When commissioning, configuring or troubleshooting a Preseem appliance, you sometimes need low-level console access. Here's how.
When you need to commission a Preseem appliance, configure (or reset) low-level parameters such as IP addresses, or simply need to troubleshoot a Preseem appliance, the console is the most reliable way to get that access.
Step 1. What you need
Laptop: This procedure requires you to have a laptop or other device which has a USB port and serial console software. This article uses Windows, but the procedure could be adapted to other systems.
Software: Make sure you have a serial port communications program such as Putty, but other tools would work too. This procedure uses Putty. You can download it here: https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/latest.html
Cable: Your Preseem appliance should have come with a USB console cable that looks like this:
Step 2. Go on site
Accessing the console requires physical access to the appliance.
Step 3. Connect the serial cable to the Preseem appliance
Insert the RJ-45 connector into the Console port of your Preseem appliance.
Then, insert the USB connector into your laptop.
Step 4. Log in
This procedure uses Putty. Any serial communications tool should work, provided the configuration is appropriate.
You need to know what serial port to tell the tool to use and communicate with the Preseem appliance. On our Windows laptop, we run the Device Manager in Windows to see this:
Start Putty and set it up for a serial connection speed of 115200 bps, and choose the serial port you found in the device manager.
Press Open to open the terminal window. Your window will look a little like this:
To log in, wait for the "login:" prompt, and enter your user credentials.