How To Set Up Laptop Docking Station

Connecting Your Equipment Using a Docking Station

Instructions for connecting your monitors, keyboard, mouse, etc. to a docking station also known as a port replicator.

Preparation

If yous took more than than only your laptop habitation (i.e. monitors, docking station, etc.), y'all may want to mark the cables you have been using to ensure you know where they will need to be plugged into when you return your equipment to the role. Examples of potential video connections you may exist using include:

VGA
HDMI
Mini-DisplayPort
DisplayPort

For a elementary selection to mark your cables, wrap some record effectually each end of the cablevision to make a flag. Using a permanent marker, write the blazon of cable (i.eastward. HDMI, DisplayPort, etc.) on the tape as well every bit what it plugs into (i.e. monitor, docking station, etc.)

Instructions

The video below includes instructions for connecting monitors to a docking station, then connecting the docking station to a laptop. You may also demand to connect a keyboard and/or mouse. Typically these are plugged into the USB ports.

Note: In this video, the author often refers to the docking station as a "port replicator."

There are many potential docking stations you may accept. Below is an case of a Dell docking station with the ports labeled. Note the size and shape of the available ports and then that you tin match them to the ports on the docking station y'all have when y'all demand to reconnect your equipment.

back and front of a docking station with the ports labeled with numbers

USB-C
USB
Sound or Headset
Audio Out (oftentimes used for Microphones)
DisplayPort (DP)
HDMI
DisplayPort (DP) over USB-C
USB
Ethernet
Power In

Connecting Your Monitors to Your Docking Station

If you only took your laptop home and your monitors, docking station, etc. are withal set as before, ensure everything is still plugged in and skip to Footstep 3 .

Connect Each of the Cables you lot previously labeled with tape to the corresponding port in both the docking station and the monitors, noting the port shape and size list above. This may wait something like the instance image beneath. Also exist sure to plug in your keyboard and mouse.
Connect the Ability Adapter to the docking station and to the wall. This power adapter and cablevision likely came with the docking station.
Connect your Laptop to the docking station using the cable attached to the docking station. This may be USB-C (similar to the example paradigm) or regular USB depending on the type of docking station.
NOTE: Certain types of docking stations practice not supply power to the calculator and so you may need to connect your computer'due south Power Adapter as well.