Adding Serial Ports to a Computer with Only USB Ports

So you bought a new computer but you don't have serial ports?

It's surprisingly common these days - you find an awesome machine that does everything you want it to do, but then you get home and find out that amongst the lightning-fast processor and terabyte hard drive, you're missing something - a serial port.

Most laptop manufacturers have killed RS-232

In an effort to enforce newer standards, such as USB and FireWire, many laptop manufacturers have let serial ports fall by the wayside. They don't take into account the millions of people and businesses that still require serial ports for one application or another.

Add a true serial port with a USB adapter

You can use a USB to Serial Adapter to easily and quickly add a serial port to your laptop. The nice thing about the adapter is that you can use multiple adapters on one machine (using a hub or an add-on card) and dynamically set the COM assignment.

Various serial devices requiring some type of serial port

Many PDA's, GPS units, routers, printers, fax machines, etc. still require serial ports. A lot of these devices are moving to newer standards, most notably USB, but many still operate on legacy technologies (serial or parallel) because of the difficulty in rewriting drivers for the newer standards.

Preston Wily is the Director of Marketing for Sewell Direct, a retailer of hard-to-find computer hardware and accessories.

---

Expansion Cards Part 2: AGP

Expansion Cards Part 2: AGPThe first in this series of Tech Tips on expansion cards took a look at the PCI slot, and the variety of devices... Read More

A Review of Samsung Laser Toners

Samsung laser toner is just as popular as its Hewlett-Packard and Brother counterparts. Samsung is a group of products and services that began in Korea in 1938.... Read More

High Definition DVD

High definition DVD, also known as HD-DVD (which actually stands for High Density DVD), is one of two competing high definition storage format - the other being... Read More

Thumb Drives - Great New Technology!

The ability to easily move data from PC to PC with minimal inconvenience is just another benefit computers have brought to the current business world.Over the past... Read More

Printer Cartridge Economics -- Four Ways To Make Your Ink Last Longer

Printer cartridge overheads can be a major expense for any busy office -- and even if you're working at home, it's important to factor in the amount... Read More

Your Printer Is Out Of Ink -- Now What?

We've all been there. You're in the middle of printing out an important document and your printer suddenly stops. It's the dreaded "out of ink" message. So... Read More

Small Computers

Today, small form factor computers demolish the myth that bigger PCs are faster. Specially designed SFF computers from Ovi PC, like the Prometheus, deliver tower-crushing performance in... Read More

Wireless Networking, Part 1: Capabilities and Hardware

Wireless Networking, Part 1: Capabilities and HardwareThese days it isn't uncommon for a home to have multiple personal computers, and as such, it just makes sense for... Read More

How to Avoid Getting Ripped-Off When You Purchase A New Printer

It's no big secret that printer companies like HP and Brother are marketing their printers with the cost of refilling the cartridges in mind. Just the other... Read More

How to Choose a New Hard Drive for Your Computer

If you are running out of space on your computer or find that programs load a little slow, or that big files take a long time to... Read More

Printer Cartridges - Step Back in History

You are working and trying to print out important documents when you discover that you are out of ink. This would have been a big drawback in... Read More

Your Hard Drive is Going to Explode ? Why a UPS is Essential

It's most peoples worst computing nightmare. You wake up in the morning, flip on the computer, and it doesn't boot. Sometimes the problem rears its ugly head... Read More

What Can You Do With A Mac Mini?

If you have not seen the newest addition to the Macintosh line, it is worth taking a look. It is a very small computer that is only... Read More

Refurbished Laptop Batteries

There are three refurbished laptop battery types, each named for its component materials:Nickel Cadmium (NiCad) batteries are hardly ever seen anymore. They have dismally low capacities (2000-3000... Read More

Refurbished Laptops are the Real Deal!

Laptop computers have found usefulness as portable media devices.Even refurbished laptops can be used as DVD players, stereos, and recording devices. The mobility and portability of laptops... Read More