Opengear CM8008 Console Manager, 8x RS232 X2 pinout ports, 2x 1GbE/SFP combo, 2x USB 3.0, TPM 2.0, Docker support, DC jacks

Opengear CM8008 Console Manager – 8-Port Compact Smart Out-of-Band Management

The Opengear CM8008 Console Manager is a compact 8-port Smart Out-of-Band (Smart OOB™) management appliance designed to provide secure and reliable access to critical network infrastructure when normal production network access is unavailable. Featuring eight RS-232 serial console ports, dual Gigabit Ethernet/SFP combo interfaces, USB console connectivity, TPM 2.0 hardware security, integrated PDU support, and a powerful quad-core ARM automation platform, the CM8008 is ideal for branch offices, retail environments, network closets, telecommunications sites, and remote edge locations requiring greater serial device capacity in a compact form factor.

8-Port Smart Out-of-Band Management

The Opengear CM8008 provides secure console-level access to network infrastructure independently of the normal management interfaces of connected equipment.

If a router, firewall, switch, server, or other device becomes inaccessible over the production network, administrators can connect through the CM8008 and access its physical serial console to diagnose the problem and restore services.

Key features include:

• 8 × RJ45 RS-232 serial console ports
• Smart Out-of-Band management
• 2 × 1GbE/SFP combo network interfaces
• 2 × USB 3.0 ports
• Dedicated USB-C local console port
• Secure and audited remote console access
• Network redundancy and automatic failover
• Integrated PDU support for remote power management
• TPM 2.0 hardware security
• Docker and automation support
• Zero Touch Provisioning
• Opengear Lighthouse compatibility
• Compact 1RU half-rack-width design

Eight Serial Ports for Critical Network Infrastructure

The CM8008 provides eight RJ45 RS-232 serial console interfaces, doubling the serial device capacity of the CM8004 while retaining the same compact CM8000 form factor.

Typical equipment that can be connected includes:

• Routers
• Ethernet switches
• Firewalls
• Servers
• UPS systems
• PDUs
• Storage appliances
• Telecommunications equipment
• Other serial-managed infrastructure

The managed serial interfaces support speeds from 50 to 115,200bps and provide secure remote access to the physical console interfaces of connected equipment.

Console management capabilities include multiple concurrent sessions, console event and keystroke logging, text pattern matching and alerts, IP aliases for individual console connections, and browser-based terminal access.

Maintain Access When the Network Fails

Traditional remote management depends on the production network being operational. Unfortunately, that can leave administrators unable to reach critical infrastructure at precisely the moment access is most important.

Smart Out-of-Band management provides an alternative management architecture.

By connecting the CM8008 directly to the console ports of network infrastructure, administrators can retain a path to those devices even when their normal IP management interfaces are unavailable.

This can be particularly valuable during:

• WAN outages
• Routing failures
• Firewall configuration errors
• Failed software or firmware upgrades
• Network configuration mistakes
• Device lockups
• Authentication or management network failures
• Major production network outages

Instead of immediately dispatching a technician to the site, IT teams can remotely investigate the problem and potentially restore services.

Flexible Gigabit Ethernet and SFP Connectivity

The Opengear CM8008 provides two 1GbE/SFP combo network interfaces, allowing either copper Gigabit Ethernet or compatible SFP fibre connectivity to be used according to the requirements of the management network.

This provides flexibility for:

• Copper Ethernet management networks
• Fibre management networks
• Dedicated Out-of-Band networks
• Network redundancy
• Ethernet aggregation
• Automatic network failover
• Management network separation
• Existing fibre infrastructure

The dual interfaces make the CM8008 suitable for resilient network management architectures where maintaining access to the console server is particularly important.

Remote Power Management and PDU Integration

Console access can resolve many infrastructure problems remotely, but some failures require a device to be physically restarted.

The CM8000 Series provides integrated PDU support for remote power control, allowing compatible power infrastructure to be managed alongside serial-connected equipment.

This means administrators can potentially access the console of a failed device, diagnose the problem and, where necessary, remotely power-cycle the equipment without sending someone to the site.

Combining console management and remote power control can help organisations:

• Reduce Mean Time to Repair (MTTR)
• Minimise network downtime
• Reduce onsite technician callouts
• Improve support for unattended locations
• Recover equipment outside normal business hours
• Manage distributed infrastructure more efficiently

Powerful Quad-Core Automation Platform

The CM8008 is considerably more capable than a traditional serial console server. It is powered by a 1.6GHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 processor with 4GB LPDDR4 memory and 32GB eMMC storage, providing a modern platform for automation and intelligent remote management.

Automation and scalability capabilities include:

• Docker container support
• Python
• Ruby
• Ansible
• Zero Touch Provisioning
• API-based management
• SNMP standard MIB support
• Automated monitoring and remediation

These capabilities allow organisations to automate deployment, monitoring, troubleshooting, and recovery processes directly at remote and edge locations.

Enterprise Security with TPM 2.0

Out-of-Band management provides privileged access to critical infrastructure, making security an essential part of the CM8008 platform.

The Opengear CM8008 incorporates Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 hardware security together with enterprise authentication, encryption, VPN, and access-control capabilities.

Security and authentication features include:

• TPM 2.0 hardware security
• TACACS+
• RADIUS
• Active Directory
• OpenLDAP
• Local authentication fallback
• IPSec
• OpenVPN
• Secure HTTPS administration
• SSH remote access
• Secure and audited console sessions

These capabilities allow organisations to provide remote infrastructure access while maintaining strong security controls around privileged management functions.

Centralised Management with Opengear Lighthouse

The CM8008 is compatible with Opengear Lighthouse, allowing Opengear appliances and their connected infrastructure to be centrally accessed and managed across geographically distributed environments.

