Using the serial console port is a third method to managing switches on the network. There are a few benefits to using the switch’s serial port. It allows administrators to gain access to the switch on the network while the switch is booting, and allows them to view the boot process. It allows access to switches that have not yet been configured and allows administrators to configure them. It also allows access to the command line for continued configuration, alongside the in-band and OOB management. All CLI commands are available through the serial port session. Limitations are that it requires a serial switch on the network in order to achieve one-to-many management access. The serial port is not an Ethernet port and therefore cannot be configured with an IP address or accept SSH, telnet, or SNMP traffic. It also has limited network security and monitoring capabilities. Once an administrator uses the serial port to initially configure a switch, the serial port is considered only as a secondary backup for management purposes.