Well...... Call me lazy but, I didn't want to spend months writing code to manipulate ethernet packets. With the Lantronix products, all you need to do is set the interface up 1 time and away you go. Instant serial at upto 115 kbaud. There is even room in the unit for web pages if you like. Personally I don't use them as I want to see the data instead of pretty windows that one would spend hours to design in who knows what language. There are other companys that sell products simillar to the Lantronix if you want to build it into some product you are designing.