/* Marion Hakanson [hakanson@cse.ogi.edu] writes: */
We weren't happy about the prospect of passing console traffic or root passwords unencrypted over the network, so the typical ethernet- attached solution was not so attractive. For network access we use ssh to get to the Sun console server, which gives (slightly :-) better protection than telnet.
Yup... we have the same concern here. With the Lightwave box (console server 3200) you can have "terminal" port(s) which you can can connect to the back of "secured" machines (or actual dumb terminals) and do as you describe, ssh in and then connect to the console server and then select the device you want. My "secured" machine is also connected to the terminal server so if that machine runs into trouble, worst case is I *can* telnet into the console server, resolve the problem, and then go about changing passwords as necessary.
This works particularly well in a colocation type environment.