USB Console

[nbctcp]

I am using console server to connect to all my network gears such as Aruba, Cisco, Forti

All Aruba can use micro usb console  and some usb-c

All new Cisco can use mini usb console and some usb-c

Few Forti can use mini usb console

SerialtoUSB converter already $8 (not including console cable)

Good one generic micro usb cable only $2. 4x cheaper

SUGGESTIONS:

1. could you make all new Forti has microusb or usbc console

tq

[sw2090 · Accepted solution]

All FGT we  bought in the last years came shipped with a console cable. Also HP DB9 to RJ45 cables work with Fortigates. Just APC and Cisco cables won't because of non standardized pinouts on their side (not Fortinet's fault!).

[nbctcp]

You got DB9-RJ45 Console cable FREE

Then how much USB-DB9 serial converter, This one alone $10

Imagine if you have 10 Fortigate, total $100

Let say Forti has usbconsole port like Cisco, Aruba, PaloAlto, Sophos, Ruckus did How much good 2m microusb or usbc or miniusb cable. Only $2. Total $20

$20 vs $100. which one better

If all my Forti has usbconsole port. I can use old used Raspberry Pi 3 as my Console Server.

It has 4 usb ports. I can buy 4ports usb hub. 4x4=16 usb ports

Compare to this one

https://www.digi.com/products/networking/infrastructure-management/usb-connectivity/usb-over-ip/anyw...

At least raspberry 10x cheaper than usboverip

[sw2090]

If you buy some at alibaba its <$1 :

https://www.alibaba.com/p...B_top.5.465d7618ubzsRE

And as there is only <5 manufacturers of UART Bridge ICs they can only cook with water...

[mohamed_talbi]

Hi sw2090,

I have fortinet usb consol cable, is there an official driver ? if no could you recommend a driver from the internet please ?

Thank you

[sw2090]

there is no specific fortinet usb console cable. So there is also no official driver afaik.

FortiGates that have an usb console port use a standard usb cable (standard mini or micro usb plug).

For all others you would need an usb to serial converter as written above as they only have a rj45 serial console port.

In any case one needs to find out which uart bridge chip is in your usb2seral or the FGT if it has usb console port to know which driver one needs :)

Unfortunately most manufactures don't tell you. Best practice might be to use some linux box. connect usb2serial or FGT usb console port to it and execute lsusb or/and dmesq on console to see what got detected...

Also the Linux Kernel supports all those kown uart chips natively so you don't need any driver on linux. 

[Pizzaking]

"There is no specific fortinet usb console cable" ?

This is the cable you get with a new Fortigate these days.

[scheuri]

I don't want to necro the thread, but I have some pain with all that to be honest...

I am also rather desperate trying to get an "official" driver for that cable that @Pizzaking is showing! Those are branded by Fortinet!

We are sending these cables out to our customer with our fortigates (sometimes needed for troubleshooting, etc.) and the customer usually asks for an official driver (rightfully so) - because Windows doesn't seem to have a build-in driver and installing a "foreign" driver one (depending on the corporate policies of the OS and the corporate guidelines) might just not be feasible (or quite a hassle).

Considering Fortigate is a security company, I would expect them to give us something (even if it is just a relabel) official, so that we can point to that for our customers in order to install a driver to make it work!

My last experience is:

The usb cable seems to want a driver for "FT232R USB UART" and we got that from https://www.usb-drivers.org/ft232r-usb-uart-driver.html (couldn't find anything remotly more "legit").

So, yes...this might be just a little thing for Fortinet, but it isn't for us in terms of security (yes, sure - we could relabel it, but it wouldn't be an official download from fortinet, would it now?).

[Ramseyj72]

I have several of these cables from 2601F and 401E firewalls and can confirm that Windows 11 and Server 2019 and 2022 both require a 3rd party driver and it is not built into windows.

[WillC]

Yup. this is true. Fortinet delivering cables with no drivers. Saying they have nothing official even though they are branded as such directly from them. Your link worked perfectly.

I don't care if this is an old thread. Fortinet needs to post official drivers for the official cable they say does not exist.