[Xastir] Tnc, connection choices

[Tom Russo]

On Mon, Mar 10, 2008 at 07:18:41PM +0000, we recorded a bogon-computron collision of the <ad7gt at qwest.net> flavor, containing:
> Hi All,
> 
> So, I have my shiny new laptop, sadly lacking an rs-232 port.
> 
> My choices are:
> 
> Usb to rs-232 (known to be flakier than Grandma's pie crust)

I have had good luck with this option, as I have a laptop with 5 USB ports and
no serial port.  I have tried three different USB->Serial adapters and they
all worked Just Fine.  Two were Belkins and the third was one I bought from
the Purple Open Project (http://pfranc.com/)  I've had NO negative experiences
with any of them --- one of my Belkin's is an old F5U103 (no longer made) and
the other is one marketed as a "PDA adapter" at local office supply stores.
The Purple Open Project one is the one I use most -- for no particular
reason.

> Bluetooth rs-232 adapter (unknown if one would work with a kpc-3+)

I have had luck with this one, too --- but your milage may vary.  I found it
an expensive option, and a little flakey.  I used the "CTR BlueLync" adapter
kit and BlueRadios "BlueSMiRF" module to do the deed (the module plugs
in to the adapter).  I bought them from 
http://ctr-remote.home.att.net/CTR-BlueLync.htm and 
http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/categories.php, respectively.  I say it's
flakey because despite testing it numerous times when its reliability 
didn't matter, on ONE occasion when I actually needed it to work, the 
bluetooth dongle on my computer lost connection to the bluetooth adapter in 
the CTR-BlueLync after ten minutes even though it was separated by only a few 
feet in my truck --- possibly due to RFI? --- and wouldn't reestablish contact 
without a reboot.  I have not tried to use it since, as the USB/Serial options
work Just Fine for me, every time.

SparkFun also sells an assembled bluetooth serial modem (for a hefty price)
that should work as well as (and cost about as much as) the combination
of the BlueLync and BlueSMiRF modules.

I've no experience with the serial port add-on cards or TNC-X USB option
(although the USB/Serial adapter chipset that's used in TNC-X's USB module is 
one that is supported in recent vintages of Linux kernels (recent meaning in 
the last couple of years), so it should work --- it would appear to Linux like
a USB->Serial adapter).

-- 
Tom Russo    KM5VY   SAR502   DM64ux          http://www.swcp.com/~russo/
Tijeras, NM  QRPL#1592 K2#398  SOC#236 AHTB#1 http://kevan.org/brain.cgi?DDTNM
"And, isn't sanity really just a one-trick pony anyway? I mean all you get is
 one trick, rational thinking, but when you're good and crazy, oooh, oooh,
 oooh, the sky is the limit!"  --- The Tick