StarTech.com 10ft (3m) USB to Serial Adapter Cable, COM Retention, Interchangeable Screws/Nuts, USB-A to DB9 RS232, FTDI IC, ESD Protection, Windows/macOS/Linux

Product Overview

AI-generated summary

If you need a straightforward way to get serial gear talking to modern laptops/desktops, this StarTech USB-to-serial lead is a safe bet for day-to-day business use. The FTDI-based approach is the big reason: it’s usually plug-and-play in Windows and generally well-supported across Windows/macOS/Linux without the typical driver drama you sometimes see with cheaper adapters. Also, the “COM retention” idea matters more than people think—install it once, avoid the “why did it change to COM7?” headache in legacy software and automation tooling.

At £33.94 ex-VAT, it’s priced like a practical work-horse rather than a bargain-bin gadget. I’d recommend it for anyone running legacy modems, industrial controllers, UPS management, ticketing/network kit consoles, or any Windows-only serial app that you don’t want to keep babysitting. That said, don’t buy it if you’re expecting true full “hardware handshake for everything” behaviour or you’re dealing with unusual voltage/serial variants—RS232 is forgiving, but cable quality won’t fix incompatible equipment. If you routinely swap devices across different PCs and want consistency, it’s worth it; if you only need a one-off conversion occasionally, you might find a cheaper adapter that works, but you’ll be rolling the dice on stability and COM mapping.