I’m trying to run multiple applications that need access to the same serial port on my Windows PC, but I’m having trouble finding a serial port splitter app that actually works well and is easy to set up. Can anyone recommend a reliable solution or share their experience with similar tools? Any suggestions would really help.
If you’re banging your head against the wall trying to get multiple apps talking to the same serial port (yeah, Windows really doesn’t like sharing those), what you need is a solid serial port splitter solution. Been there, done that with the trial-and-error mess of freeware stuff and sketchy drivers; honestly, most of them just don’t cut it and half the time they crash or disappear during Windows updates.
What’s actually worked for me? Virtual Serial Port Driver. You can set up virtual COM ports and then “split” your physical one so multiple apps each think they’ve got it all to themselves. It’s as close to plug-and-play as you’ll get for something as niche as this. UI is pretty painless, and you don’t need to write a script or pray to the driver gods every time you reboot. I’ve run my ancient barcode scanner and my logging app at the same time without either throwing a fit—which, trust me, is a big deal. Not the cheapest out there, but honestly worth it if stability actually matters to your workflow.
For a detailed walk-through and more background on how this magic happens under the hood, check out this detailed article on getting the most from your legacy serial hardware.
And just for clarity—Serial Port Splitter software lets you share one real serial port among several applications, duplicating data streams as needed. Super handy for legacy industrial, lab, or hobby setups where rewriting or chaining apps is a total no-go. Just avoid the freebie ones with terrible reviews unless you truly love pain or really want to practice your system restore skills.
Hope that steers you in the right direction!
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Honestly, this whole serial port splitting circus is the exact reason I started keeping a stash of ibuprofen next to my workstation. I’ve tried my way through those random “freeware” splitters (half of which seem to be ancient, unmaintained, or about as stable as a house of cards in a wind tunnel—so I definitely get where @viaggiatoresolare is coming from). That said, while Virtual Serial Port Driver gets a lot of recommendations for a reason, I’ll counter a bit: if you don’t need anything super fancy (like splitting to more than two apps or handling totally bonkers baud rates), sometimes the old “hardware Y-cable” trick sort of works—just keep in mind, that’s a quick ticket to ghost-in-the-machine territory if your apps need to both write and read. Wouldn’t stake anything crucial on that, but it’s an amusing hack if your stuff isn’t mission-critical.
Frankly though, for anything that actually matters (read: doesn’t involve toy Arduino projects or COBOL nostalgia), Virtual Serial Port Driver is where the headaches stop. About the only knock I’ve got is the price, but after trashing my OS with dodgy alternatives, I started seeing it as more of an “insurance policy” than a wallet hazard.
Pro tip: When you’re setting up your split, double-check that all your apps are set to the right COM rate and handshake method. Otherwise, you’re in for elective troubleshooting purgatory—and yes, I learned that the hard way.
For anyone tryna “download serial splitter” in the hopes of a miracle, save yourself some misery and just grab a trial of the legit thing at discover the best serial port splitter solution here. At the very least, you’ll know what stability is supposed to feel like. If you’re feeling brave and want to gamble on something else, make sure your backup images are up to date.
Anyway, if someone has actually found a freebie that works post-Windows 10 updates, chime in—otherwise, looks like Virtual Serial Port Driver’s the way unless you fancy drama and error messages.
The truth? Serial port splitting on Windows is a minefield. Seen enough “death by unstable drivers” posts to last a lifetime. After reading what others mentioned about Virtual Serial Port Driver, gotta admit, I can’t argue TOO much—it’s kind of the golden standard for a good reason. Their UI isn’t going to win any design awards but, honestly, it doesn’t need to, since the darn thing just works. Setting up a virtual COM pair or splitting one real port? Done in like five clicks, and my weather station app plays happily with my legacy logger.
But, as someone who’s also been burned by “device driver greed,” let’s spin up a good ol’ pro/con showdown for Virtual Serial Port Driver:
Pros:
- Ridiculously stable (Windows updates haven’t murdered my configs yet)
- Splitting, joining, creating, and redirecting—handles all the scenarios I’ve needed
- Actually up-to-date; not some relic from XP days
- Simple to trial before you commit
Cons:
- Pricey for something you might only use once in a blue moon
- Eats a bit more CPU if you split across many apps (think four+)
- Requires admin rights for install (paranoia triggers for some)
I’ve tried the alternatives @shizuka or @viaggiatoresolare dropped hints about—like one of the cheap/free serial splitters that rhymes with “FerOx”—and let’s just say: enjoy DLL hell and random vanishing ports if that’s your kink. Some open source tools exist (like com0com or hub4com), but unless you enjoy batch scripting and cryptic error logs, they’re… a learning experience.
Top tip: Don’t mix USB-to-Serial physical splitters with software if you like sleeping at night—driver wars can and will happen. Also, if you’re just monitoring traffic (not “writing” from both apps), sometimes a passive sniffer (like PortMon) is easier—splitting for “write” access is the problem child.
Bottom line: If you don’t want to spend half your week haunting forum threads for fixes, Virtual Serial Port Driver is solid. To its fans: price sucks, but headaches suck more. To the fearless: try com0com or hardware hacks at your own risk, and keep your recovery USB close.