As work from home initiatives continue across the world for the safety of many workers, numerous individuals are facing work transitions that require more hardware in the home than one may be familiar with. From the use of multiple monitors to more robust
networking hardware that may enable more productive and permanent solutions for at-home work, the amount of connections, peripherals, and cabling required for a home office may be stressful for someone who is not well versed in IT hardware. To make establishing optimal work from home stations easier, many individuals can take advantage of hardware equipment known as
docking stations.
While some jobs may only require a notebook and headset to carry out most tasks, other positions may need multiple peripherals,
monitors, and other hardware equipment to ensure that all tasks can be carried out efficiently. With each new hardware piece added to a station, more connections and
cable management solutions are also needed. At some point, there may be no more ports or connection points provided on the computer itself. Docking stations serve to alleviate this issue and come in the form of a dock or hub that may facilitate the connection and organization of multiple power cords, USB cords,
adapters, chargers, converters, and other hardware depending upon the design of the dock.
Depending on one’s needs and their position, there are a number of docking station types that one may take advantage of. Port replicators or hubs are a simplistic type that is similar in appearance to a power strip or
surge protector, though they may feature a number of connection types outside of power outlets. Coming in numerous configurations, a port replicator may have electrical adaptors, audio jacks, peripheral connection points, display connectors, and more. Based on the number of connections and connection types one may need, such docking stations can range in price from cheap and simplistic hubs to pricier, advanced models.
A breakout dock is another variation of docking stations that replicates existing ports already present on the computer as well as may supply additional ports. In order for hardware to optimally function while connected to the breakout dock, many
modern computers will provide a special connector that consolidates concealed trace signals so that more ports than present on the computer may be established. As laptops are often limited in the amount of ports that one may take advantage of, breakout ports are very beneficial.
OEM or proprietary docking stations are similar to breakout devices, and such equipment may utilize converters to provide multiple connections from one port. As such devices are often proprietary, they may be permanently installed to equipment and are often self-powered so that they can benefit notebooks. On the other hand, OEM docks regularly provide users with dual displays, a wired internet connection point, and various USB and audio connections.
For more diverse solutions, one may also turn to universal or third party dock equipment which may come in numerous configurations and types. Many non-OEM docks will be USB-C or Thunderbolt-3 based and will contain various converters for the facilitation of USB connections, audio devices, modems,
memory cards, and more. If one has multiple devices that range in manufacturer, application, and/or connection type, universal docks are a popular choice to avoid complications in setting up a workstation.
Having a functional and well organized workstation is important for efficiency, and docking stations are a perfect solution for those needing more ports or connections. At ASAP IT Technology, we provide customers access to top quality docking stations and related components that have been sourced from manufacturers such as
Viewsonic, Getac Technology, Kensington, and others. Peruse our expansive part catalogs and find top part numbers such as WA995UT ABA,
USB3SDOCKHD, and 40A20170US all readily available for purchase through our website. To receive a competitive quote for your comparisons, fill out and submit an Instant RFQ form on our website and a dedicated account manager will reach out to you in 15 minutes or less, 24/7x365.
