Serial over LAN Software: 2020 Definitive Guide

Accessing serial over LAN - a common problem

Serial port devices such as barcode scanners, GPS readers, specific industrial equipment, and various lab instruments typically do not use a serial over LAN connection but a good-old serial cable to communicate with software on a computer.

When the device and computer are located some distance apart, a physical connection is impossible. Serial over LAN software enables the device to be attached locally to a server and accessed remotely by the application running on a client machine. A simple example is an application running in the home office that interacts with barcode scanners in a variety of remote retail locations.

Practical solution

FlexiHub provides the capability to share serial ports over Ethernet. That allows devices to be accessed by remote users with full functionality. The sofyware offers advanced features such as secure serial over network data transfer and high-speed connectivity.

No extra hardware or cables are required making this an efficient and effective method of accessing serial ports over network.

How to share serial ports over network

Follow the steps below to share COM ports over the network with FlexiHub:

1. Register a FlexiHub account here.
   
   
2. To share COM ports, start a free demo by selecting a required number of connections and acquiring a demo subscription.
   
   
3. Download and install FlexiHub both on the local and remote computers.
   
   
4. Launch the app and log in with your email and password.
   
   
5. On the remote computer find a required device and click "Connect" to access serial port over network.

Here is a detailed video guide on how to share COM ports over the network:

After completing these simple instructions, you will be able to connect to network serial ports and devices from any remote location, and use them as if they were plugged to your computer.

What is Serial over LAN?

Serial over LAN is a functionality that allows serial port data to be transmitted over the network. It is made possible by convering and encapsulating serial data to network packets transferred to the remote machines.

Virtualization is the key to the power of FlexiHub. Using advanced port redirection technology, the software creates shared COM ports that can be accessed over the network.

Benefits from using serial over LAN software

✓ No matter the distance between the computers, with FlexiHub you will be able to use any serial port device whether it is connected to the computer in the same building or overseas. Serial devices plugged into the PCs that are logged into the same FlexiHub account can be accessed over network right away.

✓ FlexiHub is a versatile cross-platform solution that runs on Windows, Linux, and Mac systems.

Note: Linux and Mac versions cannot share serial devices. It is possible to share serial ports on Windows only.

✓ A direct connection between the computers might not be possible when one of them does not have a discoverable public IP address. FlexiHub will send serial data over the Serial Redirector server so that you could still connect remote COM port devices.

✓ 2048-bit SSL encryption that is used in FlexiHub ensures advanced security when connecting serial devices over network so you wouldn’t worry about data safety.