ATEN SN3002P 2-Port RS-232 Serial Console Server with PoE
The ATEN SN3002P is a 2-port RS-232 serial console server that gives network engineers out-of-band management access to serial-connected infrastructure — routers, switches, firewalls, PDUs, and any device with a console port — over a standard IP network. Built with a 10/100 Base-TX Ethernet interface and three independent power input options including 802.3af PoE, the SN3002P fits cleanly into wiring closets and equipment rooms where running a separate power feed is impractical or undesirable.
Key Features
- Triple power input flexibility (DC jack, terminal block, PoE): The SN3002P accepts power via a DC jack (9VDC adapter, sold separately), a 3-pole terminal block (9–48VDC wide range), or an RJ-45 PoE port (802.3af, 48VDC). In practice this means you can drop it anywhere you have a PoE switch port available — no electrician, no conduit, no separate power supply. The terminal block input handles industrial bus voltages from 9V to 48V, which matters in panel rooms where DIN-rail 24VDC supplies are already present.
- 1.5 kV magnetic isolation on the network port: The built-in 1.5 kV magnetic isolation on the 10/100 Base-TX interface protects both the device and your network infrastructure from ground-loop surges common in large facilities or mixed AC/DC environments. This is not a feature found on every device in this class and is worth calling out for industrial or outdoor-enclosure deployments.
- 2 RS-232 serial ports (Green/Orange): Two independent console ports let you monitor two devices simultaneously — enough for a primary and secondary network appliance, or a firewall plus its management switch, without adding a second console server. Each port is color-coded for at-a-glance cable management.
- Flexible mounting — desktop, wall, DIN-rail, or rack: The SN3002P supports network management deployments across a wide range of physical environments: desktop placement for temporary lab use, wall mounting for wiring closets, DIN-rail mounting for industrial control panels, and rack mounting with the optional VE-RMK1U 1U kit. Few 2-port serial servers cover all four mounting modes.
- Ultra-low power draw (0.94W at DC 9V): At under 1 watt, the SN3002P imposes virtually no load on your PoE switch budget — a standard 802.3af port delivers up to 15.4W at the switch and 12.95W at the device; this unit uses less than 1W in practice. You can daisy-chain many units on a single switch without pressure on the power budget.
- Linux Real TTY and Unix Fixed TTY driver support: The SN3002P ships with Linux Real TTY (v1.1.101) and Unix Fixed TTY (v1.0.094) driver packages. Real TTY presents the serial ports as native /dev/ttyS devices to Linux hosts, enabling any application that expects a local COM port to work transparently over the network — no application-layer changes required. For Unix environments, Fixed TTY provides stable device node mapping.
- Semi-recessed reset pushbutton: A single semi-recessed pushbutton reset prevents accidental factory resets while still allowing deliberate recovery — a small but meaningful design choice when units are rack-mounted in dense environments where adjacent cabling can catch exposed buttons.
- Current firmware (v1.0.087, released 2025-11-13): The firmware is actively maintained; v1.0.087 was released November 2025. This matters for long-lifecycle deployments where security patches and protocol fixes may be required over a multi-year horizon.
Integration & Compatibility
The SN3002P integrates into IP networks via its 10/100 Base-TX interface and presents serial ports to connected hosts as native COM or TTY devices using the included driver packages. The Linux Real TTY driver (compatible with current Linux kernel releases as of driver v1.1.101) makes the unit transparent to legacy automation scripts, monitoring daemons, or SNMP trap handlers that write directly to serial device nodes. This approach works particularly well alongside managed network switches and out-of-band management setups where the console server sits on a dedicated management VLAN.
The wide-range terminal block input (9–48VDC) makes the SN3002P compatible with DIN-rail power supplies common in industrial automation panels, building management system enclosures, and physical security control rooms. For integrators managing serial-attached access control panels or legacy analog security equipment alongside IP infrastructure, this voltage range eliminates the need for a dedicated 9VDC adapter in those environments.
