The AWM 20251 text on your cable is actually the material rating, not the chip brand.
Once you have downloaded the driver files, follow these steps to install the driver:
To download the correct driver, you must find out which company manufactured the internal USB-to-Serial converter chip. The vast majority of these cables use one of three major chipsets: , Prolific , or CH340 .
By following the steps and tips outlined in this article, you should be able to successfully download and install the AWM 20251 console cable driver and fix any issues you may be experiencing.
The most important takeaway from this guide is that the "AWM 20251" marking on your console cable is a . It is not the information you need to solve your driver problem. It's simply a manufacturing standard that tells you the cable itself is built to a certain quality. Your real quest is to identify the communication chip inside the adapter. awm 20251 console cable driver download fix
For Windows 11 22H2+ users where the installer refuses to run:
Test with terminal software:
COM3 (or whatever your designated COM port number is) Speed (Baud Rate): 9600 (standard for Cisco devices) Data bits: 8 Stop bits: 1 Parity: None Flow Control: None
I should outline the troubleshooting steps first. Check the device manager in Windows, look for any hardware conflicts, then manually update the driver through the manufacturer's site. If the device isn't listed, suggest using the built-in Windows Update or Device Manager troubleshooting tools. Also, emphasize verifying the correct device name and model number to avoid confusion. The AWM 20251 text on your cable is
Look for the name of your driver and see the number next to it, like . Open your terminal tool, like PuTTY or SecureCRT. Set the connection type to Serial .
Select . Select the FTDI or Silicon Labs driver that appears. 2. Force Driver Association
If your hardware ID points to FTDI, you need the drivers. Visit the official FTDI Chip Drivers website. Navigate to the VCP Drivers section.
Uncheck "Show compatible hardware" if necessary, and look for an older driver version (such as version 3.3.2 or 3.8.x from 2008 to 2015). By following the steps and tips outlined in
If after all three methods your AWM 20251 console cable still shows no signs of life (no COM port, no response from a router’s console), the internal chip may be physically damaged. Symptoms:
Run the provided in the Cisco_usbconsole_driver_3_1.zip package.
Look for an item with a yellow warning triangle (often named USB-Serial Controller , FT232R USB UART , or PL2303 ). Right-click the problematic device and choose . Navigate to the Details tab. Click the Property dropdown menu and select Hardware Ids .
You must install an older, working driver (v3.3.11.146 or v3.4.63.290) or use a community-maintained driver.