How to use a serial cable to connect two computers

Using serial cable to connect two computers is something that not many people do nowadays. The networking aspects of computers have largely changed and there are newer, more effective ways to connect two computers. However, in situations when your other networking hardware has failed, you can still use a serial cable to connect two computers. Let us see how it can be done.

Requirements

  • Serial Cable
  • Two computers

Instructions

  1. Plug in the cable in the serial ports of both computers. People can get confused between the serial communication port and the universal serial bus port. The cable has to be connected only to the serial communication port.
  2. Run a serial communication program. There are different types of serial communication programs available for you to choose. The most commonly used program is the Hyper Terminals.
  3. Go to the New Connection menu to set up the connection.
  4. Select the correct serial port while setting up the new connection
  5. Once the new connection has been setup, the two computers are connected physically through the serial port.
  6. Use the Hyper Terminal application to send text characters between the two computers.

Tips

  • Ensure that you pick the right cable for connecting the two computers. Often people pick up the wrong cable, which will result in a failed connection between the two computers.
  • If you have trouble connecting the two computers, check if the serial cable you have used is working.
  • If the connection is not working, try using different serial port number to setup another new connection.
  • Problems in the Hyper Terminal application can also result in poor connectivity. Try using another program that works similar to Hyper Terminal program to see if that works for you.