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Serial over LAN Software -
TOP List

Editorial Team Editorial Team
Updated: Dec 12, 2024

Many industries use equipment and peripheral devices connected to computers via serial ports. This connection is often established through physical cable wires that enable communication between the serial device and its host computer.


Serial over LAN software solutions are revolutionary alternatives to hardware connectors. Unlike hard-wired connections, these solutions enable remote access to multiple serial devices anytime and anywhere.


You can share a serial device over LAN with the help of a software or hardware solution. In this tutorial, we’ll tell you about the top RS232 over LAN apps and their main advantages.

Contents
  1. Comparison table for "Serial over LAN software - TOP List" based on key features and user considerations
  2. Serial to Ethernet Connector
  3. FlexiHub
  4. TCP/Com
  5. Network Serial Port Kit
  6. SERIAL-TCP
  7. Advanced Virtual COM port

Comparison Table for Serial Over Ethernet Software

Before we assess the key features and benefits of our carefully considered SOL solutions, we will take a quick look using the comparison table below.
Feature
Serial over Ethernet
FlexiHub
TCP/COM
Network Serial Port Kit
SERIAL-TCP/IP
Advanced Virtual COM Port
Remote serial port access
Yes, over LAN/internet
Yes, both COM and USB over network
Yes, over TCP/IP networks
Yes, real and virtual serial ports
Yes, over TCP/IP
Yes, over LAN
Virtual port creation
Yes, for expanding serial interfaces
No
No
Yes, virtual and physical ports
No
Yes, fully functional virtual COM ports
Data encryption
No
Yes, with advanced encryption
No
Yes, advanced encryption
No
No
Device sharing
Yes, remote device access
Yes, multi-device sharing
Yes, serial devices over TCP/IP
Yes, across multiple machines
No
Yes, RS232 device management
Real-Time communication
No
Yes, with FlexiChat
No
No
No
No
Compatibility
Windows, Linux
Windows, macOS, Linux
Windows
Windows
Windows
Windows
Subscription model
One-time purchase
Subscription-based
One-time purchase
One-time purchase
One-time purchase
One-time purchase
Use case examples
Industrial automation, healthcare
Remote IT support, device sharing
Custom app development, network control
Multi-PC access in IT and industrial environments
Device testing, debugging, network analysis
Software testing, remote device access

Serial to Ethernet Connector


At the top of our list is Serial over Ethernet by Electronic Team. Among the best serial over LAN solutions, we found this software the most capable with its wide range of functionalities, such as COM port sharing over LAN, COM port sharing to multiple clients, serial port data redirection to UDP, raw data sending, and more.
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Serial to Ethernet Connector
4.9 Rank based on 372+ users reviews
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usb to remote desktop

Top Capabilities

Serial to Ethernet connector is designed to create as many virtual ports as you need, which makes sharing of COM ports over the network easier and faster.

This software provides a great deal of functionalities, including:

  • Share serial devices over a network: share remote computer COM port devices to peripheral equipment with the same functionality as a direct physical connection.

  • Use serial devices from Virtual machines: suppose a legacy serial port device works only with an outdated OS. Instead of installing this OS to hardware, you can use Serial to Ethernet Connector to redirect the host’s physical serial port to the VM, which will recognize the legacy device as if it’s physically connected to a local port.

  • Transfer serial data to the Cloud: Establish communication channels among cloud computers, serial port devices, and equipment. As of this writing, Serial to Ethernet Connector supports serial port device reconnection in Azure, ESX, Oracle, VMware, AWS, Google Cloud, and IBM Cloud.

  • Redirect serial port data over Telnet: Access serial devices seamlessly using the Telnet RFC2217 protocol.

  • Broadcast serial device data via UDP: Utilize User Datagram Protocol (UDP) to transmit data and messages to devices over your local area network (LAN). The use of UDP provides enhanced flexibility as it encapsulates data from serial port with minimal setup.

  • Simultaneous connectivity to multiple COM ports: This SOL solution enables data transmission from a single serial port device to multiple remote devices (e.g., connect GPS sensor to several remote PCs and enable “point-to-point” data transmission). Similarly, you can use a Serial to Ethernet Connector for data consolidation from multiple serial port devices to a single remote computer (e.g., consolidate data from multiple alarm sensors to a centralized computer).

The Key Benefits

We’re pretty much familiar with serial over LAN (SOL) software, which provides access (and control) to serial devices over a local network and enables remote management of computers or devices “communicating” via serial ports (especially RS232). Yet, this is just the tip of the iceberg. SOL solution offers a myriad of other benefits, such as:

  • The ability to create an unlimited number of virtual serial ports.

  • The possibility to exchange serial data over the UDP protocol. What’s nice is that in this case, you don’t need to have Serial to Ethernet Connector installed on the remote PC.

  • The possibility to select RAW data transmission algorithm or Telnet (RFC 2217) protocol for data transfer.

  • The application works as a Windows service, so after you reboot your system all connections and settings will be re-configured automatically.

  • Serial to Ethernet Connector supports different Windows versions (x32 and x64), including Windows XP/2003/2008/Vista/7/8/10/11 on ARM, Windows Server 2012/2016/2019/2022. In addition, you get the ability to use a command-line software version for Linux OS.
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FlexiHub

FlexiHub is another popular software application for serial port remote access. This powerful utility also works as a Windows service and allows you to share COM ports over LAN and any distance.

