Compatibility with third-party docking stations - TUXEDO Computers

With our TUXEDO Office Hub and the TUXEDO Triple Dock, we already offer two docking stations. Regardless, we receive plenty of customer inquiries regarding the compatibility of our notebooks with other docking stations from third parties, some of which are already owned by these customers.

Here, however, we must first distinguish between Thunderbolt docking stations, “combination” docking stations and universal docking stations.

Differences in docking stations

Thunderbolt docking stations

Thanks to the Thunderbolt standard, our notebooks with Intel CPU and a Thunderbolt port are compatible with most Thunderbolt docking stations on the market. But why “with most”? The simple reason is that some manufacturers only release their Thunderbolt docking stations for certain devices and severely restrict or even completely deny functionality for other devices.

This does not only affect notebooks from TUXEDO, but also devices from other manufacturers. This locking mode is most likely happening at the firmware level of the docking station, but this has not yet been confirmed or denied by any of the manufacturers using these locks. TUXEDO has no influence on this. With the Triple Dock we offer, we guarantee full compatibility with our compatible notebooks.

“Combi” Docking Stations

“Combo” docking stations include docking stations that support the Thunderbolt standard and notebooks with a “full-featured USB-C” port (i.e. including DisplayPort and USB Power Delivery), like our TUXEDO Aura 15 Gen2. These have the advantage that you do not necessarily need a notebook with Thunderbolt to use this docking station. However, the notebook must have a “Full-Featured USB-C” port. Our Triple Dock is such a “combo” dock.

Universal docking stations

Universal docking stations usually use the proprietary DisplayLink driver for screen transfer. Thanks to this, the notebook does not need a Thunderbolt or “Full-Featured USB-C” port. We cannot generally guarantee basic functionality for universal docking stations. Our TUXEDO Office Hub being such a universal docking station, we of course guarantee full functionality for it because we invest a lot of time in regular testing of the DisplayLink driver.

What is the situation regarding compatibility?

With Thunderbolt docking stations, the chances are very good that they are compatible and therefore functional. However, a notebook with Thunderbolt is mandatory here. You also have a good chance that “combo” docking stations are compatible, as long as your notebook has a Thunderbolt or “Full-Featured USB-C” port.

If you are unsure whether your existing docking station is compatible with your (new) TUXEDO notebook, you are welcome to contact our customer service. We will try to help. If you don’t have a docking station yet, our customer service will be happy to help you find the right docking station for you and your (new) TUXEDO.