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DB9 to RJ45 Console Cable

CON-DB9-RJ45

Management cable that connects a laptop to the console port on a switch or router.

Type: Adapter
Length: 1.5 m
Connectors: DB9 / RJ45

In-depth technical details

DB9/RS-232 has 9 pins, but a basic connection only needs 3: pin 2 = RXD (receive), pin 3 = TXD (transmit), pin 5 = GND. The remaining pins carry modem-control signaling most simple serial links don't use. Cat5e/Cat6 RJ45 cabling uses one of two equivalent wiring standards, T568A or T568B (they differ only in which pair sits on pins 1-2 vs 3-6) -- performance is identical as long as both ends of the same cable use the same standard.

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From its box

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End A

DB9 (RS-232)

01 9 pins A 9-pin serial port, but a basic connection only needs 3: pin 2 = RXD (receive), pin 3 = TXD (transmit), pin 5 = GND. The remaining pins carry modem-control handshaking most simple serial links don't use.
02 D-shaped shell The D profile only fits one way round, so the plug cannot be inserted upside-down and bend its pins.
03 Thumbscrews Hand-tightened to hold the plug home. A loose one is why a picture flickers, or loses one colour channel.
04 Strain-relief boot Stops the wires flexing where they leave the plug — the exact point most cables fail.
05 Outer jacket The outer sheath protecting the conductors inside from abrasion and moisture.

Technical illustration, not a photo of the actual product

End B

RJ45 (8P8C)

01 8 gold contacts The eight blades pierce the wire insulation to touch the copper directly — four pairs, two for transmit and two for receive.
02 Locking clip Snaps inside the socket so vibration cannot pull the plug out. A snapped clip is the number-one cause of intermittent network drops.
03 T568A vs T568B Two equivalent wiring standards: T568A puts the green pair on pins 1-2 and orange on 3-6; T568B swaps them. Performance is identical as long as both ends of the same cable use the same standard.
04 Strain-relief boot Stops the wires flexing where they leave the plug — the exact point most cables fail.
05 Outer jacket The outer sheath protecting the conductors inside from abrasion and moisture.

Technical illustration, not a photo of the actual product

How it works

Cable construction

Four pairs, each twisted at a different rate from its neighbour. The twisting makes both wires of a pair pick up identical noise, which then cancels when the far end subtracts them. That alone is why networking works over a hundred metres.

Technical illustration, not a photo of the actual product

From the published standard

How it works

A console cable connects a computer to the management port of a switch or router. The connector is RJ45 but the signal is not networking: it is a serial port with a manufacturer-specific pinout. This is the port used when a device is brand new with no configuration, or when network access has been lost, which is why it stays necessary despite being old technology.

Connector vs signal: RJ45 shell, serial signalling — not Ethernet
Used for: First configuration, and recovery when network access is lost
Pinout: Manufacturer-specific; a network patch lead will not work

This information comes from published sources about this type of product, not from the supplier.

en.wikipedia.org

Applications

First-time configuration of a switch or router
Recovering a device that lost its settings

Technical specifications

Type	Adapter
Length	1.5 m
Connectors	DB9 / RJ45

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