diff --git a/includes/functions.php b/includes/functions.php
index 138dfae8f..6f172ce61 100755
--- a/includes/functions.php
+++ b/includes/functions.php
@@ -766,4 +766,15 @@ function formatCiscoHardware(&$device, $short = false)
         }
     }
 }
+
+# from http://ditio.net/2008/11/04/php-string-to-hex-and-hex-to-string-functions/
+function hex2str($hex)
+{
+    $string='';
+    for ($i=0; $i < strlen($hex)-1; $i+=2)
+    {
+        $string .= chr(hexdec($hex[$i].$hex[$i+1]));
+    }
+    return $string;
+}
 ?>
diff --git a/includes/polling/device-areca.inc.php b/includes/polling/device-areca.inc.php
index d39eedcec..f2807360f 100644
--- a/includes/polling/device-areca.inc.php
+++ b/includes/polling/device-areca.inc.php
@@ -8,5 +8,11 @@ if (!$version) { $version = trim(snmp_get($device, "1.3.6.1.4.1.18928.1.2.1.4.0"
 
 $serial = trim(snmp_get($device, "1.3.6.1.4.1.18928.1.1.1.3.0", "-OQv", "", ""),'"');
 if (!$serial) { $serial = trim(snmp_get($device, "1.3.6.1.4.1.18928.1.2.1.3.0", "-OQv", "", ""),'"'); }
+
+if (strstr($serial,' '))
+{
+  # Sometimes firmware outputs serial as hex-string
+  $serial = hex2str(str_replace(' ','',str_replace(' 00','',$serial)));
+}
   
 ?>