🔌 StarTech.com ExpressCard 1 Port RS232 Serial Adapter Card: Fast Data Transfer with 16950 UART - EC1S952 Review

As a networker it is important for you to have a serial port as it is the method you use to connect your console to your main network devices. As laptops have gotten thinner and lighter over the years, the somewhat bulky serial ports have been eliminated entirely, and it's rare to find a decent laptop with a built-in serial port these days. The most common way to get a COM port. The port is used to receive USB-to-serial adapters, commonly referred to as dongles. Although these wrenches work…

I have a device at work that just won't connect to USB serial adapters. My trusty Keypan USB Serial Adapter that works with pretty much everything else doesn't work. I contacted the manufacturer, they said I should be able to connect to the FTDI USB serial adapter. I tried one with good reviews with the same results. They were at a loss and stopped responding to me. I can connect to an old Dell Latitude with a built in serial port, but I need to bring a second computer with Windows XP…

This board adds a true serial port to your laptop. Most serial adapters use the PCI-USB-SERIAL interface. If you have older software that requires a real serial port, this card offers that option. I'm using it to program microcontrollers through a Linux system hosted in VirtualBox on Windows 7.

Interestingly it works in an older version of Dell Latitude (I mean older) but in the Latitude E6440 the operating system does not confirm that it is in the EC slot. There's not even a clicking sound, which you'd expect while the older Latitude had a click. So when you buy one, you should be aware that the laptop you are using may or may not be able to absorb heat from it. Now on to the device itself. I love the fact that it feels very secure in this slot. USB in general has always bothered me…

I am using this device to communicate with a weather station serial recorder. That worked great for my application. I think this option is better than using a USB to serial port adapter.

I bought this card as a backup adapter card for my Dell laptop. The card worked fine with the relays I was connected to. I will buy another card when I buy my next laptop as they no longer have COM ports and USB to serial cables don't always work.

I had to return it: First I had driver issues on two HP laptops with Win 7 Professional (device won't start (code 10)). Also, I originally received confirmation from Startech support that this card supported 9-bit serial, but later found out it didn't. Startech may have fixed their website since then.