[NTLK] Serial Port repair or replacement?

[Lloyd A. Conway]

Greetings, Newtonia:
        My newly-won '2000 has serial port issues and I was wondering if 
anyone had had similar experiences, and if so, how they affected repairs 
(if they did, that is).  I bought the necessary adapter, and after a few 
successes, the connection became spotty, so much so that I could not 
load a large file.  After about a week, I could no longer connect at 
all.   Perhaps I bumped the adapter and knocked something loose, or 
perhaps it was lose to begin with, or...?
     Your thoughts, experiences and suggestions are welcome. Thanks in 
advance.
Regards,
-Lloyd Conway