Sharing COM ports to Windows hosts

[Victor Sudakov]

Peter Vereshagin wrote:
> Depending on a task I think the most interactive user-friendly solution here is
> a minicom(s) each in its own ssh'ed jail(s).

There is special Windows software for managing Natex MUXes. It works
with those MUXes via an RS232 port only. I want to be able to run it
from a remote location. 

Solution 1. A hardware RS232 portserver (e.g. Moxa) and a special
Windows driver for COM-port redirection. Works great. Disadvantage:
it's pretty expensive and occupies additional rack space.

Solution 2. Using an existing networked FreeBSD box sitting next to
the MUX, it already has COM ports. Advantage: cheap, no additional
rack space and power. Disadvantage: doubts if this solution is feasible,
especially on the Windows side.

A minicom or any other interactive terminal emulation software is out
of the question. The MUX managing software uses its own protocol over
RS323 and insists that it be a "real" port.

Perhaps my English is so poor that I could not present the task
correctly from the very beginning. Sorry for that.

-- 
Victor Sudakov,  VAS4-RIPE, VAS47-RIPN
sip:sudakov at sibptus.tomsk.ru