Accessing Win7 File Manager via Data Radio on Serial Port

[LaserSteve]

I've been given a bunch of 2.4 Ghz data radios with a 228 KiloBaud bidirectional link, IO on the radios is a TTL serial port, hence my specifying RS232 to USB adapters.  Once configured, the master and slave radios are effectively a serial port with optional handshaking.

What I'd like to do is:

  ( Main Win7 Desktop )<>( USB Serial Port)<>(Data Radio Master)<AIR PATH> (Data Radio Slave)<>(2nd USB Serial Port)<>(Slave Win 7 Laptop)

I'd like to be able to pull files off the desktop using the laptop...  Use the desktop as a simple  file server.   I have a data acquisition application on the desktop spitting out CSV files all day, and I'd like to pull those up remotely.

Why?  These things have amazing range compared to WIFI, and are legal in the US...

Suggestions for software for this?,  Win 7 does not have the easy back to back serial link XP does, although I've read cryptic blog posts about using a Windows PPP connection on the modem menu.  Desired price range is freeware  to 50$ per PC.

Steve

[LaurentR]

Creating a PPP tunnel over the serial connection should work, although I haven't done it on a recent version of Windows. The tunnel creates an IP tunnel and you should be able to mount any drive remotely through it. I found this page that seems to explain how to do just that:
http://mikebeach.org/2012/08/30/installing-and-configuring-a-ppp-null-modem-connection-on-windows-7/

Pre-internet, file transfer through a serial line (or anything terminal-capable connection) was often done using Kermit. This is a bit different as you can't mount the files using the windows file system, instead you have to issue commands to trnasfer the files (a la http or ftp). I see that there is still a Kermit distribution for Windows:
http://www.kermitproject.org/k95.html

Laurent

[Miyuki]

Total Commander have Serial plugin it works as in DOS times

[macboy]

PPP would also be my first thought. Maybe look into SLIP as well, it is older and simpler than PPP. You basically will create a PPP server on the desktop machine and use a PPP client on the laptop. Once connected, you have full IP connectivity between them. You could even provide internet access to the remote end if you wanted to.

You don't want to mount a drive over this link, there would be too much chatter created which will eat up the available bandwidth. Simple FTP would be better for this case where you just need to pull a bunch of files from a specific directory. Make sure the desktop machine's firewall allows the ftp connection over the IP of the PPP interface.

[John Heath]

There is a freeware program called UltraVNC that will allow mouse and keyboard control of the server computer through IP address. As long as the server computer is connected to the net you can control it from anywhere. I have used a laptop tethered to a iphone to sort out software issues 1000 miles away while going down the highway at 100 KMs per hour , and no I was not driving at the time.  Once you have remote control of the server computer's mouse and keyboard all options are open such as email the file you want from the server to yourself or the other way around. 

[LaserSteve]

Thanks Guys... I'll start with PPP, SLIP, Kermit and Total Commander... 

Steve

[mikerj]

Installing and configuring a PPP null-modem connection on Windows 7

You don't need Total Commander or anything else.  Once you have a PPP connection you can use normal Windows file sharing and the Windows remote desktop client/service if needed.