In the mid‑2000s, GPS technology was rapidly moving from dedicated handheld devices to laptops and PDAs. One of the most essential utilities for mobile professionals, fleet managers, and GIS enthusiasts was . This version became a landmark release, solving a fundamental problem: how can multiple applications access a single GPS receiver simultaneously?
| Feature | GPSGate 2.6 | GPSGate 4.x (Modern) | Free Alternatives (e.g., XPort, Virtual GPS) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | No (requires driver hack) | Yes | Yes | | Price | Abandonware (free if you have license) | ~$49 per license | Free | | Ease of Use | Very simple, lightweight | More complex, feature-rich | Varies widely | | NMEA Logging/Playback | Yes (basic) | Yes (advanced with filtering) | Limited | | TCP/IP Server | Yes (IPv4 only) | Yes (IPv6 + SSL) | Rare | | Support for USB HID GPS | No | Yes | Partial | franson gpsgate 2.6
Google Earth Pro (version 7.x and earlier) supported real-time GPS input. Configure GPSGate to output to a virtual COM port, then in Google Earth, go to Tools → GPS → choose that COM port. You will see your live location on satellite imagery. In the mid‑2000s, GPS technology was rapidly moving
GpsGate solves this by "splitting" one physical GPS port into multiple virtual COM ports. This allows you to run Google Earth, Garmin nRoute, and a custom tracking script all at the same time using data from a single GPS antenna. Key Features of Version 2.6 | Feature | GPSGate 2
While modern Windows 10/11 "Sensor APIs" have changed how GPS data is handled, remains the "Swiss Army Knife" for serial data management. It is a robust, reliable bridge between physical hardware and the software that needs it.
Less known but equally powerful: GPSGate 2.6 can take multiple GPS inputs and combine them. If one GPS loses signal (e.g., in a tunnel), the software can automatically switch to a secondary GPS source.
: Version 2.6 allows web pages to read live GPS data from a locally connected receiver. By adding "GPS in Browser" as an output, users can view their real-time position on web-based maps like Systematic Maps using JavaScript-compatible browsers. Protocol Conversion