Do you use a usb docking station? Do they work? Which one is best?

Hey guys. Looking to use my m11x as my portable and main machine for now. Have 2 monitors, an external hard drive, printer, etc. too hook up to it, but don't want to deal with hooking and unhooking everything, so I was thinking about a usb dock station. Ideally, only hooking up to one usb port to get me to all of my peripherals.

SO, my questions are:

1) Do any of you use one?

2) What is the best one out there right now?

3) How well do they work? Do you get the same functionality as plugging directly into your usb on the laptop? Is there lag? How does the one usb on your laptop accept so many inputs (might have up to 5 things or so plugged into the dock station at one time, so I guess I don't get how all of those inputs can be read by one usb port at the same time).

Thanks in advance!!!

 

I have a Belkin F4U017 powered 7 port USB 2.0 hub. It's get a keyboard hooked up to it with a G13 hooked into the keyboard. A G9 gaming mouse, 1.5TB external hard drive, external Lightscribe drive, iPhone, standard USB device cable, and a thumb drive installed into it. It seems to work fine... though at times I wonder how.

 

Thx for the quick reply. Seems like you advise just going for a hub as opposed to a full on "port replicator" style (VGA ports, etc)?

 

I have no use for a port replicator, as I use an HDMI LCD for my monitor, and everything else I own hooks up through USB.

 

What would you use the port replicator besides usb? I would weight how often you'll dock/undock your m11x and how lazy you are against the cost difference between the two options. I also wouldn't recommend connecting another monitor via a port replicator at all, as that would also have to be managed over usb...

 

I can be pretty lazy ;-) Thanks for the advice. I will probably go display port and HDMI for 2 monitors and rest just go with the belkin that was suggested earlier.

 

I have numerous laptops, monitors and a desktop and there is no way I'm going to spend my days juggling cables.

If you're a bit lazy, then I'm flat lined.

I have an Aten US421A USB 4 port switch at the core of my desktop.

This means I can switch between four Desktop/laptop devices.

The Aten switch supports a 7 port Targus USB hub which supports, printer, scanner, external USB drives, USB wireless mouse/keyboard and etc etc...

As you switch between systems one looses the USB farm as the USB hub is only available to the actively switched system.

So hardware addressable USB devices like Bluetooth/WiFi USB should be attach to specific systems and not the hub (USB farm).

Same with audio. I have a Digitech olde world switch box supporting S-Video, Composite and left/right RCA audio. Plug all my 3.5mm audio -> RCA from my monitors, desktop and laptops into it.

So now I have independently selectable audio, selectable wireless USB keyboard/mouse with access to a 'USB farm'.

Next the monitors. Each monitor supports 4 USB devices, 3.5mm audio, 2xDVI, VGA, DisplayPort, HDMI, composite and component video. Each monitor port is selectable via the touch menu on the monitor. Again the USB ports on the monitor are lost as you switch between displays.

Dynamic 15 port USB farm anybody..
Just keep an eye on shared I/O of the USB uplink though.

My Toshiba is attached to an I/O adaptor which supports a true dock. Plug it into the laptop and you get power, VGA, USB, Audio, Ethernet and etc

This is what you're after, but for an M11x.

The M11x would need a bespoke I/O Adaptor to support at least 7 different types of interface and power all via one interface on the M11x.

Instead I just plug in a USB cable and press a switch, plug in a HDMI and/or DisplayPort and select the monitor input. If I want sound/music I just use DisplayPort/HDMI and switch the audio to either display monitor.

So, with at least one USB and a display port (VGA, DisplayPort or HDMI) one has access to everything and also switchable between other devices/systems without removing/moving cables.

It all sounds a bit wacky, so here's a picture girls and boys.

 

I was just about to say +1 rep if you include a diagram...and then I looked at the bottom of the post so, 1 rep it is! Would give +2 if I could since you gave the goods before asked lol.