Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!iuvax!bobmon
From: bobmon@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu (RAMontante)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Serial-port connections
Message-ID: <54123@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu>
Date: 12 Aug 90 19:45:42 GMT
Organization: malkaryotic
Lines: 10

"How long is a serial port?" Or, more accurately...my cousin has a dumb
device with a serial port (connected to some relays), and he'd like to
control the device remotely from his P.C.  My question is, how far can
the remote device be from the the P.C., and how should it be connected?
Would a "null modem" cable be reliable over a 200-foot span?  If not,
what's the cheapest connection?  We thought of two modems and some phone
wire; would the phone wire need to be powered then?  (300-baud would be
good enough; it's not a high-speed device out there.)

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.