The software is powered by an advanced port redirection technology which makes it possible to virtualize any COM port over LAN and forward it to a user’s local computer. The app has a streamlined and intuitive GUI and can be run as by tech-savvy users as by computer newbies.
FlexiHub

Top Capabilities

  • Remote access to COM and USB interfaces: FlexiHub enables remote access to serial ports and allows you to connect to USB devices remotely over the network.

  • Choose a subscription plan based on your connection needs: Whether you need a single or multiple connections, FlexiHub offers a subscription plan that fits your budget and needs.

  • Traffic compression for enhanced network speed: FlexiHub has built-in traffic compression options to speed up data transmission processes.

  • Advanced encryption for data security: FlexiHub encrypts data transmitted over the network using the TLS 1.2 protocol. Data that might go to their server will remain encrypted and anonymous.

  • Interact with remote users: FlexiChat is an additional functionality that allows you to communicate with other remote users as you share or access COM and USB interfaces.

TCP/COM

TCP/COM is a simple yet functional utility that can turn your local computer into a “serial device server” accessible to other PCs on your network. This software can also create “virtual serial ports” that enable a user to remotely access and manage serial devices.
TCP/Com

Top Advantages

TCP/COM comes with a variety of features that simplify remote device access over TCP networks, such as:

  • Enables RS232 data exchange over TCP/IP networks: All data from connected serial devices (e.g., modems, sensors, scanners, and lab instruments) connected to the serial ports of a PC is accessible anywhere over any TCP-based network. This makes serial over ethernet connections highly efficient.

  • Access remote COM ports as if locally connected: TCP/COM creates virtual serial ports on your client PC, providing access to remote COM ports as if they were physically connected.

  • Simplifies remote device management: TCP/COM Configuration is straightforward. It lets you manage up to 256 virtual serial ports and set them up in a user-friendly interface. All configuration settings are saved upon closing the program.

  • Eliminates the need for physical serial port hardware: With TCP/COM’s virtual serial ports, you can access and manage serial devices even without physical serial port hardware.

Network Serial Port Kit

Network Serial Port Kit is a serial to ethernet software that allows users to share real and virtual serial ports over LAN or the Internet in such a way that they will become available for connection from other PCs over the network.

This software creates virtual serial ports that perfectly emulate physical COM ports, allowing seamless transfer of data between devices.
Network Serial Port Kit

Top Advantages

  • Access Remote Serial Devices: If you want to access a serial device attached to a remote PC, installation of a Network Serial Port Kit in the remote and local PC (over the LAN or internet) provides access to the remote serial device. This solution is ideal for good serial to ethernet connections.

  • Access Remote COM Ports as if locally connected: Network Serial Port Kit enables access to any serial devices connected to remote computers as if they were connected directly to your local PC.

  • Easy Setup on Both Local and Remote Machines: Install and configure the software easily in a few minutes.

  • Seamless Data Transmission between Physical and Virtual Ports: As virtual ports perfectly emulate physical ports, seamless data transmission between the remote and local devices is ensured.

SERIAL-TCP

SERIAL-TCP is a great choice if you desire to establish and extend serial device communications over a TCP network. This program comes with in-app functionalities for TCP network analysis such as "Resolve IP Address / HostName", "COM Port State LEDs", and “Ping”. It also enables COM software testing and debugging.

Currently, this Serial to IP Software is compatible with Windows 8, 7, Vista, and XP (x32 and x64) versions.
Serial-TCP

Top Advantages

  • Remote Device Management: Easily access and control serial devices over TCP networks, making it simple to manage remote equipment like sensors and industrial controllers.

  • Industrial Automation: Enables real-time monitoring and control of serial devices across remote manufacturing facilities.

  • Networked Environments: Makes it easy to manage serial devices across multiple locations from a single, centralized interface using your existing IP network.

  • Legacy System Integration: Offers Windows compatibility, which allows older serial-based equipment to be managed through IP networks.

  • Cost-Effective Scalability: With a one-time purchase model, Serial-to-TCP solutions offer a budget-friendly way to expand Remote Access without worrying about ongoing fees.

Advanced Virtual COM Port

Advanced virtual COM port is a simple utility program that provides local - and network-based Virtual Serial Port functions. Put simply, this program creates virtual serial ports that can connect with a virtual null-modem cable over the Internet or local area network (LAN) and share Physical Serial Ports over LAN.

Advanced Virtual COM port

Top Advantages

  • Serial Data Redirection: This easily redirects data from physical COM ports to virtual ones, allowing devices to communicate across networks.

  • Multi-Platform Support: Offers compatibility across various operating systems, ensuring consistent access to your serial devices.

  • Enhanced Security: Provides robust data encryption for secure remote access to sensitive devices, which is crucial for industries like healthcare and finance.

  • Real-Time Monitoring: Allows you to track live data from serial devices, making it easier to make quick, informed decisions in critical environments

  • Software-Based Scalability: Effortlessly add or remove Virtual COM Ports as your needs change so you can adapt to evolving infrastructure requirements without additional hardware.

Serial to Ethernet Connector
Access remote serial port over IP Network for Windows
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