Building a Dedicated Console Access Server for Cisco Lab

Managing a Cisco lab with multiple routers and switches is much easier with a centralized console access server. In this setup, I use a mini PC with 6 built-in console (serial) ports to provide direct, always-available console access to all lab devices from a single system.

Key Advantages:

• No need for USB dongles or cable swapping
• Fixed, reliable serial port mapping
• Centralized console management

Step 1: Install Ubuntu Create a bootable Ubuntu installer Install Ubuntu on the mini PC Update the system: sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y (Optional) Enable SSH: sudo apt install openssh-server -y

Step 2: Verify the 6 Console Ports Since the mini PC has native serial ports, Linux exposes them as ttyS devices. Check available ports:

Step 3: Set Serial Permissions Add your user to the dialout group to access serial devices: sudo usermod -aG dialout $USER Log out and log back in for changes to take effect.

Step 4: Install Tabby

• Download the latest Tabby .deb package
• Install & launch Tabby

Step 5: Configure Console Sessions in Tabby For each Cisco device:

• Connection Type: Serial
• Port: /dev/ttyS0 → /dev/ttyS5
• Baud Rate: 9600
• Data Bits: 8
• Parity: None
• Stop Bits: 1
• Flow Control: None

Name each profile clearly:

• R1-Console
• SW1-Console
• FW1-Console

Conclusion If you’re working on a budget, using a mini PC with 6 native console ports is a practical and professional way to build a dedicated console access server for a Cisco lab. Low-cost or repurposed hardware can provide enterprise-style out-of-band console access without the expense of specialized console servers.