Belkin Hi-Speed USB 2 DockStation review

Will this increase your deck connectivity?

19 September 2008 14:00 GMT / By Stephen Patrick

No matter how many ports you have on your notebook or home PC, there are times you wished you had more. This handy device has been designed with notebook users in mind. However, it isn’t for taking on the road with you, more for leaving on your desk.

This isn’t a digital connection but aimed at those with a standard analogue throughput as it’s based around the VGA port. The hub adds two extra USB ports, parallel, serial and LAN throughput, which aren’t the most state-of-the-art but should prove fine if you have older peripherals. A driver CD is supplied but we found it connected to Windows XP and Vista straightaway.

The best way to use it is in conjunction with an external monitor, with the dock sitting between the notebook and the TFT. To do this, connect the VGA-in to your notebook and the VGA-out port from the dock to your external screen. You’ll need to use the mains power connection, which limits the portability of the device.

The main problem we had with this dock is that it feels rather limited – we’d have preferred a couple more USB ports and as the USB and VGA connectors are part of the device, it looks and feels rather bulky and awkward.

Verdict

The Belkin Hi-Speed USB 2 DockStation is easy to set-up and run but it unless you have older devices, you may well find that simply adding a USB hub will offer you the same degree of expandability.

Score

Review Recap

Made by: Belkin
Price as reviewed: £70
Latest price: Compare prices
The good: Multiple connections, reasonable price
The bad: Bulky, analogue inputs
Quick verdict: Adds extra ports to your mobile setup but is limited to analogue connections
Score