NewsGuy At JimPrice.Com
08-21-2004, 06:12 AM
I've played around with a number of "serial-to-ethernet" boxes to
help me support different pieces of serial equipment, but the
problem is that they always end up on a network behind a firewall.
Needless to say, getting the LAN adminsitrator to give me access
is always a hassle.
I found the Traversix Connectivity System (www.traversix.com)
a while back, and it looks like a pretty good solution.
The neat thing is that it's more than just a serial-to-ethernet
converter. It also includes a client for your PC that makes
a virtual serial port, but more importantly, includes a managed
service at a central gateway. This allows the serial server and
the client to connect to each other if either or both of them are
behind a firewall, without requiring any special firewall
configuration.
All data is secure and encrypted, which I like, and the system
seems to have pretty low latency, as well as sending all control
signals. My serial applications can't tell the difference between
the client's virtual serial port and a real one.
They're selling a starter kit with one Connectivity Server,
the software, and a 3-month license to use their Gateway
on their web site. If you've got a tough remote connectivity
problem, it's definitely worth checking out.
I've used it to:
Manage a PBX
Update firmware
Monitor an industrial controller
Capture data from a lab experiment
I'm sure you can think of lots of other uses as well.
help me support different pieces of serial equipment, but the
problem is that they always end up on a network behind a firewall.
Needless to say, getting the LAN adminsitrator to give me access
is always a hassle.
I found the Traversix Connectivity System (www.traversix.com)
a while back, and it looks like a pretty good solution.
The neat thing is that it's more than just a serial-to-ethernet
converter. It also includes a client for your PC that makes
a virtual serial port, but more importantly, includes a managed
service at a central gateway. This allows the serial server and
the client to connect to each other if either or both of them are
behind a firewall, without requiring any special firewall
configuration.
All data is secure and encrypted, which I like, and the system
seems to have pretty low latency, as well as sending all control
signals. My serial applications can't tell the difference between
the client's virtual serial port and a real one.
They're selling a starter kit with one Connectivity Server,
the software, and a 3-month license to use their Gateway
on their web site. If you've got a tough remote connectivity
problem, it's definitely worth checking out.
I've used it to:
Manage a PBX
Update firmware
Monitor an industrial controller
Capture data from a lab experiment
I'm sure you can think of lots of other uses as well.