using USB or ethernet port for a serial connection

Question

Hi, the company I work for has several machines (lathes, machining centers) that make various metal parts. We currently have a stationary Dell with a DB9 (serial) connector on the back. Attached to this is a DB9 to DB25 adapter. A cable (with DB25 male connectors on both ends) runs from there into the machine room and we can connect the DB25 to any of the various machines. We (slowly!) download programs from the PC to the machines and from the machines to the PC (don't laugh, it works just fine). We have machinery in another building and bought the laptop (630M) to use in the place of the stationary Dell in the other building to download and receive programs to/from the machines there. The problem is that the laptop does not have a DB9 or DB25 serial port on the back of it to connect to (I have heard that older laptops do have such ports). It does have the RJ45 ethernet port and, of course the USB ports. Could either of those ports be used for a serial connection to the machines and if so, how? Is there some better thing to try? I found a company that makes an adapter (and has the drivers included in the price) to connect the USB port serially to a DB25. Has anyone tried this and if so, did it work? Would connecting the ethernet RJ45 port on the portable, to the machines work and if so, which DB25 pins would be used to connect to which RJ45 'pins'? TIA Judy

BBraxton · Answer

Never used it (so I don't know) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000067RVJ/002-3257713-4199222?v=glance&n=172282

VBdotNet · Answer

I have one of these:   http://www.iogear.com/main.php?loc=product&Item=GUC232A   It works very well.

Networking, Internet, & Bluetooth

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