cctalk Digest, Vol 3, Issue 45 - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

19 Nov 2003

On Wed, 19 Nov 2003 12:41:39 -0600 (CST),
cctalk-request(a)classiccmp.org wrote:

...
  ------------------------------

 Message: 9
 Date: Wed, 19 Nov 2003 08:31:49 -0800
 From: bob(a)jfcl.com (Bob Armstrong)
 Subject: Telnet to RS232 Gizmo?
 To: cctalk(a)classiccmp.org
 Message-ID: &lt;03111908314964(a)jfcl.com&gt;

   I want a little gizmo with an RS-232/DB25 on one side
...
  and a RJ45/10baseT
 on the other.  It should speak TCP/IP, specifically
 telnet, and convert it
 to RS-232.  Kind of like a print server, except for
 telnet/RS232 instead of
 lpd/Centronics.

   The idea is to use it to put some of my old computers
...
  on the network
 by plugging it into their console serial ports.  

   There are enough microprocessors around today with
 embedded TCP/IP
 stacks that such a thing would not be that hard to
 build, but it
 sounds like the kind of thing that somebody else must
 have already
 done.

   Can anybody give me any pointers to such a gizmo?

Bob,

There are several single port terminal servers
available.  I have used the PicoWeb and the
HelloDevice.  The PicoWeb server is cheaper and
available from www.picoweb.net, but he did not
reply to my last emails.  Instead we bought the
single port hellodevice model ls100 from www.sena.com.

the PicoWeb site has complete schematics etc.  The
HelloDevice LS100 is more of production device.  Its
also easier to setup and use.

...
 From memory, the PicWeb Server was about $90 and the
LS100 was about $130. 

If you need lots of serial ports, perhaps a standard
terminal server would be better.  Speaking of which,
does anyone know of a MOPD server for Windows 98?

Max