Customer Reviews

Belkin USB SERIAL PORT ADAPTER ( F5U409-CU )

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

Can't get my new laptop to recognize a serial transcription pedal plugged into the USB via the Belkin because there is no Windows 7 driver. It's not mentioned on the CD that came with the cable. Nor is there a Windows 7 driver available on the Belkin site. Works fine on an old XP machine but that's not the one I bought the cable for since that pc also has serial. Windows 7 has been out a while so I wonder if Belkin even plans on creating drivers for that OS for its existing cables.

Wish I had read the reviews first. This doesn't have Mac OS X drivers available. Package says Mac OS compatible, but my Mac won't see it and I don't have Classic installed anymore. Too bad. Belkin support didn't offer any help, either. `

Like most Belkin products, this is a piece of junk. The prod. description says it supports macs. Dont believe it. It doesnt. You find out after calling their tech support that is only support OLD Macs.
And you cant return it if its been opened. What a ripoff!

This adapter did exactly what it said it would do. I followed directions included in the package (Read Me First--which corrected printed booklet) and was able to sync my Palm on the first try.

For those accustomed to usb speed, it is important to remember that this will still transfer at the serial rate, which is sadly slow. The adapter is changing the plug type, but not the transfer rate.

It looks like a fine product; however it does not have any drivers for Mac OS X. I found this inconvenient as I purchased it to connect to an old HP LJ5.


Next time, read the reviews FIRST. Oops.

This adapter is the first of several that I've tried that both installed without a hitch and works perfectly. So far I haven't found an RS232 device it won't interface to. And I feel it was reasonably priced.

The adapter doesn't work with any of the new Mac systems. Needed it connect the Garmin GPS, but Belkin doesn't update their drivers or tech support people. They are always busier than usual ... not true. They don't put out relible products.

First I would like to say that I did not purchase this from Amazon. I did purchase this for my Macbook Pro as it stated that it supported Mac computers. That is not the case if you have a newer Intel Mac running osx 10.x or better. There are no drivers and none of the universal drivers will work either. Avoid this product if you happen to have an Intel based Mac.

I work for a company that manufactures laser comm transceivers. The management/configuration interface choices are serial or Ethernet. It is simpler to use the serial for some things (including CLI/Hyperterminal) for advanced internal configuration while on site with customers. My IBM Thinkpad does not have a serial port. That's where the Belkin F5U409 adapter comes in. I loaded the driver from the CD-Rom, and plugged it in. It works without issue. I rely on this adapter nearly daily and it has not failed me once.

I was flabbergasted that this serial port converter didn't seem to have a Windows 7 or Vista driver... I figured I could suss out the driver from the actual hardware. I theorized that I could use my knowledge as an engineer to locate the actual supplier of the hardware (assuming it would be a Taiwanese company working slowly to build drivers for their line of hardware converters. Pop the case, check the chip, and on to a driver...

No such luck. This design is a stupid old programmable microprocessor, and isn't easy to reverse-engineer. Further, since it was stupidly engineered by the king of shlock hardware, Belkin, there isn't enough volume to pay for a line of working drivers. Instead it's some fixed hardware driven by custom firmware. Idiots.

Learn your lesson, people. No more Belkin.

David Smith