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May 12, 2006

Macbook Pro USB to Serial GUC232A

This is a pretty specific post for me - sorry if it does not apply. I've recently purchased an Intel-based 17" MacBook Pro and have an IOGear GUC232A USB to Serial converter I use for my console connections to Cisco routers that I've had a heck of a time getting working. BUT, I've finally conquered and wanted to write the steps I performed to aleviate the time spent if I have to do this again:

1. Download the LATEST driver from Prolific (http://www.prolific.com.tw/eng/downloads.asp?ID=31 - download the file md_pl2303H_HX_X_dmg_v1.2.1.zip)

2. Run through the install, reboot

3. The Prolific is a generic driver that works with the GUC232A, so you have to tweek it:

• Plug the GUC232A into any available USB port on your Mac

• Open the System Profiler, in /Application -> Utilites

• Click USB in the Contents pane

• Select the GUC232A in the Device Tree; usually it will be listed under USB-Serial Controller

• Remember the ProductID and VendorID, or keep the System Profiler window open

• Open the Terminal, in /Application -> Utilites

• Use the following command to open the Property List of the Prolific driver:

  sudo nano /System/Library/Extensions/ProlificUsbSerial.kext/Contents/Info.plist

• Enter your admin password when asked. This is necessary; the ProlificUsbSerial kernel extension is owned by root.

• Scroll down and find the ProductID and VendorID in the plist file

• Change the ProductID and VendorID to match your GUC232A's ProductID and VendorID

• The plist file needs the numbers as integer values, but System Profiler reports the numbers as hex. Use the Calculator to convert the numbers. For example, System Profiler reports the Product ID as 0x2008 and the Vendor ID as 0x0557. The integer value of ProductID is 8200 and the integer value of VendorID is 1367

• Save the changes (Control-W) and quit (Control-X) nano

• Unplug the GUC232A

• Use the following command to load the kernel extension:

  sudo kextload /System/Library/Extensions/ProlificUsbSerial.kext

• Plug the GUC232A into any available USB port on your Mac

• Access the network properties window (network port configurations) to enable the usbtoserial device it found

• Perform a ls /dev command - it should show the tty.usbserial device

  Likewise, I also found a Universal Binary version of Minicom, complete with installer for OS X 10.4! Sweet! You can get it from this URL: http://www.ciscoblog.com/docstore/minicom-2.1-14.pkg.zip

  Posted by JC at May 12, 2006 10:56 AM

  Comments

  f you are having issues with the IOGear/ATEN/Prolific/Other USB-to-Serial Adapter/Cable while using MacBook Pro 10.4.x please use the following driver located here:

  http://sourceforge.net/projects/osx-pl2303/

  Trust me after preforming hacks, ontop of hacks.. Nothing worked. After hours of searching i found this.

  Give it a shot and hopefully it resolves your problem.
  

  Posted by: TeZrO at May 15, 2006 9:15 PM

  Awesome stuff - thanks TeZro!

  Posted by: Jeremy at May 16, 2006 7:31 AM

  Thanks, I appreciate your post as I just got a brand new Macbook and was wondering how to connect with cisco routers/switches among other things.
  

  Posted by: Ivan at June 10, 2006 8:14 PM

  For terminal apps I tried Quickterm but it kept locking up on my. I finally got zterm to be stable but it's kinda ugly.

  Then I found this command:

  screen /dev/tty.usbserial 9600

  Run that in terminal and there you go. I tested break and that even worked. I haven't figured out how to get out of it though, aside from killing the window.

  Posted by: Scott at July 20, 2006 8:23 AM

  Thank you for the information posted so far. I have my Macbook Pro recognizing my serial port. I downloaded iTerm but I can't figure out how to get it to see my Cisco router. I have to do a console configuration with a rollover cable that has a serial connector.

  I really need help quickly please.

