When I used to connect from a PC or Windows laptop to a Cisco console port my memories are that it was easier than doing the same using a Mac. I think that goes back to the additional functionality buried in the Windows terminal programs.
I purchased a Keyspan model USA-19HS USB to DB-9 serial adapter. It comes with a CD containing both Windows and Mac drivers.
Using this with the Mac they include the Keyspan USB port utility; a small sioftware application that installs on your Mac and after you connect the adapter the app reports how OS X named the port. For instance the utility saw my adapter as USB adapter as USA19H3d1P1. To connect using that adapter to a router I open Terminal and type screen /dev/USA19H3d1P1. That connects Terminal through the serial adapter to the router so that I power up I see the console.
One of the first things I had to do once I connected to a router was password recovery. To send a break to a serial attached device using Terminal you need to type CTRL-A and then CTRL-B. CTRL-B is the break key. CTRL-A directs the input to the Terminal application.
