Virtual serial port over Ethernet Linux
Serial to Ethernet Connector also provides Linux virtual serial port over Ethernet capability. It offers the same functionality as the Windows version of the application and can easily be downloaded to your Linux machine. There are also alternative methods that you use to send serial data over the network using tools that are included as part of most Linux distributions.
One option is to use netcat to pipe serial data. This can quickly become messy as you need to open a separate instance of netcat for each serial connection. You can create a xinetd service to create persisting connections like this:
service testservice
{
port = 5900
socket_type = stream
protocol = tcp
wait = yes
user = root
server = /usr/bin/netcat
server_args = "-l 5900 < /dev/ttyS0"
}
Be sure to change the /dev/ttyS0 to the name of the serial device involved in the connection. This method provides a free virtual serial port over Ethernet solution.
Some other tools that have been tested and can provide virtual serial port over Ethernet on Linux machines are:
- ser2net - Serial to Network Proxy (ser2net)
This utility allows users to connect to a serial port from the network. It is a self-developed program that gives the user a tool to setup and configure serial ports. It is also useful for modifying port parameters as well as controlling and monitoring serial interfaces.
Short for "remote tty”, remtty uses pseudo ttys to establish network connections. Using this tool enables Linux users to enjoy the same functionality of Cisco's Windows-based Dialout application and use direct connections to machines with dial-out modems for faxing and sending messages.
What is a network serial port?
A network serial port is a virtualized serial port established with a network socket on a host computer. The network socket has a port number and IP address and is the termination of a network connection.
The popularity of network serial ports is growing as a means of providing connectivity with serial devices. It expands the range and utility of serial equipment by eliminating the need for a direct connection to access the peripherals. Another benefit of network serial ports is the ability to share interfaces among multiple users.
Network serial port freeware or paid solutions enable the virtual ports to be accessed and managed from any location through the use of a simple web browser. On Windows systems, a driver installation enables a networked serial interface to behave the same way as a local COM port.
Virtual serial port over Network passthrough technology
A network serial port server solves the problem of attaching to serial peripheral equipment that is not within the range of a direct cabled connection. Employing serial over IP network technology lets users access your serial devices no matter where they are without being physically connected to them.
The technology works by converting serial data to the network format so it can be transmitted over a network. The converters translate serial data over Ethernet and back. Once the COM signals are in TCP/IP format they can be transmitted over any IP-compatible network such as your company’s LAN or the Internet.
You now have all the tools at your disposal to work with remote COM ports over Ethernet connections. Serial over Ethernet Connector is a versatile tool that can run on real or virtual Linux or Windows systems. It provides an easy way to share virtual serial ports and their connected devices with network-connected users located anywhere in the world. It doesn’t require additional hardware or extensive configuration, making it an effective and efficient solution to the lack of serial ports on modern computers.