  Thank you

  Posted by: Lisa at November 30, 2006 7:11 PM

  For leaving the screen terminal type: ctrl-A then :quit[return]

  Posted by: JunkKai at January 21, 2007 10:40 AM

  UPDATE:

  It looks like IOGear finally came out with an Intel MAC driver. Here's the link:

  http://www.iogear.com/main.php?loc=dm&driver&Item=GUC232A#display

  Posted by: JC at March 28, 2007 10:02 AM

  [[[[If you are having issues with the IOGear/ATEN/Prolific/Other USB-to-Serial Adapter/Cable while using MacBook Pro 10.4.x please use the following driver located here:

  http://sourceforge.net/projects/osx-pl2303/

  Trust me after preforming hacks, ontop of hacks.. Nothing worked. After hours of searching i found this.

  Give it a shot and hopefully it resolves your problem. ]]]]

  This worked for me! I have a Belkin Serial to USB adapter and a 2nd edition Mac Book Pro. I had to open up the file /System/Library/Extensions/osx-pl2303.kext/Contents/Info.plist and add the proper id's to make it work. Thank you.

  Posted by: Richard at May 25, 2007 2:37 AM

  Update: the IOGear driver has issues with copy and pasting configurations into devices (it scrambles the data). You want to use the prolific driver available here for full functionality:

  http://www.prolific.com.tw/eng/downloads.asp?ID=31
  

  Posted by: JC at June 13, 2007 6:34 AM

  I tried the steps to install the GUC232A drivers and went to network port configurations and the pl2303- connection is there, but when I connect my usb adapter and open terminal my cisco 2800 router doesn't appear. What should I do next to get my router up and running?

  Posted by: jerry at March 12, 2008 7:25 AM

  Same thing here. I can open zterm, connect local but nothing when i hit enter. Im pretty new to the MAC so can someone please guide me? How do I verify that the driver in use is correct for the GUC232A and what settings should zterm have other than 9600/8/N/1?

  Thanks

  Posted by: Brandon Carroll at March 27, 2008 7:40 AM

  Help!!! I'm a pretty new Mac user... I followed all the steps, but when I'm saving the file it says me "Bus Error" so, I haven't got access to Cisco routers/switches (That's my job :( ), I really need help, please could somebody help me??????

  Posted by: leonardo Pinzón at March 29, 2008 8:47 AM

  Just go it to wok. Used the ^^^JunkKai driver update link^^^. Also tried to get minicom to work without immediate success. Did some searching and found goSerial 0.2a !!! Configured as follows:

  PL2303:9600:8:none:1:RTS:CTS.

  Connected to Cisco Firewalls, Switches, and Routers without any issues.

  Posted by: Brian at April 9, 2008 7:08 PM

  Thanks for the post - I just got my macbook hooked up to a router with your help.

  I'm using screen as suggested above. You can leave your session running and rejoin it later:

  Ctrl+A+D

  To rejoin:

  screen -r

  Useful for irc also...

  Posted by: Guy Morrell at May 6, 2008 7:51 AM

  Does anybody know how to use screen to perform xmodem tranfers?

  Posted by: Nick Cochran at May 20, 2008 6:20 PM

  Thanks for the post. Got the IOGear GUC232 working with zterm with your help. Now I can prep up for CCNA with some routers and switches using my Powerbook G4.

  You've gotta be a genius to figure this out! Thanks again for sharing.

  
  

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  Posted by: groupshoes at October 27, 2009 6:16 PM

  this really assists, now i encounter the problems and i donot know how to work out,
  i look bing and discovered your blog,
  thanks once more

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  regards!

  Posted by: fix blue screen error at December 18, 2009 6:29 PM

  Worked for me on new 13" MacBook Pro with Snow Leopard, followed the instructions to tee and they were perfect.

  Thanks for taking the time,

  Joe

  Posted by: jozo@gnf! at January 8, 2010 2:32 PM

  Found this post when still using Tiger. I downloaded driver from posted by Richard http://www.prolific.com.tw/eng/downloads.asp?ID=31. I just installed it and then used the screen commands, no editing of file or other stuff (used man pages to clear up confusion on april 9 post). Just installed Snow Leopard, works fine but I still have the same problem of not being able to use on older routers, Cisco AP1200 AP's, and all of our APC UPS's, AC, and PDU's. Some routers it scrolls by config to fast to see the config and adds giberish. Is there anyone who has been able to figure out this problem. Does same under Windows and bootcamp.

  Posted by: Bill at February 2, 2010 11:36 AM

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