Comm Ports

[mustangcoupe]

I have added a serial card to my server with 4 comm ports on it, and I now have the ip to 4 Com port adapter listed in the "hot deals" thread lately. What is an easy way of determining the com port? I have tried to "connect" to one at a time, but it is just a Pain in the but, until I determin which port is which... and BTW the server has 2 on board headers which I am not using. (so without the ip hardware it lists 6 valid com ports)

ahhhhhhhh


oh ya the server is closed and in a rack in case you'r going to tell me to look at the card

 

[drozwood90]

I usually just short pins 2 and 3 (paperclip with a gender changer). Then use hyperterminal and type a bunch of letters. If echo is on, you'll get two of every keypress if you are on the right port....with echo off, you will not get anything unless you are on the com port.

Pretty simple to cycle through them.

--Dan

 

[electron]

Device manager shows which ones are the Quatech ones. Most multi-com port adapters show up differently under Device Manager, so it should be easy to figure this out.

 

[pete_c]

Here is what you will see with the Quantech server:

 

[electron]

"Ethernet Serial Port" s your Quatech device, so port 1 on the QSE is COM8 on the system, port 2 is COM9, etc...

 

[mustangcoupe]

thanks guys, the Quatech is not asmuch as a concern as it is not in the picture yet but the 4 onboard ports is the ones that is a headache... I may just try drozwood's trick

 

[pete_c]

Another way is if you have an old US Robotics modem laying around just plug it into one of the legacy ports and then go to add a modem and it will search all of your ports for a modem.

 

[beelzerob]

This is a constant problem here too. I keep a master list near the PC and in a notebook now of what port is what. Once you figure it out, make sure you keep track of it...either label the ports, or keep a diagram of the back of your PC for reference.

My issues many times is that it seems Windows renumbers the ports if you change ANYTHING. And even worse, if you remove your, say, moxa card, reboot, and then add your moxa again...it'll start the new port numbers higher. So it doesn't seem to "reclaim" port numbers. I'm already in the 20's, and I only have like 12 total comm ports.