Finding the right accessories can be just as important as finding the right workstation. With so many different varieties from varying form factors, sizes, hardware offerings, monitors, and more, it’s important to make sure that the docking station that you get is compatible with your new workstation and offers everything you need.
Docking stations have become a necessity to enabling your workstation to be able to accomplish all the tasks you need with ease. If you’re office is using computers without a docking station you may not be getting the full potential out of your devices.
A docking station is a piece of hardware that attaches to your computer, typically via USB or Thunderbolt connection, and enables your workstation to have additional ports, display connectors, direct Ethernet connectivity, and much more. Office workstations have become much smaller, reducing their overall footprint on the desk. But reducing the physical size of the workstation has forced manufacturers to sacrifice some Input / Output (I/O), and remove other items like the optical drive, Ethernet jack, and the amount of USB ports available on the device
In order to take full advantage of what your workstations capable of, the addition of a docking station is a must-have. Here’s a quick look at some of the best docking stations you should consider in 2022, if you’re planning to purchase new workstations for your office in 2022.
2022 Docking Station Offerings
If you’re office has a particular set of workstations they buy from a particular manufacturer, then we advise that you stick with the same manufacturer for your docking stations as well. It is important to ensure that you use a docking station that the manufacturer of your workstations has certified as compatible.
For example, if you’re office only purchases Lenovo workstations, then we recommend going with Lenovo’s series of docking station. The same would go for Dell for example as well, if you’re office uses Dell laptops it’s best to go with compatible docking stations from Dell.
Lenovo based docking stations come in a variety of options, including USB-C and Thunderbolt based connectivity. The USB-C and Thunderbolt series offer 3x USB 3.1, 2x USB 2.0, and 1x USB-C or Thunderbolt port. Lenovo Docking Stations also provide 2x Display Port plugs, an HDMI Port, as well as 1x Gigabit Ethernet port.
Dell also has similar docking station offerings with the Dell DisplayLink 3100 series docking station. This docking station offer 2x HDMI Port, 2x Display Port, up to 4 USB 3.1, and 2 USB ports, and a USB-C port as well.
There are also generic docking stations that are available from several well-rounded manufacturers such as; StarTech, C2G, VisionTek, and Pluggable. The 3rd party generic docking stations can have computability issues with certain workstations though, so it’s important to ensure the latest drivers are installed and that the workstation you are purchasing the docking station for has the best hardware to take advantage of the docking station.
Although generic docking stations do exist, it should be noted that these are not recommended unless faced with extreme circumstances such as odd ports or compatibility issues that force you to use a docking station that is not made by the manufacturer of your workstation.
ThunderBolt Versus USB-C
You may be wondering what is the difference between USB-C based coking stations and Thunderbolt docking stations, and what’s the best one to go with.
Thunderbolt is a fairly new connectivity standard, which came out originally in 2011. After the release of Thunderbolt 3 (The 3rd rendition to Thunderbolt technology) it was made a universal standard that any manufacturer, PC, Mac, Android, or otherwise, could use.
You can use Thunderbolt cables with a. USB-C Port, however not every Windows PC with a USB-C port will support Thunderbolt 3 cables. You can tell if the PC is thunderbolt compatible if the port includes a trademark Thunderbolt logo next to it.
Thunderbolt offers some unique advantages over USB-C, for example if you have multiple 4k monitors that are Thunderbolt compatible, you can daisy chain them together with Thunderbolt cables. Thunderbolt cables also offer up to 40 gigabytes of data per second, which can offer higher video bandwidth when using 4k displays. Thunderbolt capable docking stations are also capable of charging your connected laptop through the dock as well.
Whether you device on a thunderbolt or USB-C capable device, it’s important that you pair your workstation’s in your office with the best docking station to take full advantage of your computer’s hardware. Your team should be able to work with multiple monitors, direct Ethernet connectivity, and have all the USB I/O they’ll need for everyday needs, and the best way to do that is to pair your workstations with a capable docking station.
If you want to learn more about how Natural Networks can assist in getting your office workstations up to their fullest potential, give us a call today!