Rack deployments require the VE-RMK1U mounting kit (sold separately). If you are consolidating multiple units into a 1U rack space, factor in this accessory at time of purchase. Review the full ATEN product line for complementary KVM switches and IP-KVM solutions that pair with serial console servers for complete out-of-band management coverage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What power options does the SN3002P support?
A: The SN3002P supports three independent power inputs: a DC jack accepting 9VDC (power adapter sold separately), a 3-pole terminal block accepting 9–48VDC, and an RJ-45 PoE port (IEEE 802.3af, 48VDC). You only need one of the three active at any time.
Q: Does the SN3002P work with Linux systems?
A: Yes. ATEN provides a Linux Real TTY driver (v1.1.101, released 2024-05-08) that presents the serial ports as native TTY device nodes on the Linux host, making the network-connected serial ports transparent to applications expecting local COM ports.
Q: Can the SN3002P be rack-mounted?
A: Rack mounting requires the optional VE-RMK1U 1U rack mounting kit, sold separately. The unit also supports desktop, wall, and DIN-rail mounting natively without additional accessories.
Q: What is the power consumption of the SN3002P?
A: At DC 9V input, the SN3002P draws 0.94W (4 BTU). This is well below the 12.95W delivered by a standard 802.3af PoE port, so it places minimal load on your switch's PoE power budget.
Q: What serial interfaces does the SN3002P provide?
A: The SN3002P provides 2 RS-232 serial console ports (color-coded Green and Orange) for connecting to serial-enabled network devices, servers, or infrastructure equipment.
Q: Is the power adapter included with the SN3002P?
A: No. The DC power adapter is sold separately. The unit can be powered via the included PoE input (IEEE 802.3af) or the terminal block (9–48VDC) without any additional accessories.
The SN3002P's triple-input power architecture is the detail I point integrators to first. When you're commissioning a wiring closet that already has a PoE switch, you can bring this unit online immediately off an 802.3af port — it only pulls 0.94W, so you're not touching the switch's power budget in any meaningful way. For panel rooms running 24VDC or 48VDC DIN-rail supplies, the terminal block input handles that range natively. Most 2-port serial servers force you to carry a wall-wart or spec a separate 9VDC supply; the SN3002P eliminates that conversation entirely.
Technical Highlights:
- 1.5 kV Magnetic Isolation: The built-in magnetic isolation on the 10/100 Ethernet port is a genuine differentiator at this price tier. Ground-loop surges between equipment rooms are common in large facilities; without isolation, a surge event can damage the console server and the switch port simultaneously. This protection buys you a meaningful reduction in incident risk.
- Wide terminal block range (9–48VDC): Covering 9V to 48V on the terminal block input means one SKU works across virtually every DC bus voltage used in access control panels, building automation enclosures, and telecom equipment rooms. You don't need to stock different adapter SKUs for different site power profiles.
- Linux Real TTY driver (v1.1.101): Real TTY presents the serial ports as native /dev/ttyS nodes — monitoring scripts, configuration management tools, and serial-polling daemons work without modification. That matters in environments where SNMP or syslog toolchains already expect a local device path and re-engineering the application layer is not an option.
Deployment Considerations:
- Rack mounting requires the optional VE-RMK1U 1U kit — if you're consolidating multiple SN3002P units into a standard rack, budget and order that accessory upfront. The unit does not fit a rack natively.
- The DC power adapter is sold separately. If PoE is not available at the installation site and you're not using the terminal block, you will need a 9VDC adapter — confirm this before shipping to site to avoid a return trip.
The SN3002P is the right call for distributed building security and IT convergence deployments: physical security control rooms, wiring closets in multi-tenant commercial buildings, or any environment where serial-attached legacy equipment needs IP-addressable out-of-band management and you can't guarantee a clean 9VDC power feed at every location.