Lighthouse is particularly valuable for organisations operating multiple:

• Branch offices
• Retail locations
• Network closets
• Telecommunications sites
• Edge environments
• Remote infrastructure sites

Rather than administering individual console managers separately, Lighthouse provides a centralised platform for visibility and access across an Opengear deployment.

Note: The standard CM8008 is Lighthouse compatible but is not Lighthouse Service Portal (LSP) enabled. Where factory-enabled zero-touch Lighthouse Service Portal enrolment is required, the CM8008-LSP should be selected instead. An appropriate Lighthouse licence/node subscription is required separately for Lighthouse management.

Compact Design with Greater Serial Density

The CM8000 Series is designed for locations where rack space is limited but reliable Out-of-Band access remains essential.

The CM8008 combines eight serial console ports with a compact 1RU half-rack-width chassis, making it particularly attractive for locations where a full-width enterprise console manager would be excessive.

Its passive cooling design also makes it well suited to network closets, branch offices, retail locations, and other environments where noise, power consumption, and available rack space may be considerations.

Opengear Support Licence Requirement

Note. All Opengear deployments require a support license, meaning a support option must be included with every new hardware purchase.

Foundation Support delivers day-to-day assurance with regional coverage and advanced hardware replacement.

Premium Support adds 24×7 global coverage, priority escalation, and expert services for complex environments.

Existing Customers: When Foundation or Premium is purchased for any new device, all existing devices under original warranty automatically upgrade at no additional cost for the remainder of the existing term.

Ideal Applications for the Opengear CM8008

The CM8008 is particularly well suited to:

• Branch offices
• Retail locations
• Network closets
• Remote edge sites
• Telecommunications POPs
• Small data centre environments
• Managed service provider deployments
• Distributed enterprise networks
• Utility and industrial infrastructure
• Unattended network locations
• Sites requiring management of up to eight serial-connected devices

Technical Specifications

Specification	Details
Model	Opengear CM8008
Product Family	CM8000 Console Manager Series
Product Type	Smart Out-of-Band Console Manager
Serial Console Ports	8 × RJ45 RS-232
Serial Pinout	Cisco Straight X2
Serial Speed	50 to 115,200bps
Network Interfaces	2 × 1GbE/SFP combo ports
Cellular Connectivity	No
USB Ports	2 × USB 3.0
Local Console	1 × USB-C console port
CPU	1.6GHz Quad-Core ARM Cortex-A53
Memory	4GB LPDDR4 SDRAM
Internal Storage	32GB eMMC
Hardware Security	TPM 2.0
Smart Out-of-Band	Yes
Remote Access	Dual Ethernet, aggregation, redundancy and automatic network failover
Automation	ZTP, Ansible, Docker, Python, Ruby and API support
Authentication	TACACS+, RADIUS, Active Directory and OpenLDAP
VPN	IPSec and OpenVPN
Remote Power Management	Integrated PDU support
Centralised Management	Opengear Lighthouse compatible
Lighthouse Service Portal	No – standard CM8008
Environmental Monitoring	Built-in temperature sensor
Power Inputs	Dual DC inputs; second input available for redundancy
Supplied Power Adapter	Universal 110–240V AC to 12V DC external adapter
Power Consumption	Less than 24W
Cooling	Passive
Form Factor	Compact SFF, 1RU half-rack width
Dimensions	220 × 177 × 44mm
Weight	Approx. 1.25kg
Operating Temperature	5°C to 50°C
Support Requirement	Opengear Foundation or Premium Support licence required

Why Choose the Opengear CM8008?

The Opengear CM8008 is an ideal choice where organisations need more serial console capacity than the CM8004 but still want the compact footprint of the CM8000 platform.

Its eight serial console ports allow a single appliance to provide Out-of-Band access to a larger collection of routers, switches, firewalls, servers, power infrastructure, and other critical equipment. Dual copper/fibre network interfaces provide flexible management connectivity, while integrated PDU support extends remote recovery from console access to power control.

A powerful quad-core ARM platform, TPM 2.0 security, Docker support, Python, Ansible, Zero Touch Provisioning, and Lighthouse compatibility make the CM8008 considerably more than a conventional console server.

For branch offices, network closets, retail environments, edge sites, and other distributed locations, the CM8008 provides a compact platform designed to reduce downtime, accelerate remote recovery, minimise onsite callouts, and keep critical infrastructure accessible when the production network is unavailable.

 

When choosing an Opengear Appliance, please select a required Support Solution below.

Premium Support Solutions
OG-PRTS-1YR 1-Year Premium Support – Access to Premium Resources 24×7 and Advanced Replacements
OG-PRTS-2YR 2-Year Premium Support – Access to Premium Resources 24×7 and Advanced Replacements
OG-PRTS-3YR 3-Year Premium Support – Access to Premium Resources 24×7 and Advanced Replacements
OG-PRTS-5YR 5-Year Premium Support – Access to Premium Resources 24×7 and Advanced Replacements
OG-PRTS-7YR 7-Year Premium Support – Access to Premium Resources 24×7 and Advanced Replacements

CM8000 Foundation Support
OG-FNTS-CM8000-1YR 1-Year Foundation Support for CM8000 – 8×5 Regional Support with Advanced Replacement
OG-FNTS-CM8000-2YR 2-Year Foundation Support for CM8000 – 8×5 Regional Support with Advanced Replacement
OG-FNTS-CM8000-3YR 3-Year Foundation Support for CM8000 – 8×5 Regional Support with Advanced Replacement
OG-FNTS-CM8000-5YR 5-Year Foundation Support for CM8000 – 8×5 Regional Support with Advanced Replacement
OG-FNTS-CM8000-7YR 7-Year Foundation Support for CM8000 – 8×5 Regional Support with Advanced Replacement