// gear i actually run
The console cables I keep in the bag for getting into switches and routers the old-fashioned way. When the network is down and the web UI is not an option, serial is how you get in.
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USB-C to RJ45 rollover for consoling into Cisco, MikroTik, Ubiquiti and the rest from a modern laptop. The 10ft length means you are not crouched at the rack.
The USB-A version of the same rollover cable for machines without USB-C. Same job: serial console into network gear.
A genuine-FTDI USB-to-TTL cable for board-level serial — Pi headers, OpenWrt devices, anything with raw UART pins. The FTDI chip is why it just works where clones do not.
Every one of these earns its place the day a device will not come up on the network and console is your only way in. Keep one in the bag.
Free download
The pre-deploy checks I run before any network goes live. Free, no spam.