6ft USB-C Console Cable for Cisco, USB-C to RJ45 8P8C Rollover, FTDI FT232RL, Flat, Blue

The CableLeader U3111-XXXX is a USB-C to RJ45 serial console cable for configuring network equipment from a laptop that has only USB-C ports. Despite the RJ45 connector, this is not a network cable: RJ45 is the mechanical form factor console ports use, and the signal running through it is RS-232 serial, not Ethernet.

The host end is a USB Type-C plug, 6.8 mm across, with gold-plated terminals in a nickel-plated steel shell and a 53 mm body that houses the conversion PCB. On that PCB is an FTDI FT232RL, a USB to UART bridge that presents the cable to the operating system as a standard serial port. Chipset identity is the first question network engineers ask, because FTDI drivers ship inside Windows 10 and later and inside current macOS and Linux kernels, while counterfeit Prolific parts are blocked by the vendor driver and report a Code 10 error.

The RJ45 8P8C end uses gold-plated terminals in a transparent PC body, wired to the rollover pinout console ports expect: pin 1 CTS, pin 2 DSR, pin 3 RXD, pins 4 and 5 ground, pin 6 TXD, pin 7 DTR, pin 8 RTS. That arrangement became the de facto standard through Cisco console ports and was adopted by other vendors, so one cable covers a mixed equipment rack.

The component most listings omit sits between those two ends. The FT232RL speaks TTL logic levels while a console port expects RS-232 at plus and minus five to fifteen volts, so a ZT213 transceiver on the same PCB translates between them. Without it the link either fails outright or returns garbled characters. Conductors are 28 AWG x 8C flat bare copper in a molded 45P PVC jacket, and all materials comply with the RoHS directive.

Construction targets field use. The flat cable coils without taking a set, which matters for something that lives in a toolkit, and the 10ft option covers the common gap between a rack-top switch and a laptop on a cart. Every assembly is checked with conduction impedance held under 3 ohms, insulation resistance above 2 megohms at 300V, and a 100 percent functional test.

The blue jacket follows the familiar console-cable convention, making the management connection easy to identify in a crowded network rack.

Compatibility & Ordering Information — U3111-XXXX connects any host with a USB Type-C port, running Windows, macOS or Linux, to any device exposing an RJ45 serial console port, including switches, routers, firewalls, wireless controllers, managed PDUs and UPS units. Terminal settings are the standard 9600 baud, 8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit, no flow control. The family ships in 6ft and 10ft, blue. For laptops and field carts with full-size USB ports, see the USB-A console cable family, which uses the same rollover pinout and FTDI chipset.

Product Comparison: USB-C vs USB-A Serial Console Cable

Both cables terminate the same way at the equipment end: an RJ45 8P8C plug wired to the rollover pinout, driven by an FTDI chipset with a ZT213 RS-232 level shifter. What changes is the port on the laptop, and the lengths available. The table shows the differences:

Rule of thumb: the equipment end and the terminal settings are the same either way, so pick by the host port. A USB-C to USB-A adapter in front of the older cable works, but it adds a joint that can unseat during a console session, which is why most engineers carry the cable that matches the laptop.

FAQ

What is the difference between an FTDI and a Prolific console cable?

FTDI is the safer choice because its driver is built into Windows 10 and later and into current macOS and Linux kernels, so the cable enumerates without a manual install. Prolific PL2303 parts are heavily counterfeited, and the official Prolific driver detects clones and reports a Windows Code 10 error, leaving the cable dead on modern systems. This cable uses an FTDI FT232RL.

Which devices and operating systems does this USB-C console cable work with?

It works with any device exposing an RJ45 serial console port, including switches, routers, firewalls, wireless controllers, managed PDUs and UPS units, since the rollover pinout is used across vendors. On the host side it runs on Windows, macOS and Linux through any USB-C port; modern builds already include the FTDI driver, and older systems can install it from the chip vendor.

What serial settings and pinout does this cable use?

Use 9600 baud, 8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit, no flow control, the standard console setting. The RJ45 end follows the rollover pinout: pin 1 CTS, pin 2 DSR, pin 3 RXD, pins 4 and 5 ground, pin 6 TXD, pin 7 DTR, pin 8 RTS. Console ports operate as DTE and generally do not use hardware flow control.

How do I connect and use a USB-C console cable?

Plug the RJ45 end into the device console port and the USB-C end into the laptop, then open a terminal program such as PuTTY, screen or Tera Term and select the port that appears. On Windows check Device Manager under Ports for the assigned COM number; on macOS and Linux look for a tty entry. Set 9600 8N1 and press enter to reach the prompt.

Should I buy the USB-C or the USB-A console cable?

Choose this USB-C version when the laptop has only USB-C ports, since it removes a dongle that can drop a console session mid-command, and it is the only one of the two offered in 10ft for rack-top-to-cart runs. Choose the USB-A version for machines with full-size USB ports. Both carry the same FTDI chipset family and the same rollover pinout, so the device end and terminal settings are identical.