how do I configure my Ethernet Switch?

[grimreeper132]

I have a FSM750S Ethernet switch, because it cost £11 to get, and so was the cheaper than all 1Gbps switches that I could get and do the job for me. It works perfectly, none of the PCs that I have connected to it are able to read or write faster than 100mbps anyways so its not a bottleneck either, but I was wondering how do I configure it, as I have not done that, in the user manual it talks about doing it through the console port which is a serial port, I think that's what they are called, pictured down below in case they go by another name as well

 

 

How do I convert this into something that I can actually use to manage the Switch through, as I have nothing with a serial port, excluding one PC which is being strange and I need to configure so it's not being strange any more.

[glitchmaster0001]

thats a COM port and i think there may be adapters to adapt COM to USB on your laptop or computer 

[Windows7ge]

It also goes by RS232. I have seen adapters where it will take that from a computer and convert it to a RJ-45 connector which would plug into a special port on a switch/router to manage it. If you have a serial cable around somewhere you may be able to plug it into the switch and a computer with a RS232 port. However client software will be required to connect to it. I've used Hyperterminal which brings up a command-line interface to configure the switch/router but your results may vary.

[knightslugger]

 

[grimreeper132]

6 minutes ago, glitchmaster0001 said:

thats a COM port and i think there may be adapters to adapt COM to USB on your laptop or computer 

 

1 minute ago, Windows7ge said:

It also goes by RS232. I have seen adapters where it will take that from a computer and convert it to a RJ-45 connector which would plug into a special port on a switch/router to manage it. If you have a serial cable around somewhere you may be able to plug it into the switch and a computer with a RS232 port. However client software will be required to connect to it. I've used Hyperterminal which brings up a command-line interface to configure the switch/router but your results may vary.

Ok right so what is it called, all these names and it's annoying. 

 

2 minutes ago, Fooshi said:

Easiest way would be Serial to Ethernet adapter. 

 

 

Should allow you to access the switch via ssh.

.Thanks I'll start looking for one of them

[grimreeper132]

So one of these should work then

https://www.amazon.com/Sourcingmap-Ethernet-Routers-Network-Adapter/dp/B00MCLYYC0/ref=sr_1_3?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1484866394&sr=1-3&keywords=Serial+to+Ethernet

[Windows7ge]

2 minutes ago, grimreeper132 said:

So one of these should work then

https://www.amazon.com/Sourcingmap-Ethernet-Routers-Network-Adapter/dp/B00MCLYYC0/ref=sr_1_3?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1484866394&sr=1-3&keywords=Serial+to+Ethernet

It's referred to as a console cable and I've used them to configure CISCO Switches/Routers but netgear may not use the same interface and this may yield different results.

[grimreeper132]

1 minute ago, Windows7ge said:

It's referred to as a console cable and I've used them to configure CISCO Switches/Routers but netgear may not use the same interface and this may yield different results.

The port on the front off the switch says console port, and so I'll get that and from there improvise the configuration, cause networking can never be easy

 

(reason I called it serial is that's what I thought they were called instead of Console/Serial/COM/RS232 and probably other names as well, why couldn't they have been easy and just call it one thing, like USB cause that was too hard for them)

[Windows7ge]

46 minutes ago, grimreeper132 said:

The port on the front off the switch says console port, and so I'll get that and from there improvise the configuration, cause networking can never be easy

 

(reason I called it serial is that's what I thought they were called instead of Console/Serial/COM/RS232 and probably other names as well, why couldn't they have been easy and just call it one thing, like USB cause that was too hard for them)

Best of luck. If it doesn't work out ask the forum again.

[grimreeper132]

Just now, Windows7ge said:

Best of luck. If it doesn't work out ask the forum again.

that's the plan

[legopc]

11 hours ago, Fooshi said:

Easiest way would be Serial to Ethernet adapter. 

 

 

Should allow you to access the switch via ssh.

 

Thats now how that works. That is a cable for cisco devices to convert a normal serial connector to a rj45 plug. It still is serial and not ethernet and it wont allow you to ssh to the switch. 

[grimreeper132]

5 minutes ago, legopc said:

Thats now how that works. That is a cable for cisco devices to convert a normal serial connector to a rj45 plug. It still is serial and not ethernet and it wont allow you to ssh to the switch. 

if I can configure it through it then that all that counts, it was only £3 if it doesn't work I can live with it, that being said if it doesn't how would you suggest configuring it then?

