Home Dock

SpanishFry

Platinum Member
Nov 3, 2001
2,965
0
0
Hello,

I'm looking for any suggestions for my home office setup. I have a Desktop PC at home with my lcd, wireless keyboard, mouse, etc. For work I have a Thinkpad. I'd like to come home and easily connect my laptop up to my lcd, keyboard, and mouse so I can work from that setup. I was wondering if there are any alternatives to:

1. Get laptop dock for home and connect the dock and my PC to a KVM.

2. Remote desktop into the laptop from my PC when at home.

Any other options? I would just RDP into it, but the Group Policy on the laptop blocks that port.
 

Paperdoc

Platinum Member
Aug 17, 2006
2,455
349
126
You might get away without the dock. Many laptops have ports for PS2 keyboard and mouse and 15-pin VGA on them already, without requiring a docking station. If yours does, then you just need a KVM with the right connectors for your laptop, your desktop home unit, and your keyboard / mouse / LCD. Many KVM's do NOT have High-Def Digital connections for the display. If you are using a regular analog VGA signal connection to the LCD, you should be fine.

IF, however, you are using a digital connection from the home desktop to the LCD, there may be another way. But many LCD's with digital inputs also have a 15-pin analog input connector, and a built-in switch to jump between the two inputs. On those LCD units you can connect both inputs (one from each computer) and switch between the two screens with the LCD's buttons. You still need the KVM for the keyboard and mouse.
 

Blain

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
23,643
3
81
Full blown docking stations are GREAT.
If I had a need for a laptop, I'd have one for sure. :thumbsup::laugh:

BTW, Make sure you get a laptop that has docking stations built for it. Some just don't.
A USB port replicator is a very sad way to go.