StarTech.com 8 Port USB to RS232 Serial DB9 Adapter Hub

Product Overview

AI-generated summary

If you’ve got a bit of a “serial reality” problem in the office (cash drawers, old PLC/automation kit, barcode scanners, modems, POS peripherals) this StarTech 8‑port USB to RS232 hub makes sense. The big win is practical: one USB connection gives you multiple serial lines, so you don’t have to keep hunting for extra PCIe/USB-serial dongles or faffing about with cabling sprawl. For UK businesses that need a quick, low-drama way to get legacy gear working on modern laptops/desktops, it’s usually solid value—especially at £76.96 ex‑VAT—because the time saved in deployment and troubleshooting is often worth more than the adapter.

That said, I wouldn’t buy it if you’re expecting it to behave like eight independent “proper” serial cards under heavy or timing-sensitive workloads. USB serial can be finicky depending on the device drivers and what COM port settings your software insists on, and some environments don’t love hubs when you’re dealing with older industrial gear. If you’re doing mission-critical or high-throughput serial polling, it’s worth testing first or going for a more robust multiport serial solution. Overall: great for SMB/IT admins integrating a handful of legacy devices, less ideal for “industrial-grade, never-fail, high-performance” serial requirements.