StarTech.com RS232 Serial over Cat5 Extender, 1 km (3300 ft) Range, Plug & Play, No Software, DB9 Serial Extension - TAA

Product Overview

AI-generated summary

This is one of those “boring but useful” little boxes that actually saves time. If you’ve got legacy kit with a DB9 serial port (routers/UPS/industrial controllers/old monitoring gear) and you need to move it further than a normal serial cable without messing about, a serial-over-Cat5 extender like this is a sensible, low-risk option. At **£89.99 ex-VAT** it’s priced like a practical workaround, not a half-day engineering project—and the **plug-and-play / no software** angle matters in the real world when you’re trying to get things working quickly.

Who should buy it: teams supporting older serial-based devices in a warehouse/control room where running new serial cabling isn’t convenient, but Cat5/6 is already in place. Who should avoid it: anyone expecting it to behave like high-speed, “universal” serial networking for sensitive timing or unusual serial settings. Also, if you need more than simple point-to-point extension or you’re dealing with noisy industrial environments, don’t assume Cat cable alone guarantees perfection—cabling quality and termination still matter.

Overall: **good value for a straightforward DB9 extension job to up to the stated distance**, especially if you want minimal faff. I’d buy it when I *know* the device talks happily over standard RS232 and I’ve got decent structured cabling; I wouldn’t buy it if you’re not sure how picky the connected equipment is about baud rate/reliability.