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Author Topic: Universal Docking Station  (Read 2161 times)

Offline diezuhl52282

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Universal Docking Station
« on: August 31, 2011, 12:03:44 AM »
Hi guys!

In 1 or 2 weeks I'm going to get myself a new laptop.  I have my eyes on some Lenovo laptop at the local computer stores.  Currently in our household we have 1 Samsung laptop (which will be given to my dad) and 1 Samsung netbook (this one is my dad's and it's going to be given to my mom)... and yes, they are all running PCLinuxOS.

My question is, can you guys suggest a good universal docking station?  My old desktop is about to retire (motherboard is about to die) and I still want to use my other LCD monitor.

Thanks!
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Offline Rudge

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Re: Universal Docking Station
« Reply #1 on: August 31, 2011, 12:15:30 AM »
Quote from: diezuhl52282 on August 31, 2011, 12:03:44 AM
Hi guys!

In 1 or 2 weeks I'm going to get myself a new laptop.  I have my eyes on some Lenovo laptop at the local computer stores.  Currently in our household we have 1 Samsung laptop (which will be given to my dad) and 1 Samsung netbook (this one is my dad's and it's going to be given to my mom)... and yes, they are all running PCLinuxOS.

My question is, can you guys suggest a good universal docking station?  My old desktop is about to retire (motherboard is about to die) and I still want to use my other LCD monitor.

Thanks!

Do they exist?  I Was under the impression that every docking station was a proprietary piece. Worked with only its mate.   

If I am wrong I will have leaned something.
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Offline diezuhl52282

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Re: Universal Docking Station
« Reply #2 on: August 31, 2011, 12:39:15 AM »
When I was working in the Middle East I once visited one satellite office where our IT guy had a ready dock for laptops if any of us visited.  But for the life of me, I could not recall what that brand was.  And for the employees we mostly had Dell, HP and Toshiba laptops. 
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Offline The Chief

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Re: Universal Docking Station
« Reply #3 on: August 31, 2011, 01:43:54 PM »
Quote from: diezuhl52282 on August 31, 2011, 12:03:44 AM
My question is, can you guys suggest a good universal docking station? 
Thanks!

Disclaimer:  No experience with it!

But, I found this which appears to be what you want.

http://www.targus.com/us/productdetail.aspx?sku=acp50us
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Offline T6

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Re: Universal Docking Station
« Reply #4 on: August 31, 2011, 04:10:44 PM »
old docking stations for dell, toshiba, ibm and similar were designed to be connected on a special port, unique to each brand and sometimes for each line of laptops, nothing standard

it seem that the universal docking station, the example posted seems to depend on a usb driver to move video , audio, ethernet and extra usb ports to the universal adapter

this doesn't sound that simple to do on linux

i find more simple to use a normal monitor and if necessary, use a usb hub with a keyboard and mouse to forget this docking station that seems to be a expensive idea
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Offline horusfalcon

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Re: Universal Docking Station
« Reply #5 on: September 15, 2011, 08:40:57 PM »
There are things called "port replicators" that may or may not work with PCLinuxOS.  As T6 said already, a lot of these rely on USB (or PCMCIA) interfaces, and it may be less than straightforward getting them to work.

If you are needing to connect an external monitor, most laptops from Lenovo have external video ports - just hook up there.  Sometimes there's a "Fn key" combination needed to get the external port working, and I won't even get into trying to use extended desktop with KDE - I've been less than successful with that.  A lot of that depends on the GPU and video card implementation in my limited experience.

If your external monitor is DVI, there are DVI/VGA converters available that allow adapting a DVI cable to your DB-15HD VGA port.  They're not terribly expensive.  I don't know beans about HDMI (other than that the cables are needlessly expensive).

Hope you get where you need to be.

