Whether you alternate between working from home and the office or travel frequently and use a laptop as your primary device, here is one example of how a docking station makes your life easier. At home, you can quickly connect to multiple devices like monitors, keyboards, and webcams using a docking station. This would save you a lot of time while avoiding cable clutter.
When heading to the office, you simply undock your laptop from your home office docking station and then reconnect at the office docking station for an instant setup with dual monitors and network access. This improves your productivity, your workspace remains organised, and you are able to manage tasks efficiently across different environments.
If you are still wondering what docking stations really do, don’t worry. We will now discuss this topic further, including the types of docking stations and some important considerations you should consider if you choose to get one yourself.
At its basic level, a docking station acts as a central hub that expands the connectivity options of a laptop and its primary functions are:
This is the capability of a docking station to provide expanded access to various external devices like monitors, keyboards, mice, printers, and external storage. This primary function allows laptops and even other portable devices to connect to multiple external devices, which we call peripherals, through a single connection point.
This connection point is usually via USB, Thunderbolt, or other ports on the docking station.
What docking station manufacturers typically do is include an ethernet port. So, beyond connectivity, a user can also bypass less reliable Wi-Fi connections with a docking station that has an ethernet port. This is practical and beneficial in professional settings where consistent network performance is important.
Besides faster data transfer rates, network access through a docking station also means reduced latency and improved security, which is great for productivity.
Providing power to connected devices like laptops, tablets, and smartphones is part of what some advanced docking stations do. If you have a home office docking station, for example, you can power all your devices with compatible ports through a single connection like a USB-C or Thunderbolt. This will first of all simplify your cable management, but it will also ensure a consistent power supply.
Docking stations with power delivery capabilities can support various power levels, often up to 100 watts or more. Because of this, docking stations are compatible with a wide range of devices which reduces the need for separate power adapters.
Knowing what docking stations do is a lot easier if you also know the various forms and functionalities that docking stations have based on different user needs and environments.
The different types are:
Choosing a docking station is easy if you know why you need one and the type you need. Based on the information we’ve covered above, you can find one very easily. However, not all docking stations are of great quality, and that is where we at Targus come in.
We will not only help you find the right docking station for your needs, but we also make sure that it is reliable. We offer a limited lifetime warranty and free shipping if your order is above £50. Therefore, if you need a docking station shop now with us.
