While this article focuses on the USB console driver, it is worth noting that most ASR 9000 routers still include a . If you have an RJ45-to-DB9 rollover cable and a USB-to-serial adapter (e.g., from Startech or Tripp Lite), you may bypass the USB driver requirement entirely. However, the RJ45 port is often disabled by default in newer IOS XR versions, requiring a configuration change via the USB console first.
Select and choose a local directory (e.g., C:\CiscoDrivers ).
Most modern Linux kernels have built-in FTDI/SiLabs drivers. However, the asr9xxusbconsoledriverszip package provides optimized udev rules: asr9xxusbconsoledriverszip
), as the driver is often universal for many Cisco USB console interfaces. Download and Unzip: Extract the contents of the ZIP file.
Modern macOS versions (macOS Catalina and later) include native support for many USB-to-serial chipsets. However, legacy systems or specific ASR chip revisions may require manual installation: While this article focuses on the USB console
Search for your specific router model (e.g., or ASR 920 ).
Do not attempt to install from within the ZIP file. Right-click the file and select to a folder on your desktop, e.g., C:\Cisco_Drivers . Select and choose a local directory (e
Once finished, connect your Mini-USB cable from your laptop to the ASR 9xx router.
When you connect your computer to the USB console port of an ASR router, the router's internal USB-to-serial converter chips (often manufactured by FTDI or TI) need to communicate with your operating system. Without this driver, your computer will flag the router as an "Unknown Device," preventing terminal emulators like PuTTY, SecureCRT, or Tera Term from establishing a command-line interface (CLI) session. Supported Hardware Families Ultra-compact, cell-site routers.
). These routers use a non-standard USB-A console port that requires specific drivers to be recognized as a COM port on your computer.
