Cisco Commands – How to Copy via SCP from Switch/Router with Remote Port Specification

I figured it out.

The ASR's IP address needs to be in an ACL on the device that you want to pull the config from. It must also have write privilege. The ASR also needs the IP address in an ACL from the device that you are trying to pull the config from. If you do a debug snmp packets on both devices you will see the communication waiting for responses from both devices.

Optional: If you are trying to push a file from another tftp server through SNMP the device that is receiving the file will also need an ACL with that server's IP address for it to work.

does anyone have experience with these things?

Centuries, actually. And that experience says to leave things you know very little (or nothing) about alone, especially when they're systems that (a) work, and (b) have worked for years. Live with it for a few years before declaring it crap.

I call this "new kid syndrome"; the guy comes in, and from day-one declares everything to be antiquated, inefficient junk, and sets off to replace it all with whatever the current generation of "shiny" happens to be. (ruby, cloud, etc.) I've seen this hundreds of times. I've seen tank several companies. All because the new guy doesn't know the processes he's bent on replacing; they don't know the history of why we do things we do the way we do them.

What you are describing is an age old network serial console. That's a terminal server providing telnet access to a device that has no network access of its own -- either because it has no network capability, or isn't configured yet. Your terminal server was setup with a menu interface to select the port, most likely to simplify the process. Having to know the IP and/or TCP port for a specific port can get confusing.

Your demand to use SSH will only complicate attempts of automated/scripted access. (there's a lot more work than simply opening a socket.)

I doubt you have access, or authorization, to make changes, but here's how we used to manage access to telco gear:

ip alias 10.200.5.201 3007
!
line 33 41
 session-timeout 30  output
 location DEX-600E Switch Port
 flush-at-activation
 refuse-message ^C
All XXX switch ports are in use. Please try again later.
^C
 modem DTR-active
 rotary 7
 no exec
 transport input telnet
 autohangup
 stopbits 1
 flowcontrol software out

The first line maps 10.200.5.201 to connect to port 3007 -- 3000(telnet) + rotary. One could also connect to the router's IP:3007 and get the same thing. The line configuration programs 9 ports in a group ("rotary".)