Later On,
D 

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Offline Old-Polack

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Re: Universal Docking Station
« Reply #6 on: September 15, 2011, 11:39:48 PM »
Quote from: T6 on August 31, 2011, 04:10:44 PM

it seem that the universal docking station, the example posted seems to depend on a usb driver to move video , audio, ethernet and extra usb ports to the universal adapter

this doesn't sound that simple to do on linux


It says it needs a single USB 2.0 connection between the laptop and docking station, and that driver is part of the Linux kernel, so already there. The real question comes from the statement that it works with Win2K SP4, XP, and Vista, and is, "does this mean it also needs some Windows only application to work, or is it only that those are the Windows versions that support USB 2.0"? If there is no Windows application involved, and only the need for USB 2.0 support, then it should also "just work" with Linux too.

One would need a bit more clarification as to actual requirements before one could conclude, with any certainty, whether it does, or does not, work with Linux. If a USB 2.0 connection is the only real requirement, a Linux running laptop is a shoe in.
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Offline T6

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Re: Universal Docking Station
« Reply #7 on: September 16, 2011, 06:17:10 AM »
"It says it needs a single USB 2.0 connection between the laptop and docking station"

yes, i could see that information, it works as a usb port replicator too

"and that driver is part of the Linux kernel, so already there"

where do you see that info?!?!  i don't see it anywhere, i only see support for windows 2000 to vista/w7

the real problem is the usb to vga/dvi/hdmi connector, that is the real question, maybe usb to audio
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Offline Old-Polack

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Re: Universal Docking Station
« Reply #8 on: September 16, 2011, 07:58:57 AM »
Quote from: T6 on September 16, 2011, 06:17:10 AM
"It says it needs a single USB 2.0 connection between the laptop and docking station"

yes, i could see that information, it works as a usb port replicator too

"and that driver is part of the Linux kernel, so already there"

where do you see that info?!?!  i don't see it anywhere, i only see support for windows 2000 to vista/w7

the real problem is the usb to vga/dvi/hdmi connector, that is the real question, maybe usb to audio

Are you running Linux? Do you have any USB 2.0 devices? Do they work? Mine do. ;)
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Offline diezuhl52282

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Re: Universal Docking Station
« Reply #9 on: September 16, 2011, 08:56:40 AM »
This looks like a good one.  What do you guys think?
http://www.amazon.com/Plugable-Universal-DisplayLink-1920x1080-High-Speed/dp/B002PONXAI

The docking station can wait.  It would be great if I could get something cheaper than this.
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Offline T6

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Re: Universal Docking Station
« Reply #10 on: September 16, 2011, 02:15:20 PM »
"Are you running Linux? Do you have any USB 2.0 devices? Do they work? Mine do."

how many usb to vga adapters do you have?  working on linux

diezuhl52282, from that link, this line says alot

"NOT RECOMMENDED for use with Mac OS Lion (10.7). Linux configuration for advanced users only"
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Offline Old-Polack

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Re: Universal Docking Station
« Reply #11 on: September 16, 2011, 04:45:55 PM »
Quote from: T6 on September 16, 2011, 02:15:20 PM
"Are you running Linux? Do you have any USB 2.0 devices? Do they work? Mine do."

how many usb to vga adapters do you have?  working on linux

diezuhl52282, from that link, this line says alot

"NOT RECOMMENDED for use with Mac OS Lion (10.7). Linux configuration for advanced users only"

Two separate sentences. One that it's not recommended for use with Mac OS Lion (10.7), which would imply it is alright for Mac Tiger or Leopard, and the second that Linux users should know what they are doing. Nothing that says it won't work with Linux.

The large blow up of the connections shows a single USB 2.0 connection from the laptop to the docking station, with all peripherals connecting directly to the docking station, either through Ethernet cable (modem) DVI/VGA monitor cable (adapter included) or USB cables, front and rear.
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Offline T6

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Re: Universal Docking Station
« Reply #12 on: September 16, 2011, 05:06:32 PM »
that was a interesting way  to not answer my question and post nice colors

nothing useful but it looks interesting and smart
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