Advice on Cisco switch

[cmo30]

Hi guys I got a Cisco switch refurbished but the company didn't reset the switch it's a catalyst 3850 24P-e I got it for poe+ for two APa plus a dell precision server running proxmox. Also for my CCNA studies. Is there a way to get into it with out a console cable. Or the MGMT port. I currently don't have a console cable at the moment and need to start configuring it for my home network and my home lab environment I'll be uplinkig it back to a unifi dream machine for network access for the switch any help and advice is much appreciated. 

[Needfuldoer]

That's why I told you to learn in a simulation inside Packet Tracer or GNS3 instead of physical hardware.  

  

41 minutes ago, cmo30 said:

Is there a way to get into it with out a console cable.

Nope. A console cable is essential for old Ciscos. (Especially for factory resetting them.) Get used to the IOS command line; real production environments almost always configure Cisco gear that way. (Usually by telnet, SSH, or a physical terminal server.) Once you learn the tricks and shortcuts, you can work surprisingly fast.

 

You can break into that switch even if you don't know the passwords (after all, physical access is root access), but that's not something we're going to discuss here.

 

Cisco console cables are cheap. Here's one seller with a bunch of them for under $10 shipped in the US each:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/315024502172

 

Add a USB to serial adapter, and maybe a null modem adapter, and Robert's your mother's brother.

[cmo30]

24 minutes ago, Needfuldoer said:

That's why I told you to learn in a simulation inside Packet Tracer or GNS3 instead of physical hardware.  

  

Nope. A console cable is essential for old Ciscos. (Especially for factory resetting them.) Get used to the IOS command line; real production environments almost always configure Cisco gear that way. (Usually by telnet, SSH, or a physical terminal server.) Once you learn the tricks and shortcuts, you can work surprisingly fast.

 

You can break into that switch even if you don't know the passwords (after all, physical access is root access), but that's not something we're going to discuss here.

 

Cisco console cables are cheap. Here's one seller with a bunch of them for under $10 shipped in the US each:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/315024502172

 

Add a USB to serial adapter, and maybe a null modem adapter, and Robert's your mother's brother.

The main reason I did this cisco catalyst 3850 instead of like a unifi switch was a cost factor. Because my grandparents were helping me and my dad finish the Network for our house. Also even though I can use Cisco packet tracer or cml it will be a good experience for me to learn how to configure the home network on a enterprise grade switch.