StarTech.com 3ft (1m) USB to Null Modem Serial Adapter Cable, Interchangeable DB9 Screws/Nuts, COM Retention, USB-A to RS232, FTDI, Level-4 ESD Protection, Windows/macOS/ChromeOS/Linux - Rugged TPE Construction

Product Overview

AI-generated summary

If you need a **reliable USB-to-serial (RS232) lead** for KVM, lab gear, routers/switches or any “old but not dead” console work, this StarTech cable is a sensible buy. The **FTDI chipset** is the big deal in practice: it usually plays nicely with picky serial devices and avoids the driver drama that cheaper non-branded adapters can cause. For £24.89 ex-VAT, you’re paying for fewer headaches, plus the “doing what it says” angle of a reputable brand that tends to behave consistently across Windows and Linux environments.

I’d recommend it for **UK IT teams and B2B resellers running repeatable deployments** where you don’t want to waste hours troubleshooting serial adapters. The **rugged TPE build** and ESD/retention features matter if these cables live in racks, workshop drawers, or get plugged/unplugged daily—basically anywhere they get handled more than “once a year.” That said, I’d avoid it if your use case is purely “I need a one-off curiosity” or if your equipment expects something specific you can’t confirm—this is still an **RS232 adapter cable**, not a magic universal console solution. If you truly need RS485 or a different serial framing setup, you’ll still need the right hardware.