Generally about the Serial to Ethernet / Ethernet to Serial Converter:
A Serial to Ethernet converter , also called a Ethernet to Serial device server, is a very useful device for connecting serial devices to communicate over a Ethernet network. It converts Serial to Ethernet and Ethernet to Serial in both directions.
A Serial to Ethernet / Ethernet to Serial device server can convert a serial RS232, RS485 or RS422 signal to a packet size data signal which can be sent over any Ethernet network. The Ethernet to Serial server does this bi-directional meaning that it converts data in both directions, from serial to Ethernet and from Ethernet to serial data. This means that with a serial to Ethernet / Ethernet to Serial server you can access a serial RS232, RS485 or RS422 device from anywhere on a standard Ethernet (LAN) network. Many serial Ethernet / Ethernet Serial servers even allow you to access serial to Ethernet device server applications over the Internet.
So as you can imagine a serial to Ethernet / Ethernet to Serial server is a very convenient and useful device. For example you can use a Ethernet to Serial server to access and re-program your house alarm in Omaha via the Internet while you are on vacation sunbathing on beach in Bahamas, provided that your alarm has a serial to Ethernet RS232, RS485 or RS422 interface.
Another example could be a serial Ethernet / Ethernet to Serial server allowing you to connect to and configure your machines serial to Ethernet interface at the other end of the factory over the local LAN network while you sit in your office. This is one of the great advantage by using a Ethernet to Serial server since you do not have to install new wires to connect to the machine and you do not have to walk all the way to the other end of the factory to configure the machine.
A Ethernet to Serial server typically comes with 1, 2, 4 or 8 serial ports which can be either serial to Ethernet / Ethernet to Serial server interfaces of RS232, RS485 or RS422 ports or a combination hereof. A 1 and 2-port serial to Ethernet / Ethernet to Serial server generally has the size of a packet of cigarettes, 4 and 8 ports typically have the size of a cigar box.
The serial to Ethernet / Ethernet to Serial server is often used in industrial environments, however many serial Ethernet / Ethernet to Serial server are also used in office and consumer applications. Typically a serial to Ethernet / Ethernet to Serial server is used for connecting a machines serial to Ethernet / Ethernet to Serial server interface with a PC so the machine can be monitored and even controlled remotely via the serial Ethernet device server.
Setting up a serial Ethernet / Ethernet to Serial server is usually a fairly simple task, however if you want to use the serial Ethernet device server to access a device over the Internet then it becomes more advanced, we have ofcourse a setup guide for this.
