A network serial port is a virtualized serial port established with a network socket on a host computer. The network socket has a port number and IP address and is the termination of a network connection.
The popularity of network serial ports is growing as a means of providing connectivity with serial devices. It expands the range and utility of serial equipment by eliminating the need for a direct connection to access the peripherals. Another benefit of network serial ports is the ability to share interfaces among multiple users.
Network serial port freeware or paid solutions enable the virtual ports to be accessed and managed from any location through the use of a simple web browser. On Windows systems, a driver installation enables a networked serial interface to behave the same way as a local COM port.