> right driver (eg. max232, spec'd up to 120kbps) in a normal home

If I remember correctly, the MAX232 is spec'd at 19k2, while a variant of it
(MAX232A?) and the newer MAX202 is spec'd to support 115k2. The MAX202 is
"better" anyway because it works with 5x 100nF, available cheap and in 1206 SMT.