StarTech.com 2 Port USB to RS232 RS422 RS485 Serial Adapter with COM Retention

Product Overview

AI-generated summary

For £80.96 ex-VAT, this StarTech dual-port USB-to-serial adapter is a solid “get the job done” option if you need reliable serial comms for industrial gear, SCADA bits, barcode scanners, old PLC/terminal setups, or anything that still lives in RS-232/422/485 land. The real win for day-to-day IT work is the dual ports and the COM retention—if you’re integrating into software that expects specific COM numbers, that saves you from the usual headache of chasing changed port assignments after reboots or driver re-installs. It’s the kind of adapter that tends to behave better than no-name USB dongles when you’re deploying into multiple machines.

That said, I’d only buy it if you actually need serial and you’re comfortable with the usual caveats: RS-422/485 wiring and termination matter, and this won’t magically fix a bad cabling/grounding situation. If you only need one serial device occasionally, it’s probably overkill—there are cheaper single-port options. Also, if your environment is very managed/locked-down, factor in driver deployment and firmware/Windows version testing as part of your rollout. Overall: good value for a UK B2B reseller toolkit where you want dependable serial connectivity without COM-number chaos—just don’t buy it unless your use case is truly serial, not “we might need it later.”