Serial Networking: The Pros and Cons

CONTENTS
	Introduction Page
	Contact Details
	Useful Website Links
	Website Update Log

General:

	Serial Cable Networking: Pros and Cons
	Hardware & Software Requirements
	Serial Cable Information
	Network Security Issues

RISC OS TCP/IP Configuration:

	Configuring !Internet v4
	Configuring !Internet v5

Connection Instructions:

	Connecting to another RISC OS Computer
	Connecting to a Linux Computer
	Connecting to a Windows 9x Computer
	Connecting to a Windows 2000/XP Computer

Alternative Uses of The Link:

	Using a Linux PC As An Internet Router
	VNC
	Using your RISC OS Computer as a Time Server


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Pros

It's cheap: A null-modem cable will cost about £10 compared with £100 for a new network card.
It provides the same functionality as a TCP/IP ethernet network.
It can be integrated into an existing ethernet network.
You can use it to connect to different computer platforms: RISC OS, Linux and Windows 9x.

Cons

It is S-L-O-W: If you have a Risc PC/A7000 or later, you will get a connection rate of 115200bps, which equates to about 11kbyte/s in reality. If you have an older machine the best you'll get is around 3 kbytes/s. A normal ethernet network has a transfer rate of about 1 Mbyte/s.
It uses a serial port which may already be used by something, like a modem. Be prepared to either swap leads around or to get a switch box.
It only realisitically provides networking between two computers. In order to network with more computers, one of the two computers must be attached to an ethernet network. This computer can then be used as a gateway to and from the serial network.

However, there are other low cost alternatives instead of serial cable. Click here for more details.