A docking station, often just called a dock, is similar to a USB hub but usually offers a wider mix of ports and is designed to turn a single cable connection to a laptop into a full desktop setup. A typical dock might add several USB-A ports, an ethernet connection, a card reader and one or more video outputs.
Many modern docks connect over a single USB-C cable that also carries Power Delivery, so the same cable can charge the laptop while providing all the other connections at once. Higher end docks built around Thunderbolt or USB4 can drive multiple external monitors at high resolution, something a basic USB-C hub usually cannot manage.
Because a dock concentrates so many connections through one port, its performance depends heavily on the laptop's own port supporting the necessary Alternate Modes and speeds, so checking compatibility before buying matters more than with a simple hub. See our guide to hubs and docks for a closer look.
