communication between old computers

[les at frii.com]

>If I plug this hypothetical "just works" serial-to-Ethernet box onto
>a serial port on an old computer, and plug the ethernet into the
>switch along with my desktop computer, laptop, and wireless router,
>what exactly should the box do?  And what should I, as the user, do?

RCPMs used a version of XMODEM which worked over the same port as the
console.  You would tpye xmodem s/r (send or recieve) and a file name. 
XMODEM would then use the console port to upload and download the file.

You would need a xmodem version for the pc which would support a common
protocol.