High-capacity 7RU edge routing platforms. Downloading the Official Drivers
Before attempting to download the driver, you must have an active (like a SMARTnet or equivalent support agreement) associated with your Cisco.com profile. Cisco's software distribution portal will verify your entitlement before granting access to the file. Without this, the download page may be inaccessible.
Never download drivers from third-party file sharing sites. Instead: asr9xxusbconsoledriverszip
Cisco ASR units generally feature both a traditional RJ-45 serial console port and a modern USB console port.
Note: Accessing Cisco downloads typically requires a valid Cisco Connection Online (CCO) user account. Step-by-Step Installation Guide High-capacity 7RU edge routing platforms
If a physical RJ-45 rollover cable is plugged into the router, the USB interface is programmatically deactivated.
Legal and compliance notes Vendor drivers may be subject to licensing; review EULAs before deploying them broadly. In regulated environments, verify that installing vendor drivers on console hosts complies with security policies and change-control processes. Without this, the download page may be inaccessible
Open Device Manager and look under "Ports (COM & LPT)" to identify which COM port has been assigned to the Cisco USB console. For macOS Users: Open the downloaded .dmg file. Run the installer package.
ls -ltr usb # or ls -ltr ACM
The asr9xxusbconsoledrivers.zip file is tiny—barely a blip on your hard drive—but without it, your expensive ASR 9000 series router is just a heavy paperweight. This driver package bridges the gap between modern computing and carrier-grade hardware.
If you disconnect and reconnect the cable, Windows may assign a different COM port number (e.g., COM3, then COM7). This is normal but annoying.