A Cisco console cable or more commonly, a Rollover cable is a kind of null-modem wire or cable to facilitate the most common use of connecting a computer’s visual display unit or a terminal to some router’s console port. A rollover cable has been known as a Cisco console cable in view of the fact that the most important function for which rollover cables are used is to console into Cisco routers. The type of cable is characteristically flat with a light blue color to enhance the look and to help differentiate it from the other types of network cables.
The name is such, owing to the fact that the pinouts on an end are reverse of that on the other. They appear to be like somebody inverted it and then it is being viewed. A rollover cable plainly is found to have 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 on a side and 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 on the opposite side. This mirror image sequence helps in the communication with other ports in a big way. No internal switching is required when communicating between identical ports. This unique feature helps in saving up on a lot of energy and cost and consumption.
Rollover cables are usually flat network cables found with RJ45 connectors put at each of the sides. It needs further pieces (most importantly the DB – 9 to RJ 45 converters) to make it a null – modem cable. This functionality is not commonly required as people use it for minor purposes mainly. However, the provision being available to modify makes it quite important and noteworthy for further usage, rather for enhanced usage.
A rollover cable is recognized by evaluating comparisons between each end of a particular cable while those ends are alongside each other. The cable that bonds the particular pin on the outer side of the plug which is on the left side is of the exact same color as that of the wire which connects the pin on the outer side of the plug which stays on the right side. If the rollover cables were produced by the Cisco Systems, the first pin is expected to be pure white on just one of the counted two connectors and the pin which would be numbered 8 would be white on the other.
The main function of the console wire or cable is to connect straight to a router (CISCO) or a switch to reach the OS and update, or view configurations, or even modify configurations, test modules, etc. Rollover cables principally are known for connecting a device to a router’s console port or a switch. This authorizes a programmer or an engineer to connect to a specific system device and maneuver the encoding and programming as required or desired. Although countless tasks of network programming now are possible to be centrally completed, there still remains the want of technicians to utilize rollover cables for troubleshooting, maintaining, and upgrading complex network hardware.