Docking Stations

Chromebooks and ChromeOS-based tablets offer a lot of power that is packed into a portable form factor, but some users may prefer to connect their machines to a larger display (or even multiple displays) to enhance their productivity when they are stationary. Most ChromeOS devices on the market include the necessary ports to connect the machine to an external display via an HDMI connection or even a USB-C to HDMI cable. However, many users prefer to use a docking station as a more permanent solution in cases where they can dedicate a fixed display, keyboard and mouse. 

There are two options for docking stations when it comes to ChromeOS powered devices; a Universal DisplayLink Docking Station and a USB Type-C Docking Station.

USB Type-C Docking Station

USB Type-C Docking Stations are the modern solution that has been adopted by the PC industry and has several advantages over DisplayLink based docking stations, specifically the fact that they can supply power, video and data via a single USB Type-C cable. It is strongly advised for users to look up their ChromeOS device in our ChromeOS Device Database and check to see if their machine has a "USB Type-C 3.1 Port (with Video Output Support)" before purchasing a USB Type-C Docking Station. This port is standard on most ChromeOS devices released after 2017. You will also need to connect a USB Type-C Power Supply to the Docking Station to take advantage of pass-through charging if your docking station does not provide its own power supply. The other major advantage of USB Type-C Docking Stations over DisplayLink is that USB Type-C Docking Stations can support  High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) content which is used by most streaming media platforms and even "secure" applications such as password managers and banking applications.

Universal DisplayLink Docking Stations

DisplayLink docking stations are commonly sold online and work with most Chromebooks, regardless of the age. DisplayLink uses a standard USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 port and some modern DisplayLink docking stations can even ship with USB Type-C ports. The biggest downside to DisplayLink is that it does not support viewing  High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) such as content from streaming media or secured applications (banking applications and password managers).