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Q: Docking Station vs. USB Hub – What’s the Difference?
The major difference between USB hubs and docking stations comes in their capabilities. A USB hub would draw power from your computing device and power up the connected peripherals. Since the USB hub can’t power up a laptop, it has a USB-C Power Delivery input port. This way, you can connect the laptop charger to the port connected to your main power outlet to charge your laptop, forming a pass-through charging system. Due to their lightweight and smaller size, they are mainly used as port replicators.
Docking stations are heavier compared to USB Hubs. But if you are to know what are the advantages of the docking station, they offer more robust performance and versatility. Some docking stations can be stationary, while some are portable. The stationary docking stations draw power from a wall outlet through an AC/DC power adapter to charge your PC or laptop swiftly.
