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+.. _console_server:
+
+##############
+Console Server
+##############
+
+Starting of with VyOS 1.3 (equuleus) we added support for running VyOS as an
+Out-of-Band Management device which provides remote access by means of SSH to
+directly attached serial interfaces.
+
+Serial interfaces can be any interface which is directly connected to the CPU
+or chipset (mostly known as a ttyS interface in Linux) or any other USB to
+serial converter (Prolific PL2303 or FTDI FT232/FT4232 based chips).
+
+If you happened to use a Cisco NM-16A - Sixteen Port Async Network Module or
+NM-32A - Thirty-two Port Async Network Module - this is your VyOS replacement.
+
+For USB port information please refor to: :ref:`hardware_usb`.
+
+Configuration
+=============
+
+Between computers, the most common configuration used was "8N1": eight bit
+characters, with one start bit, one stop bit, and no parity bit. Thus 10 Baud
+times are used to send a single character, and so dividing the signalling
+bit-rate by ten results in the overall transmission speed in characters per
+second. This is also the default setting if none of those options are defined.
+
+.. cfgcmd:: set service console-server <device> data-bits [7 | 8]
+
+  Configure either seven or eight data bits. This defaults to eight data
+  bits if left unconfigured.
+
+.. cfgcmd:: set service console-server <device> description <string>
+
+  A user friendly description identifying the connected peripheral.
+
+.. cfgcmd:: set service console-server <device> parity [even | odd | none]
+
+  Set the parity option for the console. If unset this will default to none.
+
+.. cfgcmd:: set service console-server <device> stop-bits [1 | 2]
+
+  Configure either one or two stop bits. This defaults to one stop bits if
+  left unconfigured.
+
+.. cfgcmd:: set service console-server <device> speed [ 300 | 1200 | 2400 | 4800 | 9600 | 19200 | 38400 | 57600 | 115200 ]
+
+  .. note:: USB to serial converters will handle most of their work in software
+     so you should be carefull with the selected baudrate as some times they
+     can't cope with the expected speed.
+
+Remote Access
+-------------
+
+Each individual configured console-server device can be directly exposed to
+the outside world. A user can directly connect via SSH to the configured
+port.
+
+.. cfgcmd:: set service console-server <device> ssh port <port>
+
+  Accept SSH connections for the given `<device>` on TCP port `<port>`.
+  After successfull authentication the user will be directly dropped to
+  the connected serial device.
+
+  .. hint:: Multiple users can connect to the same serial device but only
+     one is allowed to write to the console port.
+
+Operation
+=========
+
+.. opcmd:: show console-server ports
+
+  Show configured serial ports and their respective interface configuration.
+
+  .. code-block:: none
+
+    vyos@vyos:~$ show console-server ports
+     usb0b2.4p1.0             on /dev/serial/by-bus/usb0b2.4p1.0@ at   9600n
+
+.. opcmd:: show console-server user
+
+  Show currently connected users.
+
+  .. code-block:: none
+
+    vyos@vyos:~$ show console-server user
+     usb0b2.4p1.0               up   vyos@localhost
+
+
+.. opcmd:: connect console-server <device>
+
+  Locally connect to serial port identified by `<device>`.
+
+  .. code-block:: none
+
+    vyos@vyos-r1:~$ connect console-server usb0b2.4p1.0
+    [Enter `^Ec?' for help]
+    [-- MOTD -- VyOS Console Server]
+
+    vyos-r2 login:
+
+  .. hint:: Multiple users can connect to the same serial device but only
+     one is allowed to write to the console port.
+
+  .. hint:: The sequence ``^Ec?`` translates to: ``Ctrl+E c ?``. To quit
+     the session use: ``Ctrl+E c .``