Cisco Router Cables & Connectors
Here we list a number of scenario's with diagrams, to help you with common Cisco cables and connectors. Cables are just called cables - but there are many other words often used for connectors - such as interfaces, outlets, plugs, jacks, ports, and sockets.
Male vs Female Connectors
One of the most frustrating areas of ordering cables & connectors, is that you often need to specify which gender the connector is - male or female.
Connector Gender Terminology - typically: ( - but this is not always the case !! ):
Male connector - plug or jack
Female connector - socket, port, or outlet
How to Determine the Connector's Gender - this is usually straightforward. If the connector has pins that protrude it is male, and if it has holes to accept pins it is female.
However, there are some that are tricky. For example, you may see a socket with a large hole to accept a plug, but inside of that hole is a series of protruding pins !! As stated, the plug is usually make and it connects into a socket or outlet that is female. But in the case of a serial mouse, the plug is female and the outlet is male.
Notice that the female plug, has the male characteristic of a protruding "D"-shaped metal outer shell that inserts into a larger D-shaped hole in the back of your PC. BUT the key is this:
For connector gender determination - look only at the actual electrical connectors (the pins or the holes that accept the pins) - NOT the outer shell of the connector.
DCE (Data Communications Equipment) and DTE (Data Terminal Equipment) Cables & Connectors
These terms are used for RS-232 and Ethernet interfaces - NOT WAN serial interfaces such as V.35 or the Cisco DB-60.
NOTE: you rarely need to know which is which, as far as ordering cables or connectors - but you should know which is which because it can be important when troubleshooting.
The two are difficult to differentiate - but in general, DCE (Data Communications Equipment) and DTE (Data Terminal Equipment) are descriptions of the role an interface plays in 2-way communication. These terms are usually used for WAN services and Internet access. DCE is typically the upstream device (closest to the core of the network), and DTE the downstream device (closest to the end device or end user). So DTE is an end station, while DCE is a server, router, or hub. But this can vary !!!
DCE - equipment that performs functions, such as signal conversion and coding, at the network end of the line
These terms are very important, because they dictate the send/receive pinouts on both devices. In the case of Ethernet Internet access, these designators let you know whether to use a straight-thru cable, or a crossover cable.
Cardinal Rule for Ethernet Cables
DCE/DTE refer to interfaces - not the actual device. A device can have both DCE and DTE ports. However, in general:
NOTE: router-to-router connections are usually done via their WAN serial ports, and since there is no "user end", the DCE & DTE descriptors do not apply to them
Cable & Connector Images
The following images depict cable connections to the 7204.
Many Cisco routers have a very unique serial interface that use a 60 pin connector ( DB-60). The common cable used between router & external CSU/DSU is 60-pin on the router end, and a V.35 Winchester plug on the CSU/DSU end.
Uses DB-9 connectors.
SC-type connectors are used with optical fiber.
Either duplex or simplex SC-type connectors can be used.
The Cisco 7204 supports additional network interfaces such as ATM, ISDN—PRI and BRI, HSSI, and Channelized E1 and T1. Refer to the Cisco Product Catalog for a complete list of network interface types supported by the Cisco 7204.
Connect Fast Ethernet, console, and auxiliary cables to the I/O controller.
NOTE: The I/O controller Fast Ethernet port is optional.