How to communicate with a Router using Console, Auxiliary, Telnet, SSH, HTTP and HTTPS connections

Routers are special computers built to handle internetwork traffic. Routers are very important network infrastructure devices and they serve many users at same time. The end users ho not communicate with the routers, but the network traffic generated by the end users communicate through the router.

There are no input devices for router like a monitor, a keyboard, or a mouse. An administrator can choose any of the following methods to communicate with the router.

Connection by using Console Port

By connecting the router's console port to a workstation through a console cable. The console port is the management port which is used by administrators to log into a router directly-that without using a network connection. You require a terminal emulator application like hyperterminal or PuTTY to connect to router. Console port connection is a way to connect to the router when a router cannot be accessed over the network. Click the following link to learn how to connect and access a router using console connection.

Connection by using Auxiliary Port (AUX Port)

By using a remote computer through a modem that calls another modem connected to the router with a cable using the Auxiliary Port on the router. Auxiliary Port (AUX Port) allows a direct, non-network connection to the router, from a remote location. The Auxiliary Port (AUX Port) uses a connector type to which modems can plug into, which allows an administrator from a remote location to access the router like a console port.

Connection by using protocols like telnet, SSH, HTTP or HTTPS

The routers can be managed over the network by using standard TCP/IP protocols like Telnet, SSH, HTTP or HTTPS. Telnet was developed in the early days of the UNIX operating system to manage computers remotely. A Telnet client and server application ships with Cisco's IOS software and most computer operating systems. SSH is a more secure way to configure routers, since the SSH communication is encrypted. Cisco IOS also has a HTTP server to managed web based communication with the router.