[Curious Pineapple]

25 minutes ago, grimreeper132 said:

if I can configure it through it then that all that counts, it was only £3 if it doesn't work I can live with it, that being said if it doesn't how would you suggest configuring it then?

That cable definitely will not work. You need a USB to serial adaptor and a null modem cable, and manuals from the manufacturer most likely.

[legopc]

50 minutes ago, grimreeper132 said:

if I can configure it through it then that all that counts, it was only £3 if it doesn't work I can live with it, that being said if it doesn't how would you suggest configuring it then?

 

That cable is for cisco devices which use the rj45 connector for serial communication and your netgear thing doesnt, it uses a basic rs232 connector so what you need is a usb to rsr232 adapter. 

[LAwLz]

You need a USB to serial adapter, and then a serial female to serial female cable.

For example these two.

USB to serial converter

and

Female to female 9-pin serial

 

 

If you want to configure a Cisco switch (or I believe a more modern HP switch) then you just swap out the female to female cable for a female 9-pin to RJ45 cable (like the one posted above). You still need the USB to serial adapter though. You will most likely have to manually install the drivers as well.

 

 

Edit:

Here are my cables. Not the exact same brand as the ones I linked from Amazon, but they are the same types.

Left = USB to serial adapter. Always used.

Middle = Serial to serial, used by HP (or at least their old stuff).

Right = Serial to RJ45, used by Cisco.

[theguywhoroutes]

It hurts that I see someone recommending that you can use a console cable to configure it via SSH?

 

Sorry but... where the bloody hell you going to plug it in? lol....

 

what most others said: just get a usb to serial/rs232 null cable, but... isn't that a 10/100Mbps switch with 2 x Gbps converter interfaces? Most prob explains why you are not getting higher than 100Mbps....

[grimreeper132]

30 minutes ago, theguywhoroutes said:

It hurts that I see someone recommending that you can use a console cable to configure it via SSH?

 

Sorry but... where the bloody hell you going to plug it in? lol....

 

what most others said: just get a usb to serial/rs232 null cable, but... isn't that a 10/100Mbps switch with 2 x Gbps converter interfaces? Most prob explains why you are not getting higher than 100Mbps....

Oh I know it's a 100Mbps but the NAS, which is attached on to it can only do about 50MBs and the access point on it doesn't need to go faster than 100mbps as well, because of the NAS, it's only there to access it at night, because reasons, the other computers also don't need to connect faster that 100mbps, and there is only two that do which are on the 1gbps

 

54 minutes ago, LAwLz said:

You need a USB to serial adapter, and then a serial female to serial female cable.

For example these two.

USB to serial converter

and

Female to female 9-pin serial

 

 

If you want to configure a Cisco switch (or I believe a more modern HP switch) then you just swap out the female to female cable for a female 9-pin to RJ45 cable (like the one posted above). You still need the USB to serial adapter though. You will most likely have to manually install the drivers as well.

ok, I'll order them tonight/similar ones then and cancel the other one, thanks

[theguywhoroutes]

2 minutes ago, grimreeper132 said:

Oh I know it's a 100Mbps but the NAS, which is attached on to it can only do about 50MBs and the access point on it doesn't need to go faster than 100mbps as well, because of the NAS, it's only there to access it at night, because reasons, the other computers also don't need to connect faster that 100mbps, and there is only two that do which are on the 1gbps

Ah that is good then! I guess you don't plan on upgrading your NAS in the future for higher than 100Mbps because that would annoy me to buy a new switch! haha

[grimreeper132]

Just now, theguywhoroutes said:

Ah that is good then! I guess you don't plan on upgrading your NAS in the future for higher than 100Mbps because that would annoy me to buy a new switch! haha

The NAS is one of the two connected to the 1gbps connector, as although it can't go any faster, I felt it couldn't hurt anyways, and just in case something magical happens and the drives get faster, and if I do get a better NAS it can go there anyways, which I am looking for, because despite loving my NAS, it was first computer I got, and I've adapter it to be a NAS, it's not the best, and some of it's quirks, (the bumble bee PSU) can be a bit annoying so I'm looking for an old server with lots of cores, so I can VM a NAS on it as well as have it as a render station as the last one I was going to buy had 24 cores but the deal fell through.