

Award points to Pentrix2

Any objections should be posted here in the next 4 days. After that time, the question will be closed.

donjohnston
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