Customer Reviews

Keyspan by Tripp Lite USA-49WG 4 port USB DB9 Adapter

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've been using this USB serial interface for a couple of years now. I've used it under Windows XP, Fedora and Ubuntu Linux. The Windows XP drivers are available on Keyspan's website. Fedora and Ubuntu (except version 7.10) include the drivers in the standard distribution.

The serial interfaces are solid, providing good RS-232 drive levels. The interfaces can also handle decent bit rates. I've used it up to 115200 BPS. It's also very convenient the way it is packaged. Especially in embedded systems programming, it's nice to have four serial ports right on your desk top with just the one USB cable running to the computer.

This is the absolute best USB to Serial Comm port adapter.
You'll never need to unplug and replug it in.
You'll never need to go into Device Manager and change the COM port number.
It is a good performer and works well.

Tripplite/Keyspan has 64 bit driver for windows XP/Visa/W7.

I have used this device on 32 bit Vista and on 64 bit Vista.

I have used Keyspans individual port adapters for several years. They work flawlessly and are quite fast. I do a lot of work on high speed serial devices running without flow control. The devices keep up.

I found that I often had 4 single Keyspans cluttering my desk. I wanted this device. When I finally found it, it was a no-brainer. It works flawlessly. (I had hoped it would be less expensive than 4 singles - and it is - just a little.)

A nice little benefit is I use their static mapping tool to make the ports appear as COM11 thru COM14, eliminating past confusion about which port goes with which device.

Serial is officially a legacy device. New PCs don't have serial ports. But, if you have a lot of serial devices to manage, this is a great way to simplify cabling and management hassles.

I have used both the dual port and 4 port Keyspan adapters in a Mac OS X environment. Not much to say. They just work. Driver install is simple and creates appropriate /dev/tty... serial ports to access them. I've used CKermit in a terminal window to access the serial ports, and I've used screen (which comes pre-installed in Mac OS X) in a terminal window to access the serial ports. That has the added advantage that I can share the session. [...]

This thing works. I am an amateur radio operator (ham operator) and I used an old 486 computer to run several communications and logging applications in my ham station. The applications control my equipment -- changing frequency, logging contacts, sending/receiving Morse code, teletype, and other modes. When the old computer crapped out I had a real problem: The old computer had lots of COM ports -- new computers have only USB ports. I purchased two different USB-to-serial adapters -- neither of them worked reliably. I was a bit reluctant to pay the price for this one but, after reading the comments, I bought it.

This thing is great -- it setup in seconds. I connected my equipment to three of the four ports, set up the ports in Windows XP Device Manager (had to set the baud rate), started my old applications and everything worked perfectly.

I bought both the 4 port Keyspan USB-serial adapter and the single adapter after trying IOGEAR versions. I had various software issues with the IOGEAR when switching ports or plugging in different devices, as it would constantly assign a higher port number. I can only think it is a result of its incompatability with Windows XP (in the fine print of the instructions). The Keyspan USB-serial devices have worked extremely well and can easily switch ports. The difference is huge.

Unit installs easily. Just run the CD disc to install the software then plug it in to your computer and connect the serial ports. Nothing to it. And most importantly - it works just like it is supposed to.

We rely on this unit in a County Office of Emergency Services communications trailer to operate HAM radio packet and radio control systems. Many of our devices just haven't been "upgraded" to usb technology. In some ways, we're glad they haven't, as this device allows us to operate 4 ports at the expense of only one USB port on the computer.

The unit installed seamlessly on both Windows XP and Windows 7 computers (both 32 and 64 bit). WE did download an upgraded driver from TrippLite, which was a big help. The new driver is more intelligent than the versions we worked with on the unit we replaced. Now we don't have to worry about plugging into the same USB port each time -- the driver assigns the same port numbers regardless, unlike the old system that would assign different port numbers depending upon which USB port you used (really frustrating). This unit is a pleasure to use in comparison.

A subtle, but visible LED indicates which port is in use, a nice addition -- and it's not so bright that it is conspicuous in low-light conditions, which is normal in our setting.

So far, we've experienced no glitches interfacing with any device. Granted, our systems don't require blazing speed, but reliability is paramount -- and this unit delivers.

The only change I would like to see is the USB connection on the unit moved to the rear -- its placement on the side of the unit makes it a little less "clean" and cable routing is a tad bit more challenging when installing in a quasi-permanent arrangement. Thankfully, this unit was a little smaller than previous units, so we were able to work it out.

Product works as advertised. I am now using two of the four ports without a single problem.

For those looking for a USB to RS-232 Adapter, I would strongly suggest buying this one!

The unit was shipped with outdated drivers. I had to obtain the current drivers from the manufacturer. The current drivers ended up conflicting with other drivers which caused the computer to become very unstable. I deleted the drivers and am back to square one. So far I am unable to use this device and have not been able to reach tech support. A big disappointment and a waste of money and time!