Can the Type C port on the HP 255 G8 laptop be plugged in as a USB docking?

[ssd128gb]

Can the Type C port on the HP 255 G8 laptop be plugged in as a USB docking device?
I asked this because it said the port could only be used for data transfer

[banhien · Accepted solution]

@ssd128gb 

Its specs

                  https://support.hp.com/au-en/document/c06955650

The answer is NO, it only has  (1) USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C 5 Gbps signaling rate (data transfer only; charging or external monitors not supported) port.

Regards,

[Jupitero]

Contrary to the accepted solution, you can connect USB-C docks to your laptop.

You cannot use Thunderbolt docks even though they have the same USB-C connector, and the dock cannot provide charging power for your laptop. Thunderbolt docks may have a USB-C fallback, but with limited dock functionality.

The USB 3.2 Gen1 Speed is 5Gb, so you should only select from USB A/C dock models that are not rated for USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) or faster - they may not work properly or you can miss out some features. Do note that the original "Superspeed" USB 3.0 was first renamed to USB 3.1 Gen 1 and later on to USB 3.2 Gen 1. They are all the same and interchangeable.

I would recommend something like the original HP USB-C Docking Station instead of the later G2 or G5 model which require Displayport Alt Mode - which your laptop does not have. Because your USB ports only transfers data, the external displays on this older model are powered by a software solution called DisplayLink which enables the dock connected displays. The 5Gbps bandwidth will limit the external display resolutions somewhat and playing videos may be choppy but for everyday office usage or static images it should be fine. The Gigabit Ethernet and USB ports on the dock are all competing for the same 5Gbps bandwidth as the external display(s) so heavy USB or network transfers may all slow each other.

USB docks are manufacturer agnostic, so you don't have to buy an HP dock. There a lot of 3rd parties providing USB docks. The USB A ports in your laptop are equally as performant as the USB C port, so you can opt for (an older) USB A dock model as well. When choosing a USB dock and external display support, pay attention to USB Speed and the terms 'Displaylink' and 'DP Alt mode'.