Q&A for How to Dock a Laptop

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Could I connect a desktop to a docking station so as to make use of multiple peripherals?

Community Answer

No, desktops aren't meant for docking stations, you can have multiple peripherals by getting more monitors and cables. Be sure that your desktop can support more monitors and that you have the right cable for the monitors.

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Question

Can I connect a monitor to my laptop without docking stations?

Community Answer

Yes, most modern laptops feature a mini HDMI port that you can use to hook it up to a second monitor. You will need a mini HDMI to HDMI cable to do this. You can also use a normal HDMI cable if you have an adapter.

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Question

My docking station has a DVI port but my laptop does not. Will this docking station work with my laptop?

Community Answer

Yes, the dock makes the connection inside. We used that as a work around for a laptop with ONLY and hdmi but all our projectors are vga.

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Question

How do I un-dock a laptop?

Community Answer

It depends on the dock; usually, you just lift up the laptop.

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Question

How do I power my laptop on?

Community Answer

As you would normally; most docking stations don't have their own power buttons.

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Question

When I close my laptop I get an error on my monitor. What should I do?

Community Answer

It would help if you configured the laptop to not go to sleep when the cover is closed. When it is asleep, there is no video out and the monitor is simply saying that it is plugged into the power and there is no video going to it.

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Question

How does the laptop connect to the docking station?

Aroly Seven

Community Answer

You have to have dock port on your laptop.

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Question

Can I use a laptop HDMI port while connected to the docking station?

Aroly Seven

Community Answer

No, you can't. HDMI is used to transfer multimedia.

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Question

How do I know if my laptop is connected to my docking station?

Community Answer

When it is connected, you should hear the "device connected" sound, and your peripherals with lights (namely, the num Lock light on your keyboard) should light up.

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Question

Can I connect my laptop in its docking station to my desktop?

Arrogance

Top Answerer

That depends on what you mean by "connect" it, and what you're hoping to accomplish. For networking, it's much easier to connect both computers to the same router, rather tan connecting the computers together directly. For video, you would need a video capture card. To share a monitor or peripherals, you will want a KVM switch.

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Question

Do I plug the laptop into the wall outlet as well as the docking station?

Aasim

Top Answerer

You only need to connect the dock to power in most cases; as the dock will be able to charge the laptop when it is plugged in.

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Question

How do I connect my router to the docking station?

Aasim

Top Answerer

Look for an Ethernet port on the back of your dock. Plug an Ethernet cable into the dock and then into the router or into the wall. If you see the Ethernet wire on the taskbar, it means that your laptop is connected to Ethernet.

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