Console Port: Needs a dedicated console cable. This implies that you must have physical access to the device.

   Management Port: Remote access only. You will not be able to run normal data traffic on this port.

The console port is intended for out of band administration & configuration, whereas the dedicated management port is developed for remote out of band management & configuration.

The console port is NOT an “out of band management” or OoBM since you cannot assign an IP address on it (except if you have got a console server). This implies you won’t be able to telnet/SSH into a console port. Console port is basically an “up close and personal” port: You are required to have physical access to the device in order to utilize the console port. The management port is an OoBM port.

   Q: I have a Cisco 2960S switch which I have done the basic configuration on. The administrative IP address & subnet mask is configured on vlan 1, gi1/0/1. I also have it configured for SSH remote login, and it’s is functioning fine. I need to move the management connection to the dedicated management port. Do I need to put the management port on a VLAN to assign an administrative IP address? How can I configure the dedicated management with an IP address, subnet mask & default gateway?

   I know that the console port is intended for switch configuration when we have physical access to the switch.

   I know that we are not able to telnet/SSH into the console port.

   I am utilizing gi1/0/1 on VLAN 1 on the Cisco 2960S for my telnet/SSH connection, and I am able to connect to the switch.

   I have to change the management port which I’m utilizing right now (gi1/0/1), to the dedicated management port(fa0) for the purpose of remote management. Can I utilize the dedicated management port for remote SSH? If yes, I’m not sure what the required commands are.

   I guess my question basically is, am I able to utilize the dedicated management port for a remote SSH connection, and how can I do this?

   A: Yes, you can accomplish this.

   First of all, for SSH, the IOS being utilized must have support for crypto.

   Next, you need to configure an IP address on the Fa0 interface. Please ensure the IP address is completely different to the management VLAN of your 2960S switch.

   Lastly, “point” where telnet/ssh goes to: ip tftp interface f0.

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A: No you don’t. The IP Address of Fa0 must be unique. This is the fundamental concept of Out of Band Management. It’s like saying your whole production network is on the 10.0.0.0/8 subnet but your OoBM network is still running on the 192.168.0.0/16 subnet.

   Q: How do I “point” where the telnet/SSH goes to? I don’t understand what you mean by that.

   A: Utilize the command “ip tftp interface f0”.

Q: What is the purpose of the “ip tftp interface f0” command?

A: This command informs the switch to utilize fa0 for tftp when you are downloading or uploading configurations.

On the other hand, it won’t advise telnet/ssh anything.

If you have to telnet or ssh to the management port from an IP address not a part of the same subnet as the management port IP, then the switch requires a default gateway assigned utilizing the “ip default-gateway <IP address>” command. We have never utilized the management port so we can’t say for sure the switch will utilize this default gateway but it should do this as long as there are no other Layer 3 interfaces up on the switch.

Q: What is meant by “Layer 3 interfaces up on the switch”? Does it mean a connection to a router, which is a layer 3 device? No, at this time there is currently nothing connected to the switch apart from Gi1/0/1 which is the interface that I am utilizing for the management interface via SSH. I am logged in to the switch at the moment via SSH. I need to change it to the dedicated management interface fa0. Gi1/0/1 is on vlan 1. IP address 192.168.0.149. SM 255.225.254.0. Default gateway, 192.168.1.1. I’m on a /23 network.

A: Layer 3 interface is any port having an IP address set to it or a “interface vlan x” with an IP address set to it which it looks like you have.

When you set an IP to the management port then you will be able to connect to the management port as long as your PC is on the same IP subnet.

If it is not, then the 2960 must have a default gateway assigned to identify where to send the packets to.

In case you already have a default gateway then you might have to change it. For example, the default gateway would need to be in the same IP subnet as the IP you set to the management interface except if you are always going to connect from the same IP subnet as the management interface which I don’t think you are.

So the default gateway will be an IP from the same subnet as the IP on the management interface and it would be on a Layer 3 device that routes for the vlans.

If you are at this time logged onto the switch and you want to set an IP from the same IP subnet as is at this time on your vlan interface it may not allow you to do that.

If the switch is in the same building as you this is worth an attempt, as the worst which can occur is that you need to go to the switch and log in via the console port to modify things.

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Generally speaking, yes. For example, you may define an explicit IP on the interface or use a DHCP IP.

   Management ports don’t utilize “default-gateways” as there is only one way out of the management port.

   Q: How does it know where to send packets for remote subnets i.e. if the destination IP is on the same subnet it sends it directly but in case it is on a remote subnet it has to send packets to a Layer 3 device for routing? So it must have some way of knowing which to do. Or can we not manage it remotely?

A: The Management port, FastEthernet0, doesn’t “comprehend” the default gateway. There is not a lot of things you are able to configure via this port. One of these things is an IP address. You can think of it as a “PC” and in some way connected to the motherboard utilizing a “psuedo” connection.

   For the Layer 3 queries. Right, you’re supposed to connect the Management port to a switch. And the switch goes up to another router. The router’s IP address is an OoBM IP address.

Q: So you can’t administer these remotely then and by remotely I mean from a different IP subnet than the IP subnet utilized for the management port?

A: Let’s assume that your production network is 10.0.0.0/8. Let’s also assume that you have got an OoBM network running on 192.168.0.0/16 and this network is not routable into the 10.0.0.0/8. The switch will, of course, recognize a 10.0.0.0/8 network.

The router at the foundation core will only talk 192.168.0.0/16. It will not comprehend 10.0.0.0/8. The OoBM doesn’t actually have a link into the 10.0.0.0/8 network. This is what the main purpose of the Management port is. In some examples I’ve seen, the only way “in” to the OoBM network from the 10.0.0.0/8 network is through a console server.

Q: Does the switch need to know if the mac address it needs to utilize is the mac address of a client ie. the PC is on the same IP subnet or if the MAC address should be the Layer 3 device’s MAC address?

A: The Management port/interface don’t utilize default-gateways as we use the port for ZeroTouch Smart Install. All I do is set (via DHCP) an IP address for the Management port and the VStack Director speaks to the client/slave switches perfectly fine. And due to this, the configuration templates for ZeroTouch SmartInstall at all times have the Management port disabled and the interface has no configuration.

   A console port is unusual for two causes. Firstly, it’s “known” to the system as its console port – which implies that the system will forward status information to it, and often treat it specially when accepting input. Secondly, the console port is usually wired as a serial port. (It also usually doesn’t have an IP address.)

   The console port was designed for the purpose of allowing a system operator to control the system, usually from a nearby location (physically). (Console ports are always utilized for any computer based system.)

   Management ports are usually intended for remote management utilizing an Ethernet port. On old style switches and routers, a device may be configured to utilize a normal Ethernet port for this intent. On the latest switches and routers, an Ethernet port is supplied for this purpose. For these, the device may in fact utilize different hardware for ports and might treat it inside in a different manner. For example, usually the Ethernet management port is only FE, it might not provide ASIC support for high speed switching, and it may be in its own previously defined VRF. Normally, a management port will have an IP address, but different from the IP address spaces being utilized by other hosts.

   Out-of-the-box, a console port will permit you to configure the device, but a management port will usually need some further configuration.

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