Question KVM switch for using work laptop with home setup

[MechEng]

Hi everyone,

I have been looking for an easy way to plug in my work laptop to my home setup when I work from home a few days of the week, but I have not managed to get my head around what I need to look for, so far...

Work Laptop: HP ZBook 15
Home setup: Stationary PC with two monitors, keyboard and mouse connected.

I am looking for some gadget (KVM switch?) that allows me to simply attach and use my work laptop together with both of my monitors, the keyboard and mouse, when I work from home.

Currently I have a 3'rd monitor, keyboard and mouse on my desk that I connect to the laptop when working from home, which annoys me and takes up a lot of the available real estate I have on my desk: 3 24" monitors, the laptop, 2 keyboards, two mice and mousepads... it kinda adds up

Any help appreciated.

Jan

 

[Tech Junky]

you could simply use a USB-C docking station with dual / tri monitor outputs and simply move the USB cable between them.

https://www.amazon.com/Docking-Station-Monitor-MacBook-Enclosure/dp/B09SCN4RBM

https://www.amazon.com/j5create-Simultaneously-DisplayPort-Compartment-JCD543/dp/B07ZWF819F

There's tons of different options in outputs / layout / resolution. Just depends on preferences and specs of what you need for video output but, moving a single USB cable keeps it simple. While not a KVM it's cheaper than making a dual system setup.

 

[In2Photos]

Here's my setup which is similar to what you are after. I don't believe a single device will do what you want (I couldn't find one when I did mine).

Home Desktop
Work laptop (Dell XPS 15) with docking station
3 monitors, keyboard and mouse
USB switch

I have the Dell docking station connected via thunderbolt to the laptop. It connects to each monitor via HDMI. A single USB to the USB switch.

Desktop connects to each monitor via DP. Single USB to the USB switch.

USB switch connects to both the keyboard and mouse. I simply click the button to transfer the keyboard and mouse to each computer and use the input button on the monitors to change between the two computers.

Here is the USB switch. UGREEN USB 3.0 Sharing Switch... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N6GD9JO?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
And any USB dock should work as long as it has the connections you need.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I use TESmart KVM switches, one for bottom monitor and one for top monitor, the 2 side monitors just go directly to work PC as I don't need them for my personal stuff.

https://www.amazon.ca/TESmart-Switcher-Supports-Keyboard-Computers/dp/B0874PP99K/

These are the best KVM switches I have ever used. It took me years to find a decent one. Most KVM switches seem to have issues with locking up, or switching very slowly, or losing the mouse/keyboard randomly and having to unplug/replug etc but these just work. They also support 4k.

Another nice thing with KVMs, at least these ones, is that they won't cause your Display Port monitors to go all whacko when you turn them off. Windows seems to have issues with multi monitor setups if you turn off the displays if they are DP, it will shuffle your windows all over the place. By adding a KVM it eliminates this. Oddly enough I had the issue in Linux Mint with HDMI too. So I killed two birds with one stone by adding a KVM to each monitor.

They also make DP versions of these switches but I opted for HDMI since my personal setup is all HDMI, for work I use DP to HDMI adapters.

 

[MechEng]

Thank you all for the tips and links.Greatly appreciated.

You have given me something to look into