KVM Switch for Dual Monitors with Laptop and PC

Question

I am now working from home and would like to link my Latitude 5500 and my Inspiron 3647 PC so they can share dual monitors, keyboard, and mouse.  At my office I had a docking station the tied my laptop to dual monitors, keyboard, and mouse.  I have read a bit about KVM switches but I need some advice on best options.  Thanks

jphughan · Answer

@Tiger Joe  As it happens, a friend of mine has this exact type of setup.  First, the most convenient option is to get a docking station for your laptop and then connect the outputs of the docking station to one 'bank' of the KVM, and then connect your desktop to the other 'bank'.  If you skip the docking station, then you'll have to connect and disconnect multiple cables every time you want to take the laptop somewhere or bring it back.  And since dual display KVMs typically require displays that use the same type of output connector (e.g. both DisplayPort or both HDMI), getting a suitable dual display signal from the laptop directly to a KVM without a docking station can be tricky.In terms of the details of the setup, my friend uses an IOGear GCS1942, link here.  It supports dual DisplayPort displays, both of which can be to 4K 60 Hz, as well as USB 3.0.  But as you'll see if you start shopping around, it isn't cheap.  But my friend has the Dell WD19TB dock for his laptop.  He connects the dock's two DisplayPort outputs to the two DisplayPort inputs of the first 'bank' of the KVM.  And he also runs a USB 3.0 cable between the dock and KVM.  Then he connects his desktop's DisplayPort outputs and a USB 3.0 port to the second 'bank' of the KVM.Hopefully this helps.  If you need additional help, it would be useful to provide more details about the exact equipment you have, particularly the displays.  The setup options change depending on the resolutions of the displays involved and the inputs they have available.

jphughan · Answer

@Tiger Joe  I forgot to mention that another important factor is the display outputs available from the desktop PC, which depend on the GPU installed.

Multiple monitors

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