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When a router is configured on GNS3 and started, it is possible to access the console output of the router by right clicking a router -> and then clicking Console

I need to be able to map this output to a virtual COM port (serial port) on the physical workstation. So that I can use terminal emulation software such as HyperTerminal to connect to the router as if it were plugged into a COM port of the workstation.

I need to be able to do this as a part of a project I am doing so that I don't need physical routers to demonstrate my project.

Appriciate any suggestions on how I could do this. Thank you for your time!

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  • You can just telnet to localhost:2001 or 127.0.0.1:2001 or whatever the console port is. So you can use any terminal software you want to connect. Or what is your issue with connecting?
    – Daniel Dib
    May 7, 2014 at 10:29
  • @DanielDib Thanks for the suggestion! However, I need to access the console of the router in GNS3 via a (virtual) COM port. The software I have talks to COM ports only. This way I can simulate it as if the router was connected directly to the workstation via a console cable to a COM port.
    – thilina R
    May 7, 2014 at 10:39
  • @slayernoah The Juniper/Cisco tags are reserved for when the question has something to do with those products.
    – Ryan Foley
    May 7, 2014 at 11:55
  • @RyanFoley Sure thing. The only other 2 tags didn't have any followers. They were not totally unrelated since I was trying this on GNS3 with Cisco and Juniper routers. However, I managed to figure it out anyway and have written my findings too :). Thanks!
    – thilina R
    May 7, 2014 at 16:34

1 Answer 1

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I was able to do this by redirecting the localhost: of the GNS router to a virtual COM port using the following software:

  1. Virtual Serial Ports Emulator - Freeware (32 Bit version is freeware. When installed on 64 Bit workstation, it asks for registration)

  2. Eltima Serial to Ethernet Connector - Commercial with a 14 day trial

Steps:

  1. Find out the console port that the GNS router is accessible on: Right click the router and click on Change console port

  2. Find out if you can telnet to it using Windows Telnet Client or Putty or similar. Use 127.0.0.1 (or localhost) and the port number found in step 1 above.

  3. Install one of the software mentioned above.

  4. Use the software to map the TCP/Telnet session accessed in step 2 above to a virtual COM port.

Screenshots of configuration:

Virtual Serial Ports Emulator Virtual Serial Ports Emulator

Eltima Serial to Ethernet Connector Eltima Serial to Ethernet Connector

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