I cannot communicate with my serial over IP device over the network. What do I do?

To troubleshoot this issue, you can try the following:

• Ping the serial device.
• Connect the serial device directly to the computer and ping the device.
• Connect to the web interface (if there is one) or connect using the included software.

Before you begin, make sure that the serial device is on the same network and subnet. For more information, see this FAQ: http://www.startech.com/faq/serial_ip_networks_and_subnets.  If the device starts with an IP address that is not on your subnet, change your IP address to match the subnet being used before you continue.

Ping the serial device

If the serial device and your computer are on the same network and subnet, try pinging the device. 

To ping the device using a computer that is running a version of Windows XP, do the following:

1. Click Start.
2. Click Run.
3. Type ping and press Enter. For example, ping 192.168.0.20.

To ping the device using a computer that is running a version of Windows Vista or Windows 7, do the following:

1. Click Start.
2. Click Accessories.
3. Click Command Prompt.
4. Type ping <IP address> and press Enter. For example, ping 192.168.0.20.

To ping the device using a computer that is running a version of Windows 8, do the following:

1. Press the Windows key + X.
2. Click Run.
3. Type cmd and press Enter.
4. Type ping <IP address> and press Enter. For example, ping 192.168.0.20.

To ping the device using a computer that is running a version of Mac OS, do the following:

1. Double-click the hard drive.
2. Double-click Applications > Utilities > Network Utility.
3. Click the Ping tab.
4. Enter the IP address in the Please enter the network address to ping field.
5. Enter the number of packets that you want to test with.

If you receive replies from the IP address, then you can see the device on the network and the issue is with something else.

Connect the serial device directly to the computer

To connect the serial device directly to the computer that you are troubleshooting with, complete the following:

1. Use a crossover Ethernet cable to connect the device and the computer.
2. Try pinging the device again.
3. If you cannot ping the device, use a different computer, Ethernet cable, and serial device (if one is available).

Note: The second computer will need to be on the same network and subnet as the serial over IP device.

4. If you still cannot ping the device, contact support.

Make sure that you are working in a secure environment

1. Unplug the connection between your modem and your router. 
2. Disable any firewalls (especially Windows Firewall), antivirus programs, and security programs that are currently running. 
3. Try accessing the web interface (if the device has one) or try to connect using the included software.

If you still cannot connect to the device's web interface or by using the included software, contact support.

If you can access the web interface or connect using the included software, one at a time turn on your firewalls, antivirus programs, and security programs. Each time that you turn on software and cannot connect to the web interface or by using the included software, add an exception for the serial device to what you last re-enabled.