Console settings / HP / Aruba
Aruba and HP console settings: 9600 or 115200, and how to tell
Aruba is the one vendor where guessing 9600 will fail you. ArubaOS-Switch (2530, 2540, 2920, 2930F, 3810M) runs at 9600. ArubaOS-CX (6200F, 6300, 6400, 8320, 8325, 8360) runs at 115200. The two platforms look identical on the shelf and behave differently at the console port.
Console parameters · HP / Aruba
Parameters by model
| Model | OS | Baud | Framing | Flow | Console port |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HP ProCurve / Aruba 2530 / 2540 / 2920 / 2930F / 3810M / 5406R | ArubaOS-Switch (ProVision) | 9600 | 8N1 | none | RJ45 console · mini-USB console on some models |
| Aruba 6200F / 6300 / 6400 / 8320 / 8325 / 8360 / CX 10000 | AOS-CX | 115200 | 8N1 | none | USB-C console (most models) · RJ45 console (6400 needs the adapter cable) |
| HPE FlexNetwork 5130 / 5500 / 5930 | Comware v7 | 9600 | 8N1 | none | RJ45 console (console cable included) |
Field notes
ArubaOS-Switch
9600-8-N-1 default for ProVision-based switches. Console is CLI only; press Enter a few times after connect to get the login prompt. Password recovery needs the console and a power-cycle with the mode button sequence.
ArubaOS-CX
IMPORTANT: AOS-CX defaults the console to 115200-8-N-1 on these platforms (not 9600). If nothing appears, try 9600, or switch the switch with: console baud-rate 9600 (change takes effect immediately).
HPE Comware
9600-8-N-1 default on Comware switches. Console gives full access to the CLI for initial setup.
Why it looks dead when it is not
A new CX switch shows garbage at 9600
It is running at 115200. Change the terminal speed — nothing is wrong with the switch, and no amount of cable swapping will fix it.
Aruba 6400 console
The 6400 exposes console on RJ45 but needs the Aruba adapter cable; a plain rollover lead does not seat properly.
USB-C console models
Bring a data-capable USB-C cable. Charge-only cables are the most common reason a brand-new CX switch looks dead.
Sources
HPE Aruba product documentation (ArubaOS-Switch) — www.arubanetworks.com/techdocs/
Aruba AOS-CX documentation: console baud-rate — arubanetworking.hpe.com/techdocs/AOS-CX/10.13/HTML/fundamentals_4100i-60
HPE FlexNetwork Comware documentation — www.arubanetworks.com/techdocs/
Questions people actually ask
- What baud rate does an Aruba switch use?
- 9600 for ArubaOS-Switch platforms (2530, 2920, 2930F, 3810M) and 115200 for ArubaOS-CX platforms (6200F, 6300, 6400, 8320, 8325, 8360).
- Why is my Aruba console output unreadable?
- The terminal speed does not match the platform. Move the terminal to 115200 for AOS-CX, or back to 9600 for ArubaOS-Switch.
Reading this at a rack, with no laptop?
PlugConsole turns a phone and an OTG serial cable into a browser terminal. Someone on site plugs in, you take the console from anywhere — no client software, no VPN, no drive to site. The settings on this page are built into the field console, so you pick the model and the parameters are already right.