Which KVM Docking Station Works With Two Laptops?
Summary
Choose a KVM docking station that supports both laptops, your monitors and the power each laptop needs. It lets two computers share monitors, a keyboard and a mouse, but charging, drivers and the devices that switch vary by model. The StarTech example below shows how to read those conditions for each laptop.
Where the name comes from
KVM stands for keyboard, video and mouse. ATEN, which makes KVM switches, describes one as "a hardware device, usually box-like, that connects one set of keyboard, monitor, and mouse to two or more PCs." ATEN traces the switch to desks and server rooms where every PC needed its own console, and says it was "born" from "the demands of saving space, costs, and increasing efficiency."
A KVM docking station combines laptop docking with switching between computers. The host connections, charging and shared peripherals depend on the model. In the StarTech example below, each laptop connects over USB-C; the dock switches the workstation peripherals and supplies different charging power to the active and second laptop.
Match both laptops before choosing a dock
- Confirm the supported operating system and any required driver for each laptop. A work laptop that cannot install DisplayLink software needs that restriction resolved before this example dock can be used for video.
- Match the monitor connections, resolution and refresh rate with both displays in use. The number of video sockets alone does not establish compatibility.
- Compare power delivered to the active and second laptop separately. A dock that charges both can still supply less power to one of them.
- Identify which USB devices and network connection switch, and what remains available to the idle laptop. Do not assume that charging means its other connections stay active.
One KVM dock, from its datasheet
StarTech's 129N-USBC-KVM-DOCK is a two-laptop dock with its specs published in a datasheet. It shows how much there is to check beyond the three letters.
| What the datasheet covers | StarTech 129N-USBC-KVM-DOCK |
|---|---|
| Laptops | Two, each on a 1 m USB-C host cable |
| Switching | A button on the front, or hot keys through downloadable software for Windows and macOS |
| Monitors | Two DisplayPort outputs, up to 4K at 60Hz |
| How the video is made | DisplayLink DL6950 chip; "Driver installation required on Windows/macOS" |
| USB devices | Two USB-A at 480Mbps for keyboard and mouse; two USB-A and one USB-C at 10Gbps |
| Network | Gigabit Ethernet with Wake-on-LAN; PXE is listed as "No" |
| Charging | "90W (to the active host computer ) / 45W (to the second computer)" from an included 180W adapter |
| Systems | Windows, macOS, ChromeOS and Linux; "The StarTechLink software is not compatible with Linux" |
Reading it for your two laptops
Charging is the first check, and it runs twice. Suppose both laptops came with 65W chargers. Whichever one you're using gets 90W from the dock, more than its own charger. The other gets 45W while it waits. StarTech's requirements add that "to support laptop charging the host device's USB-C port must support USB Power Delivery."
Drivers come next. Because the video runs through DisplayLink, both laptops need the driver, and a Mac also needs Screen Recording permission for DisplayLink Manager, which DisplayLink says "macOS requires users to explicitly grant." If one of the two is a locked-down work laptop, that step is the one to clear with IT.
DisplayLink also changes the display question. StarTech says its DisplayLink design "supports extended dual displays on base Apple M-Series MacBooks, which are not natively capable of driving more than one external display," so both monitors can extend the desktop on a laptop that would run only one external screen through a regular dock. Our DisplayLink guide covers the chip and its resolution limits.
What the datasheet leaves out
The datasheet says what the laptop on standby gets in power, 45W. It doesn't say whether that laptop keeps its monitors, its USB devices or its network connection while the other one is active. If you plan to leave a backup or a long download running on the idle laptop, that gap matters, and the datasheet doesn't close it.
Browsing for one? Browse docks and hubs in the feed →
Sources
- ATEN, What is a KVM switch?
- StarTech.com, 129N-USBC-KVM-DOCK datasheet
- DisplayLink, DisplayLink Manager First Time Configuration
We have not tested these products. Specs and guidance are as published on these pages on the date above and can change; the manufacturer's page for your model has the current details.