How to access the firewall CLI via console port?

SonicWall console data can be useful to obtain vital information helpful for troubleshooting purposes.

This article describes capturing and saving the console screen output to a file using terminal applications such as Putty,  Tera Term or SecureCRT.

Requirements:

• A SonicWall UTM appliance.
• The original SonicWall console cable. If you don't have this, please check How do I make a console cable for SonicWall firewall appliances?
  For further assistance on this, please contact our Technical Support.
• A computer with a Serial port or a USB to DB9 Adapter.
• A Terminal application like Putty,  Tera Term or SecureCRT.

CAUTION: Before starting the process, make sure you disable any Standby option on the computer.

To avoid the Console connection to timeout, enable the Keep Alives on your Terminal Application. Below, an example for Putty:

Below two different guides showing the process using TeraTerm or SecureCRT as examples but you can choose your own application and follow the respective steps.

Capturing and saving console logs using Tera Term:

1. Attach the included null modem cable to the appliance port marked CONSOLE. Attach the other end of the null modem cable to a serial port on the configuring computer.
2. Launch Tera Term. Select COM1 (or COM2) in the New Connection window.
3. Use the following settings to communicate with the serial port connected to the appliance.
   1. 115,200 baud
   2. 8 data bits
   3. no parity
   4. 1 stop bit
   5. no flow control
      
      
4. Press Enter to display the DEVICE NAME> prompt.
5. At the User: prompt enter the Admin’s username.
   NOTE: Only the admin user will be able to login from the CLI. The default Admin username is admin. The default username can be changed.
6. At the Password: prompt, enter the Admin’s password.
   NOTE: If an invalid or mismatched username or password is entered, the CLI prompt will return to User:, and a “CLI administrator login denied due to bad credentials” error message will be logged. 

Configuring Logging of console output

1. Click on the File drop-down menu and click on Log.
2. Click on Browse to select a location and name of the file to save the console logs.
3. While saving the file, you may choose to enable check-box Hide dialog.
4. Click on Save to begin the logging process.

Beginning now all commands entered and screen output generated will be automatically saved in the file selected. 
By default, or if Hide dialog is not checked, a pop-up window called Tera Term:Log will remain open throughout the course of logging.

Capturing and saving console logs using SecureCRT

1. Attach the included null modem cable to the appliance port marked CONSOLE. Attach the other end of the null modem cable to a serial port on the configuring computer.
2. Launch SecureCRT
3. In the Quick Connect window, configure the following:
   
4. Alternatively, select COM1 (or COM2) under the Serial Connection options.
5. Use the same settings as above to communicate with the serial port connected to the appliance.
6. Press Enter to display the DEVICE NAME> prompt.
   

Configuring Logging of console output:

1. Click on the File menu
2. Select Log Session
3. In the Select Log File window, select a location and enter a name for the log file.
4. Click on Save
   

Beginning now all commands entered and screen output generated will be automatically saved in the file selected.

To stop logging click on the File menu and uncheck Log Session.