Docking station or KVM

[ejpurk]

Hi!  I have 2 laptops in my home.   One for work (Dell) and one for home (HP).  I have dual monitors which I would like to use for both.  Currently I have my Dell wired through a Dell docking station it has a Thunderbolt connection I believe it connects to my monitors and does everything I need it to do just fine.  My HP has just a USB-C 3.0 with and AC round plug for power.  I bought an HDMI DP KVM for 2 PCS and 2 monitors but cannot figure out how to connect it properly.  It connects but I can only get 1 monitor to work.  

My question is this....with my goal being to be able to either switch btwn with a KVM switch or to easily un plug and plug the other laptop to switch btwn the 2 what do I need?  Should I just get 2 docking stations and wire in to the monitors with 2 separate cords?  1 for the HP and 1 for the Dell or am I completely off base and don't know what I need to do any of this.  Remember the HP does not have a thunderbolt!!  Maybe that is the problem and the reason the current setup can't switch btwn the 2?  Thanks

[VikramTheGreat]

Hi @ejpurk,

Welcome to the HP Support Community.
 

Thank you for posting your query. I will be glad to help you.

Great question! You’re not off base at all. This is a common challenge when mixing laptops with different connection standards and trying to share dual monitors.

Here’s what’s happening and what you need to know:

Why Only One Monitor Works

• Your Dell docking station with Thunderbolt supports dual monitors easily because Thunderbolt carries high-bandwidth video.
• Your HP laptop with USB-C 3.0 (non-Thunderbolt) likely supports DisplayPort Alt Mode, but only for one display unless it’s connected to a dock that can handle MST (Multi-Stream Transport).
• The HDMI/DP KVM switch can only switch between sources that already output to dual monitors. If the HP can’t output two displays natively, the KVM won’t fix that.

Your Options

Option 1: Two Docking Stations (Best for Seamless Switching)

• Keep your Dell dock for the Dell laptop.
• Get a USB-C dock for the HP that supports dual monitors via DisplayLink (since HP doesn’t have Thunderbolt).
• Connect both docks to the monitors and use the KVM switch for keyboard/mouse only. (This gives you full dual-monitor support for both laptops.)

Option 2: Use DisplayLink Dock for HP

• DisplayLink docks use software drivers to enable multiple monitors even on non-Thunderbolt USB-C ports.
• Example: Plugable UD-6950 or HP USB-C Dock G5.
• Install DisplayLink drivers on the HP laptop.

Option 3: Manual Cable Swap

• If you want to avoid buying another dock: 
  • Connect Dell via its dock.
  • For HP, unplug the monitor cables from the dock and plug them into the HP using USB-C to HDMI/DP adapters. (This works but is less convenient.)

I hope this helps.

Take care and have an amazing day!
 

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Regards,

VikramTheGreat