DirtyDan - could you get the drivers loaded for the eithernet part of the card ok? I have the same setup (dell inspiron 1100, silicom eitherserial card) but also have a cable from akm. It work with pcmcom and datamaster but I have not been able to get freescan to work yet. It tries to work but keeps saying unrecognizable header. The eithernet port won't work though and silicoms website sayes it doesn't support windows xp.

z28_4life - don't know if you need one or not but I got a usb floppy drive for my laptop. They aren't too expensive.

http://www.akmcables.com/usb.htm
There is some info on adapters, he also had some in stock a while back.

 

I know this has nothing to do with the cables.
My new Toshiba Satellite has no com ports or A drive I have to use a jumpdrive to transfer files to my laptop from my desktop. Jumpdrives connect to USB they are like mini floppies but hold alot more info. and office max has had them free with rebates. Just in case anybody has been having problems transfering files without a floppy there are other things out there. But I do want cables for my laptop and the info. above helped.

 

Maybe you could set the driver/card up for windows 2000 compatibility mode and make it work? When the card arrives (hopefully tommorrow) I will let you know.

 

That would be great. I used the 2000 drivers but I don't know if that's what you mean. The serial port does work though. Thanks

 

Another vote for the Belkin serial to USB adapter, There about $55 from Best Buy. Works great

 

Ok I found this link to a usb chord: http://www.sewelldev.com/usbtoserial...connect_device

Do you guys think that one would work. It looks like it would properly adapt to the two chords I have now.

 

It is the correct type of cord but alot of people have those and they don't work.

 

I've heard of a lot of problems with the usb adaptors (do a serch in the diagnostic forum).
The pcmia card is the ticket. It works great!

 

This has been talked about to death on the LTI-Edit email list. Most everyone has said they can not get the PCMCIA card or the Belkin USB to work on the newer Dells or even other brands. I have an 02' model Dell Inspiron 2600 and the PCMCIA card works great. My friend Tony bought a new Dell Inspiron 1100 (this years model) and the card would not work for him. He had previously used the same set up on his older Gateway without issue. My best advise to anyone is try to find a laptop with a built-in serial port. You can find used ones for a little more than the cost of both adapters.

 

Well that just pisses me off knowing that a lot of these chords wont work on my labtop....cause I specifically went with the labtop over the desktop so I could use it on my car. I really dont wanna go out and buy the pcmia card and find out that it doesn't work. Especially after one of you said your friend has the same labtop as me and the card didn't work. Hmmmmmmmmmm.... Theres gotta be some inspiron users on this site who have a cable that works?

 

My card arrived today at the house. I will try to run it tonight and tell you if I can get it to work or not.

 

Well you could maybe return your Dell and get a Compaq that still has a com port.

 

Compaq is the last computer I would buy. I love my dell so I'm not trading anything for this comp... Have had too many problems with my parents compaq as well as my friends and my girlfriends computer. Just need to find out what cables works with my usb connection and I'll buy it and be a happy man.

 

I can tell you not many people have had any luck with any of the USB adapters. Regardless of the computer brand. Andrew at AKM Cables recommends a Belkin model, but I have heard people say that those do not work either. Its really a crap shoot. I do not know why my inspiron 2600 works fine with the pcmcia card, but the new one (1100) does not.

 

I'll move this to the programming forum. Probably should have been there to begin with but it should definitely be there for anybody doing a search in that forum for a similar problem