Docking Stations

[Getsuga]

Hi all,

 

We have around 75 BenQ interactive screens and 1:1 Dell laptop devices for all our staff in the school.

 

We currently have Dell USB-C docking stations (various models) that are used for the multiple displays and have found that the docking stations can be intermittent/inconsistent.

 

I wanted to ask if anyone here has been using alternative docking stations in their environment where it has been somewhat consistent and have had little to no issues.

 

I've heard some good reviews about StarTech docking stations which I'll definitely look into, but any recommendations would be much appreciated!

 

Thanks!

 

Mike

[synaesthesia]

There are known issues with many of the generic stations due to the USB to Network adapter in them (a certain chipset maker cheaped out by using an old ethernet protocol to make it behave over USB and that protocol, when followed correctly by many switches, causes network wide issues related to the PAUSE command).

I don't know if a list has been made of the chipsets or the docks that make them but for now I'd strongly suggest sticking with the large manufacturers if you possibly can. We're moving towards the Dells (away from Lenovo who have been less than reliable so far!)

[aac]

CTOUCH RIVA screens in all rooms here along with Dell WD19S130W. No issues in regards reliability of them that we have noticed.

[Norphy]

@Getsuga, Which Dell docks do you have? There were some (The TB16 and the WD15 come to mind) where the initial firmware revision was downright awful and had issues similar to what you're describing in your post. A firmware update on the dock helped massively.

[psydii]

We've had nothing but trouble with ThinkPad USB C docks.

 

Latest firmware on laptops and docks has helped a huge amount, as has ensuring that cable is USB consortium branded "SS 10+" or "SS 20+" with power delivery.

 

However what made the biggest difference was moving to connect video direct to the laptops via HDMI or HDMI adapter. 90% of tech problems in the classrooms were eliminated by simply not running the critical capability over USB-C.

 

We keep some rooms/office as usb-c purists to monitor changes in reliability. A couple of weeks ago a new one happened. If a laptop was restarted while connected to the dock, the CPU would then throttle to 600Mhz-1.2Ghz. Removing the cable it would jump back to 1.8-2.8Ghz. Using a new cable would maintain the CPU performance. Using the old cable the poor performance returns. Rebooting the laptop and dock while disconnected from the cable, then restored capability to the original cable when it was reconnected. Once a laptop was in the slow state, the cable that was attached at that moment can no longer be used until a reboot. A new cable will work unitl it too is affected, and so on.

 

USB-C with PD and Alt Mode is not reliable.

 

 

Turns out the issue was documented by Tay, years ago, its just that things have been so janky for us, that this is the first time it has been the worst USB-C derived issue we were experiencing.

Edited May 6, 2022 by psydii

[Network_Boy]

Glad to hear we're not the only ones experiencing issues with the Lenovo USB-C gen2 docks (and our Lenovo Yoga laptops)! We have over a hundred of these, and they've been a pain in the wotsit since the moment we purchased them almost a year ago.

 

The main issue we have is in office scenarios when the user has two external monitors plugged into the dock. The screens will flicker black every now and then, and occasionally just lose connection altogether until the dock/laptop is rebooted.

 

We've tried various dock firmware upgrades / lenovo yoga GPU driver updates / different monitor brands / different monitor connections / making sure nothing else is plugged into the dock drawing power. Sometimes it seems to fix itself for a while, and then the issue comes back again. We have a lot of very, very unhappy bunnies here. For laptops and docks that cost so much to purchase, we've been distinctly unimpressed - both with the performance of the dock and the reliability of the laptops.

[MattGarnett]

I too, have this issue at work! Can't wait to find the answer.

[psydii]

The answer is to bypass the usb-c dock and use HDMI for video and audio to the front of the classroom, and hope you don't hit the power management problem.

[jnfarmer]

The answer is to bypass the usb-c dock and use HDMI for video and audio to the front of the classroom, and hope you don't hit the power management problem.

 

Ironically, we haven't had these issues in the classrooms! Only in offices where users will have dual/triple monitors off the dock, which they're supposed to be able to support. We're testing a theory that the power draw on the dock is to high which then causes these issues.

[psydii]

Ironically, we haven't had these issues in the classrooms! Only in offices where users will have dual/triple monitors off the dock, which they're supposed to be able to support. We're testing a theory that the power draw on the dock is to high which then causes these issues.

 

I suspect our problems originate because we went USB-C before the Thinkpad/Intel USB-C disaster happened (https://www.tomsguide.com/news/nearly-all-thinkpads-have-defective-usb-c-ports-what-to-do-now) , and some damage to devices seems to be communicable.

 

But on multiple displays, there are limitations on how many displays are supported. The docks may have two DisplayPort, an HDMI and a VGA, but with our laptop/dock combos you can usually only have two displays at a time. It gets very complicated: https://support.lenovo.com/us/zh/solutions/pd029622#USB-C%20dock

 

We did get the advice that higher powered AC Adapter may solve the problems. Our devices are quite low-end in power needs, so we didn't find any appreciable improvement testing a few rooms moving from the 90W to 135W adapters. (Given the laptops were supplied with 60W adapters, 30W ought to be enough to drive the dock and displays). One strangeness we did discover though was that while most HDMI-VGA adapters on most of our laptops/rooms were fine... some combinations would not work unless the HDMI-VGA adapter was supplied with additional power via is USB port. When we wired in usb power from the dock to the adapter everything was fine. So that's what we did in all rooms.

 

Advice on power adapters for the docks is now up on the lenovo support site: https://support.lenovo.com/gb/en/accessories/pd500519-thinkpad-universal-usb-c-dock-overview-and-service-parts

Edited May 11, 2022 by psydii

[Network_Boy]

Thank you for the update! We are currently trialling changing the power management settings for the dock in device manager, to see if that makes any difference. We found it on a thread here: Thinkbook-15-G2-ITL-Flickering-Dual-Screens-with-ThinkPad-USB-C-Dock-Gen-2 - English Community - LENOVO COMMUNITY

[Chaton]

We've also been using Dell docking stations, and found we have to discharge them from time to time otherwise they'll just refuse to do anything other than supply power. We've been trying to convince SLT to switch to SMART screens, and we have a couple so one thing we're going to try is running a thunderbolt cable between the laptop and the screen. Some of the screens have a thunderbolt port that supports a similar charging wattage to the docking stations.

[Andycat]

We've been using Startech for a few years, and they're pretty solid. Just need a reboot now and then. We have Dell, HP, Lenovo and some random laptops (and Macbooks) using them with few issues.

 

https://www.startech.com/en-gb/cards-adapters/usb3sdockhd