Set up a Serial-to-Ethernet Converter With a Virtual Serial Port

Question

I have a '3one data' brand serial-to ethernet converter, that plugs into a serial device at one end, and allows bidirectional communications with the device over an ethernet connection, like this:

There is supposedly a way to set up a virtual serial port in Ubuntu, which maps to the IP and port of this device and allows transparent communication with the real serial device on the other end. Unfortunately there was no linux documentation accompanying this device, despite the fact that linux support was prominently advertised.

I am struggling with setting up this virtual serial port in Ubuntu, which I believe should be achieved through the ttyd command. However, with the device connected (I can telnet into it directly), if I run:

sudo ttyd -d /dev/ttyp1 192.168.1.25 50000 -b 115200 -p 8NC0

my understanding is that a new virtual serial device should be created, /dev/ttyp1, but this doesn't happen. The ttyd command above does not throw any errors.

Solution

OP has brought another device:

That was a typo. Fixed now. I came to the conclusion that this device requires a kernel driver (that doesn't exist), so I ended up getting another device - a Moxa Nport 5250A Serial Device Server, which has drivers for 2.4-2.6 kernels. It seems to be working well. I'm sure the original 3one data device would have worked if they actually wrote a driver for it.

Comments

[Extender]

I have some RS232-Ethernet converters, but they are Windows only...

[John Lyon]

@Extender yep, this thing came with Windows-only software to configure a virtual COM port. All the marketing material mentions linux, however.

[shay.porteous]

Does it create a /dev/ptyp1 instead? Or is it just a typo?

[John Lyon]

That was a typo. Fixed now. I came to the conclusion that this device requires a kernel driver (that doesn't exist), so I ended up getting another device - a Moxa Nport 5250A Serial Device Server, which has drivers for 2.4-2.6 kernels. It seems to be working well. I'm sure the original 3one data device would have worked if they actually wrote a driver for it.

[John Lyon]

The telnet interface was a configuration interface only, it did not allow for passing of serial communications.

[John Lyon]

Accepted as I don't think there is any other solution. As stated in another comment, the telnet interface for this device was a configuration interface only - there did not seem to be any way to get the telnet session to forward serial data. The device looks like it needs a kernel driver (or a lot of reverse engineering) to operate and none exists.