How to Connect Any RS232 Card Reader to Your Network Via Ethernet

RS232 is the backbone of legacy access control, but its 15-meter distance limit is a nightmare for modern building management. We can “IP-enable” your card readers instead of replacing all of them. In this project we will show how to connect a standard RS232 ID card reader to an IP network via an industrial serial server. This enables data to be collected centrally and monitored remotely from any PC on the network.

Industrial Serial-to-Ethernet Converter (Valtoris 1CH-RS232/485/422-ETH) x 1

RS232 ID Card Reader x 1

9-24V DC Power Adapter x 1

Ethernet Cable x 1

Windows PC with Vircom Software

1. To setup the RS232 connection: Plug the DB9 male connector of your card reader into the RS232 female port of the Valtoris serial server.
2. Network Integration Connect the server’s RJ45 port to your local switch or router with an Ethernet cable.
3. Power Up Connect DC 9-24V to the power terminals. You will see the PWR LED light solid green.

1. Launch the Vircom management software on your PC.
2. Click "Auto Search". The software will find the Valtoris device even if it’s on a different IP segment.
3. Once found, assign a Static IP address that matches your local network to ensure the connection remains persistent.

1. In Vircom go to “Serial Port Management” and click “Add” to create a new port, e.g. COM2.
2. Bind this virtual port to the IP address of your serial server.
3. Set your baud rate and parity to match your card reader (common settings are 9600 or 115200) This makes your software think the remote reader is a local device.

Start up your access control software and choose COM2. Swipe an ID card. You will see the Active LED on the device flashing blue indicating a successful data transfer. You will immediately see the card id and user information on your screen, which means the long-distance network bridge is working.