Share com ports over ethernet ?

HI everyone,

Ive been searching for some software to allow me to share an 8 port modem card as virtual com ports over an ethernet (TCP/IP) network.
Due to the wide range of very technically competant people on here higher up the job "food chain" I thought I might see if anyone has done this?

It's a multitech 8 port modem running in out NT4 domain master, fileserver, exchange server, generally do everything server.
This card was spec'd by a previous IT person, now there has appeared a need to have several external modems hooked up to users machines, I'd rather save the money and the wiring hassles and run it all back through the server.

If I have to remove the modem card and run it on linux to do this, so be it
The card is also used for remote user dial in access, which Im pretty sure I could do through a linux box with samba for authentication ?

Anyway, does anyone have a reccomendation for some software that will share the modem as virtual com ports to the user's (win2000) PC's (expensive / cheap / GPL / etc) or can it just not be done?

I'm not familiar with this particular board, but most of them use dedicated drivers you install on the server and on the workstations, which create virtual com ports piped back to the server with the board.

I'm not sure which model you have, but I did find this.

-jk

Yeah, I see how that looks. The manual doesnt mention that ability tho

Yeah, I see how that looks. The manual doesnt mention that ability tho

Bummer. But think of it as a buying opportunity! These boards are not impossibly expensive (cheaper than running lots of $100 wiring runs, and too many phone lines). I had one that was a rack mount, and used pc-card modems.

-jk