ciscoswitch
I have a Cisco C2950-24 Switch Out-Of-Box here. But my laptop doesn't have serial port nor I have the console hub.
Is there a way to setup the switch from this state without console access? I have a router that is feeding DHCP to the root port of the switch.
If booting while MODE is held down doesn't produce any output via the serial console, and you have the right cable and terminal settings for your device (which you should be able to find from cisco), then I would tend to blame a hardware issue.
The console port on the 2516 is indeed a serial port, but it uses an RJ45 connector and a weird "rollover cable" to connect the RJ45 console port on the hub to the serial port on your laptop. You should have got a rollover cable with the hub; last time I bought any Cisco kit, they were light blue thin ribbon-style cables with a standard 9-pin serial connector on one end and an RJ45 connector on the other. They're called rollover cables because the pins at either end are wired 1->8, 2->7, 3->6, etc.
Best Answer
The standard approach is to use a USB-to-serial adapter and a (Cisco) console cable to perform the initial configuration.
Basically, the state of your current switch is unknown. Is it new from a factory, refurbished, used? Either way, there's no guarantee on how the switch was configured and what's on the unit. For example, I've had Cisco ASA firewalls come with DHCP enabled and mostly up-to-date, whereas many other devices came new with no network configuration and outdated software.
It may be worth the investment in a serial adapter at this point. The Tripp-Lite USA-19HS unit pictured above is quite popular and supports most operating systems.