No serial ports

OK, here's a chance for you to talk about alarm stuff.

I have been looking for a new laptop, and almost bought one, until I realized that none of the ones I've seen have a serial port. Since I use my laptop program and download alarm controls through an external modem, the serial port would come in handy. I know there are serial port adapters, and I might settle for that arrangement if it works with my external Hayes and Practical Peripheral modems. OTOH, I have seen laptops on the internet with a serial port, but the selection is slim.

What are you guys doing? js

Reply to
alarman
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Custom built. :-)

Reply to
Frank Olson

I have a newer HP laptop with no serial ports. Therer is a USB to serial adapter that works great. Only thing is that it won't work on Windows 98se or DOS.

Jim Rojas

Reply to
Jim Rojas

People using our downloader software are using the Belkin USB to Serial adapter, and the Bafo USB to Serial with great success. Drivers for Windows

98 SE should be available at the web sites for the respective manufacturers. If you are using the modems for downloading panels, you might consider the DC Security Securcomm DL110 modem. It's designed especially for talking to security controls, and works well on older, legacy panels that "talk" at speeds < 300 baud. You can also get the same model number modem from Starcomm.

Cheers!

Reply to
Mark M.

DOS?!?

There is no USB support for DOS, although I am surprised that there is no driver for 98SE. 98SE at least supports USB.

Reply to
Mark M.

I have tried the "USB to serial converter" and found it simply didn't work in all the cases I tried. Personally, I only use a laptop that has a serial port, which means an older one. This is no problem, since the alarm software is pretty "low end" in regards to the laptop it needs....

RHC

Reply to
R.H.Campbell

I was faced with the same problem, when I got a new HP laptop last year. Bought it then went ah crap no Serial port, how can I download Napco panels and Silent Knight Fire panels. Tried a USB - serial it didnt work with certain cables. finally found the solution.....>

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you have a PCMCIA slot that adapter works perfectly and also can be set up in DOS.

Reply to
Sean Sokoly

manufacturers.

Can't do DSC with that modem tho

Reply to
Mark Leuck

One thing to consider is getting one that also has a docking station available which will have serial ports

Reply to
Mark Leuck

that link says it will do DSC. what's the story?

Reply to
plug

That's my thinking too... I've noticed that USB-to-serial adapters don't always work for "esoteric" uses (ie. just about anything other than a modem). You should have no problem finding an older Pentium or Pentium II (or similar AMD) laptop with a REAL serial port for maybe a couple hundred bucks that will run Win98SE or Win2K nicely, along with the requisite software.

Reply to
Matt Ion

Reply to
plug

The DL110 works with Radionics Ram4 v3.7 & Caddx windows version, I haven't tried it with Napco yet.

Jim Rojas

Reply to
Jim Rojas

I had mixed results using a USB to Serial converter with Napco's panels, I broke down and bought a new Dell Laptop that has a serial port...

Russ

Reply to
Russell Brill

Here's a Dell with the Serial Port

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Russ

Reply to
Russell Brill

While shopping for a new laptop in December, I too noticed that most of them did not have a serial port. I did buy a Dell Latitude D510 for a good price and it has a serial port! Its very light compared to my older Dell Inspiron

7500. Works great! Its hard to beat a Dell. Been using them for years. Good box with superb customer and technical support behind them. Regards, Allan

Reply to
Allan Waghalter

The reason you won't see those ports is due to the Intel and MS standards which consider printer and serial ports "legacy devices" and obsolete.

Reply to
Mark Leuck

Well they are largely obsolete for most mass-market computers. What uses them anymore that's going to be of interest to 99% of the laptop-buying population? You almost can't buy a laptop without a built-in modem (and most would use a PCMCIA modem anyway). Almost anything else made now uses USB - PDA sync cables, primarily, I would expect (I still have an old Palm "universal" crasdle that's a serial connection, but that too is obsolete, modern Palm PDAs won't work with it).

There's just very, very little need for serial ports on laptops anymore, and for that application, anything you can remove to reduce weight, power consumption, and space is probably going to get removed.

Reply to
Matt Ion

Reply to
Michael

If all you are using it for is downloading then go to

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I have two I got from them and they work great.

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Reply to
Bob La Londe

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