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If you are someone that makes use of serial devices like printers, cameras, and projectors, you will at some point require access to a remote serial port over a network.
FlexiHub is an application that would assist you in this regard. A free 30-day demo version is available to test the product.
Olga Weis
Last updated Apr 23, 2024
In order to access COM ports over a network, you need to set up the serial port for remote access on the remote computer.
When you connect a serial device to the serial port of the Serial Computer (the server is the local computer where the serial device will be attached), the device will appear in the list of devices on the client machine.
A virtual port that is created will behave exactly like an actual physical port. Any device connected to the server machine will be accessible by the client as if the device was physically attached to the client.
It’s time to discuss how to access remote serial port over ethernet. But first, we’ll provide a brief overview regarding serial port data remote Linux connectivity.
Linux’s derives its name for serial ports from UNIX tradition.
This is different from IBM’s traditional PC philosophy (i.e., COM1, COM2, and COM3 etc.)
Unfortunately, Linux lacks "virtual serial ports". However, Linux does have a file that supports additional “ioctls”. If users don't need those, they can attempt to redirect using tools like “socat”.
If users figure out how to send a device’s serial data over an IP connection (via socat on the remote end), they must understand how to convert that IP stream back into a (virtual) serial device.
Step 1: Using terminal emulators (like PuTTY), launch a console session
Step 2: Select “Serial” as the connection type
Step 3: Alter the Serial line to match the COM port that was listed earlier
Please note: It’s normal for console speeds to reach 9600.
Step 4: Navigate to the bottom of the page and hit “Open” to connect to the console
Please note: Additionally, users can forward COM devices transparently over a network connection.
Users should be able to use the PIPE address-type of socat to create a Unix pipe connection. As an example (assuming the device—functioning with a real serial device—creates a network connection):
socat PIPE:/dev/fakesocatserial0 TCP-LISTEN:1234
For those desiring the ability to remote access serial ports on a Windows OS, users can try FlexiHub (from the above tutorial.) Available on Windows, Mac, and Linux, FlexiHub is an excellent cross-platform solution (enabling remote serial port for android devices, for example.)
With just a couple of clicks, FlexiHub allows users to easily access remote COM ports. However, when using Remote Desktop, users can also attempt a connection with a remote serial port.
Follow the steps below to connect devices (with interface RS232) to a PC workstation—as well as transmit read data through an RDP session to a remote application.
Step 1: Setup the desired device to run the appropriate interface RS232
Step 2: Establish a connection from the device to the serial port
Step 3: Map the PC`s serial port from the hardware connection via the RDP server COM
Step 4: Open the serial port mapped during the previous step
Please note: Foreground remote applications (focusing on an input field) recieve the data read by the device.
Step 1: Ensure that serial port redirection is enabled in the Remote Desktop Connection client
Step 2: Click Options from the Remote Desktop Connection window
Step 3: Ensure that “Ports” is checked/enabled (located on the Local Resources tab, beneath Local devices)
Step 4: Hit Connect
That’s it! All local serial ports are available via the same port name (COM1, COM2, etc.,) within the RDP connection.
Now when running remote desktop sessions from a workstation to a Terminal Server, any and all communication within the remote desktop session (using COM1, COM2, etc.) is redirected to the client workstation's local (physical) COM1, COM2, etc.
Another way to think of it is: Within the remote desktop session there are "virtual serial ports" possessing the same name as the physical ports on the client workstation.
