Avocent AlterPath Cyclades ACS48 Setup

While looking for an inexpensive console switch for my lab, I ran across a few recommendations for the Cyclades line, so I purchased a pair of Cyclades ACS48's on eBay. They arrived after a few days and with a little troubleshooting I was able to get them up and working. Since these devices are over 10 years old, documentation and firmware files are a little hard to come by, so I've added them to the notes below.

Single user mode

In order to change the password or reset to factory defaults, you'll need to be connected to the console port of the ACS. During the boot process, type the word " single" after the Linux/PPC load: root=/dev/ram ramdisk=0x0001F000 including the space. This will enter single user mode which will allow you to reset the password or set the ACS to factory defaults. 

 Linux/PPC load: root=/dev/ram ramdisk=0x0001F000 single

 ...

 [root@(none) /]#


Password Reset

The default username and password are root and tslinux, but that may not be the case when buying used.

 [root@(none) /]# passwd

 New password: newpassword

 Re-enter new password: newpassword

 Password changed

 [root@(none) /]# saveconf

 Checking the configuration file list…

 Compressing configuration files into /tmp/saving_config.tar.gz …  done. 

 Saving configuration files to flash … done.

 [root@(none) /]# reboot

Reset to Factory Defaults

To restore the setting to factory default either type echo > /proc/flash/script (older firmware) or defconf (newer firmware) depending on the version of code your running.

 [root@(none) /]# echo > /proc/flash/script
 [root@(none) /]# reboot


Firmware Upgrades & Documentation

The latest firmware I was able to locate was from 2014 (3.3.0.16) and still on Avocent's FTP site. You can also locate user manuals and other files from this FTP site.

 Firmware: ftp://ftp.avocent.com/public/product-upgrades/$ds1800/ACS/ACS%20Classic%203.3.0-16/
 Documentation: ftp://ftp.avocent.com/public/product-upgrades/$ds1800/ACS/ACS%203.2.0/

A company by the name of Vertiv is the current owner of the Cyclades line, they also host firmware and some documentation on their site as well.

You can upgrade the firmware through the ACS's web interface under Administration > Upgrade Firmware. You'll need to upload the .bin file to an FTP site in order to transfer it to the ACS. Once the firmware have been uploaded, you'll need to manually reboot the ACS for the new firmware to be installed.

Cabling

In order to console into Cisco devices from the ACS you'll need to use rollover cables. Below is a cabling diagram if you need to make your own.

Remote Console Access

During the initial setup you can choose to set all ports to telnet, ssh, etc. To keep it simple, I setup my ACS ports for telnet access since it's just for lab use and not in a production environment. By default, all physical ports are configured with a corresponding TCP port of 7001-7048. If you need to make changes to the port setup, just go to Ports > Physical Ports > Modify Selected Ports. From there you can select the method of access and the port number used for access. Below I setup port 2 for telnet access over TCP port 7002.

To access the console ports remotely, open your favorite telnet application and enter the IP of the ACS and the TCP port of the corresponding console port, e.g. 192.168.1.1:7002 for console port 2.