Re: What are folks using for serial consoles these days?

[Lukasz Bromirski via NANOG <nanog () lists nanog org>]

Saku, NANOG-ers,

> On 23 Dec 2025, at 20:04, Saku Ytti via NANOG <nanog () lists nanog org> wrote:
>
> On Tue, 23 Dec 2025 at 21:01, Phil Bedard <bedard.phil () gmail com> wrote:
>
> > From a Cisco perspective when we built the first 8000 (Silicon One) routers, the original 8201/8202 had a separate 
> > Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) the same as a server because we thought people would truly enjoy having that.  
> > In turns out no one used it and more were confused by it.  It added extra cost and took up real estate that could be 
> > used for other things, so it didn’t continue.
>
> And I will apologise for all of us customers, we are wrong, you were
> right with CMP, you were right with BMC. It is blind spot we have and
> we need education.

I'm pretty sure you're half-joking and half-not, but that's the reality.
I lead platform (hardware) development for Cisco Firewalls. I can tell you,
that during my discussions with all of our Customers, from biggest to smallest
ones, security folks don't appreciate fully dedicated, separate out-of-band
management ports, with their own OS that's available no-matter-what.

I've been through hundreds of discussions, and everybody says "nah" (and
I don't even go into cost or whatever - just "availability"). I very much
like your comment, and I'll use it, but that's reality folks - you vote with
your wallets, and it seems that's not really as critical for management as
you'd (and I'd) think.

And even *I* have LTE access to my own rack(s), including console ports.
And I'm just toying with all the fancy and less fancy gear...

2005? Hell - more like 1995...

-- 
Łukasz Bromirski
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