SABRENT USB 2 0 to Serial 9 Pin DB 9 RS 232 Converter Cable Prolific Chipset HEXNUTS Windows

I purchased this unit because my old USB to RS-232 adapter did not work on Windows 10. The reason for this is that the PL-2303 chip used in most of these devices is created by Prolific, and in an attempt to combat the rampant counterfeit clones, Prolific started to add some features to their chips which the standard drivers on Windows 10 (and 8) now look for. If that feature cannot be found, the driver assumes it is dealing with a counterfeit unit and refuses to work, with Windows Device Manager showing a Prolific USB-to-Serial Comm Port device with a yellow mark, indicating error 10. Very old units, based on the PL-2303 H, HXA and XA chips, unfortunately got caught in the crossfire, as they simply lack the verification feature that was added to combat counterfeiting. This is the reason my very old unit (of 10+ year) refused to work. While this was annoying, I understand Prolific’s desire to combat unscrupulous 3rd parties selling counterfeit chips, claiming to be originals, down to the stamp on the chip. As such I opted to find a new adapter that was based on current chip versions and ended up purchasing this unit. When it arrived (in a nice-looking retail box), I was a little weary that it mentioned drivers being available for download, as this is how vendors using counterfeit units may try to get around the standard Windows 10 drivers not working: they offer a replacement driver, possibly based on the older Prolific one that lacked the counterfeit check. Fortunately, my worry was quickly put at easy when hooked up the adapter, as it was instantaneously recognized as a valid device. I ran Prolific’s utility to check the chip version (PL2303_CheckChipVersion_v1006.exe), as it confirmed the Sabrent USB 2.0 to Serial adapter was equipped with a genuine PL-2303 TA chip. Happy joy! Now for those complaining this unit is “wrong” because it has nuts and not screws: you may be forgetting that this adapter is replacing the DB-9 RS-232 port that used to exist on a computer. Those looked just the same as this adapter, as you were expected to put a male-female serial cable between your PC and the device you were hooking it up to, and those cables has the screws needed to secure both ends. While replacing the nuts with screws may be convenient for those serial devices close enough to the computer that they could plug the adapter straight into it, doing so would make it impossible to securely hook up a configuration with a standard serial cable. An option could be for Sabrent to make the screws removable, which would be the best of both worlds, but their existing design is in no way wrong. Read more

This is a great option for connecting to Legacy GE drives that require a 9 pin Din to establish a connection to the drive. My new laptop doesn't have a serial port. This option allows me to utilize the USB port as a serial port. Read more

It works! I successfully used this cable and picocom on linux to connect to an old tektronix oscilloscope and enable some locked features. Happy with the purchase. Read more

The product itself seems to be constructed of high quality materials, but I am writing this review because of their tech support. I was immediately frustrated with the product because the installation CD did not include the drivers for a windows 10 machine and therefore did not install properly. This was particularly upsetting because it specifies on the Amazon description Windows 10 compatible. A thorough check of the Sabrent website added to the frustration because the model number doesn't exist in their support section and isn't listed as an item. In a last ditch effort I called the tech support phone number at 7:45PM EST not expecting anything. Well, to my surprise an actual human answered the phone, asked what the model number is, indicated the website is not updated (actually saying that somewhere on the site would be nice), and asked for my email address. He stated he would email me the link. Before the phone call ended, the email was in my inbox with a working link. The driver actually installed and it works. I guess my expectations for service are generally so low, that I am actually giving this 4 stars because it ended up working. If the drivers came with it, or were available online, or if the website indicated that you should call for the drivers this would definitely be a 5 start product. Read more

Years ago, serial cables were a dime a dozen and every PC and some laptops had a serial port. USB basically made the serial port obsolete for most devices except networking devices like switches and routers. Most switches in the past few years come with a micro USB or USB-C management port in addition to an RJ45 jack for a serial cable. I've found the USB connections to be hit or miss. But a serial cable always works. I have a TP-Link SG3428 switch that I needed to reset the password for so it could be adopted by an Omada controller. Most layer 2/3 switches don't have a reset button you can press, so you need to console in and do it from the bios. Used this adapter along with the RJ45 to serial port cable the switch came with and it worked perfectly. You will need to load the drivers for the cable as it has a chip in it. But the adapter comes with a driver CD. Ironically, that presents another problem as no PCs or laptops come with a CD drive anymore. But my personal PC at home has multiple disc drives so wasn't an issue for me. This cable just works, no issues. Highly recommended. Read more

This was a replacement I’ve been using this serial adapter for many years. Read more