UART to Ethernet

[Frédéric From France]

Hello Everyone,

As I am still working on hardening my Odroid-M1 servers, I am looking for a solution to activate a real console for root login only. My homelab is not in the same room as my desk, so I need to get access from an internal VLAN with restrictions and take control even if the network drivers are not enabled. Have you tested or used a UART to Ethernet converter like https://www.pusr.com/products/ethernet-to-uart-modules-usr-k7.html

or

https://www.waveshare.com/uart-to-eth.htm

 

or something else?

 

Let me know your thoughts.

 

Sincerely, Frederic

[CryBaby]

I haven't seen modules like those before but I've used the typical 'terminal server' in a metal box. They work, the only caveat I would mention is that they can have old and non-standard web interfaces for configuration. Some of the cheaper ones I've used can only be accessed with Konqueror, not Firefox or other more common browsers. I don't know about VLANs.

[going]

19.08.2023 в 00:02, Frédéric From France сказал:

https://www.pusr.com/products/ethernet-to-uart-modules-usr-k7.html

or

https://www.waveshare.com/uart-to-eth.htm

Thanks for the links. This should be pretty easy to set up.

[Frédéric From France]

Hi @going, @CryBaby,

Thanks for your contribution.

 

@going: do you schedule to use one of them soon?

In case of a positive answer, can I join your project?

 

Have a nice weekend,

Fred.

[going]

19.08.2023 в 00:02, Frédéric From France сказал:

so I need to get access from an internal VLAN with restrictions and take control even if the network drivers are not enabled

Please decipher what you want to get in the end?

 

1 час назад, Frédéric From France сказал:

do you schedule to use one of them soon?

You came up with the idea. And it is not included in my immediate plans. I just added your links to my browser bookmarks for the future.

The idea is as follows:
Today, in order to test the process of downloading a new image, I have to attach a UART-USB adapter cable to the device and to the desktop computer,

run minicom in the terminal and read the running line.
It seems to me it will be very convenient if the UART traffic from a specific device is routed to a specific Ethernet port and ends up in a log file.

[cuker]

Why not just use one cheap SBC just for this purpose? Attach one or more UART adapters to it and control devices remotely.

 

For my testing I'm using 3-port Wifi switch to control power to the devices. One SBC is used for USB-UART adapter, also controls one USB mux device to switch USB stick between device and this master SBC, and also controls one SD mux for same purpose as USB stick.

[going]

59 минут назад, cuker сказал:

For my testing I'm using 3-port Wifi switch to control power to the devices. One SBC is used for USB-UART adapter, also controls one USB mux device to switch USB stick between device and this master SBC, and also controls one SD mux for same purpose as USB stick.

I think I misunderstood the translation of this.
Will you be able to portray this as a flowchart?