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Working on my WFH setup

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setup wfh
1K views 8 replies 6 participants last post by  Leon 
#1 ·
So here I am with a cool PC with 2 monitors, and a work laptop with a tiny 15" display.

What's the slickest way to run my laptop through these monitors? Just a splitter through the other inputs on the monitors?

Any way I can also use my PC's keyboard (and mouse), instead of the laptop keys?
 
#2 ·
Any way I can also use my PC's keyboard (and mouse), instead of the laptop keys?
How old are you? :lol:

I haven't used a laptop mouse ON PURPOSE in about 24 years. I can't stand laptop mouses of any kinds whether they're the pad or the red plastic dot. My last two laptops had options to turn off the laptop mouse so they wouldn't do anything when you accidentally touch them, but my current laptop unfortunately does not (and it's one of the reasons I'm considering buying a new laptop).

I've generally only used an external keyboard when my laptop's keyboard is broken. For example, last year, I used a cheap $5 external keyboard for about 1 week while I was waiting for a replacement laptop keyboard to come in. And back in 2016, I accidentally got water in my laptop's keyboard, so I used my wife's Apple keyboard for about a month while a replacement keyboard was special ordered from Japan (but I actually bought a new laptop before it arrived).

The answer to both? USB.
 
#4 ·
Haven't been shopping for one myself in recent history but you want a docking station with either Thunderbolt or USB-C input, I'm sure there's some that take multiple computers but I'd probably be content with just having a TB or USB-C cable I pull out of one and stick into the other when I switch. That should be single cable option to get monitor and peripherals between both computers, and also charge your laptop. That should be sub $200, I'm sure there's more spendy options that allow you to plug both in at once but I don't know if that's worth it :2c:
 
#7 ·
Hmm... Yeah, maybe a dock is just the way to go.
What laptop do you have? you might ask if they have a dock you can use since you arent at the office.

From there, I run 2 VGA KVM switches (2 because a dual monitor one costs 4x the price of 2 singles :lol: ) This only works if your monitors are vga, and both of your computers can be adapted to be vga. VGA sucks for gaming or anything more than 1080 so that would be another obstacle.
I'm all HDMI/DVI :). But, yeah, I should probably just grab a similar dock to what I have at the office. Or, go in and grab the *one* from the office... :lol:
I've got a Logitech MK850 (Triathlon) mouse/keyboard combo which is pretty great for home office use. You can have it connected to three devices and switch device by just clicking a button - I use these for my home PC, media-PC and work computer.

https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-MK850-Performance-Wireless-Keyboard/dp/B01NAVO5PF

Then I have the laptop connected via HDMI cable to my monitor. I guess a HDMI-splitter would work. Unfortunately that display doesn't seem to have displayport - with that you could daisychain the displays, which isn't possible with HDMI as far as I know. Some new monitors basically work as a dock via USB-C which is also pretty nifty.
That's cool! I really like my mouse (Logitech M570 trackball), but the ability to switch like that, I may grab that :yesway:
 
#5 ·
What laptop do you have? you might ask if they have a dock you can use since you arent at the office.

From there, I run 2 VGA KVM switches (2 because a dual monitor one costs 4x the price of 2 singles :lol: ) This only works if your monitors are vga, and both of your computers can be adapted to be vga. VGA sucks for gaming or anything more than 1080 so that would be another obstacle.
 
#6 ·
I've got a Logitech MK850 (Triathlon) mouse/keyboard combo which is pretty great for home office use. You can have it connected to three devices and switch device by just clicking a button - I use these for my home PC, media-PC and work computer.

https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-MK850-Performance-Wireless-Keyboard/dp/B01NAVO5PF

Then I have the laptop connected via HDMI cable to my monitor. I guess a HDMI-splitter would work. Unfortunately that display doesn't seem to have displayport - with that you could daisychain the displays, which isn't possible with HDMI as far as I know. Some new monitors basically work as a dock via USB-C which is also pretty nifty.
 
#8 ·
I have a nice dell dock that all of my peripherals plug into but 99% of the time i just use my laptop with a wireless mouse from the sofa. The thing is stupid expensive for what it is really - a glorified USB3 & DVI hub. My job payed for it so ... meh...

I got used to just using a 15" screen pretty easily tho it can suck when you have VS SSMS and 3 browsers open while building/testing stuff.

If i work in my office I just end up playing guitar all day and dont get anything done :rofl:

We are getting new Dell monitors that also act as the power brick so they are supposed to eliminate the need for the docks. I just have to drive into the office to grab them but cant be bothered.
 
#9 ·
I have a nice dell dock that all of my peripherals plug into but 99% of the time i just use my laptop with a wireless mouse from the sofa. The thing is stupid expensive for what it is really - a glorified USB3 & DVI hub. My job payed for it so ... meh...

I got used to just using a 15" screen pretty easily tho it can suck when you have VS SSMS and 3 browsers open while building/testing stuff.

If i work in my office I just end up playing guitar all day and dont get anything done :rofl:

We are getting new Dell monitors that also act as the power brick so they are supposed to eliminate the need for the docks. I just have to drive into the office to grab them but cant be bothered.
I haven't seen that new monitor thing, but we have those Dell docks at work. I emailed my IT guys to ask which one it was, so I wouldn't have to put in a ticket just to install the drivers, and they said they could probably just buy one for me and have it shipped to me :lol:
 
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