My new Thunderbolt Docking Setup with 10 Gigabit Ethernet!

In this video we'll be taking a look at my new Thunderbolt laptop docking setup complete with 10 Gigabit Ethernet based around a Dell WD22TB4 Thunderbolt 4 docking station and Sabrent 10GbE Thunderbolt NIC.

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Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction
03:07 - The Plan
06:13 - Mac vs PC Multiple Display Behaviour
09:30 - Tour of the Dell WD22TB4
14:09 - Thunderbolt 3 10GbE NIC
17:06 - Teardown
26:10 - Setup Tour
27:55 - Network Performance Test
28:49 - How does Thunderbolt Share Bandwidth?
33:42 - Conclusion

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[myleshudson]

IT Support for a law firm here, every desk is kitted out with dual screens, plugged into a Dell D3100 (USB 3.0 Triple Display Dock). This allows for all 100+ employees to essentially 'dock in' at any desk between all 4 of our offices. EVERYTHING is centralised in a cloud based remote desktop environment (I use Arch btw)

[shubinternet]

You could use a USB-C to DisplayPort adapter for the second monitor, and that will handle up to 4k video. Then the 10Gbps Ethernet adapter could plug into the Thunderbolt port.

[Sebyllisk]

will you be interested in testing thunderbolt bridge networking for NAS - Mac communication? seems like that is also a cheap way to get 10Gb+ access to NAS for MacBooks. i'm considering building my next NAS with thunderbolt, but there is truly a major lack of info online about truenas scale working with thunderbolt bridge.

[lhamil]

That bottleneck of network traffic due to the displays is really interesting. Thats not really an intuitive thing to consider in a setup like this so I bet most people wouldn't even realize.

[exboisv]

Been using Dell docking stations for years for Macs. IT people looked at me weird when I suggested it but it usually works great.

[JamieEC]

Oh man, brings back memories of having to get this working just post COVID during the chip shortage for an office full of Mac users, ended up with a corsair dock of all things. Why on earth they can't get this sorted is beyond me.
Edit: also so annoying how they remove the headphone jack!

[global]

My work sent me one of those Dell docks for my WFH setup. One nice thing is you can get a VESA bracket which allows you to mount the dock behind a monitor (and it still works if you're using the VESA holes for a monitor arm as well!)

[PaulChambers-GadgetMechanic]

I've followed a similar journey... Caldigit TB3 Plus, then added a Akitio Node Lite with a 10GBE Aquantia NIC inside (which provides a pass-thru TB port), later replaced the AKito/NIC with a Sonet Solo10G. Then I upgraded from a Dell XPS-13 (which charges just fine with the TB3 Plus) to an XPS-15, which needs a 130w adapter that's proprietary to Dell. I eventually got the WD22TB4, and am continuing to use the Sonnet Solo10G with it.

Another reason for the captive cable on Dell docks (and power adapters) is that the USB 3.0 power delivery (PD) standard only covers up to 100w. Dell being Dell (and USB PD 3.1 not existing yet), they cooked up some proprietary extensions to USB PD 3.0 that permit Dell chargers & docks to charge Dell laptops at 130w (or more). If the cable were detactable, it's a safe bet that before long, someone would try to charge a Dell XPS-15/17 using some random 'off brand' cable that isn't even safe to use for 100w charging.

While cable 'borrowing' is a real problem, I suspect the primary reason for the beefy captive cable is for safety...

[williambaumgardner]

From what I remember, I was told by a Dell rep that the audio jack from the front due to supply chain issues. The audio jack was holding them back from having docks ready to ship.

[npham]

The dell docks are upgradable. That left side with the source thunderbolt cable can detatch.

Say you had the WD19TB, you could buy that WD22TB4 part and swap it out for an upgrade to TB4

The modules second hand can be very cheap. I've done it!

[Keen]

I found your aside about another adapter having a noisy fan interesting because a few years ago I was shopping for TB docks and learned all the quirks you covered here. But the Dell docks of the time, the TB2 that you mention, had a fan that would spin up periodically. It was one of the reasons I did not buy it. I’m curious if they’ve since dropped the fan.

Edit: this is what I get for posting before finishing the video, the teardown was great, and sure enough there’s a fan. When I worked in an office, the fan was inaudible, but after COVID moved me to work from home, I could hear the fan every time it spun up. So the dock had to go.

[andljoy]

I use the USB version all the time. Pro tip, heat shrink that cable end . They always fall to bits.

[DavidA]

Can’t wait for Thunderbolt 5. I just got 20G PON fiber! Hopefully there will be a 25gbps dock in the near future.

[CDubDubba]

Great video. I just purchased the OWC Thunderbolt pro dock with 10GbE, arrives today. YOu have inspired me to do some testing also

[pfriedel]

The minor annoyance I have with the dell docks is they all insist on having cables come out of three sides of the unit, which always makes them into a bit of a desk octopus. Nice solution, though, and a lot cheaper than buying a Caldigit TS4, I assume due to the number of Dell docks that come off major IT leases.

[chii]

The older Docks are called WD19-130W (the one with audio jack) and WD19S-130W (the one without audio jack). Someone from DELL Support told me that the removal of the audio jack was due to the chip shortage while covid. As the Dock are moduar it is maybe possible to use the Basepart of the WD19-130 and connect the TB4 Part of the WD22TB4. So you would get a TB4 Version with audio jack if you need one.
Note on the cooling fan: In our envoirement the fan starts mainly when upgrading the firmware of the dock.
Note on Laptop compatiblity: Check DELL Dockingstation Matrix... not all DELL Laptops support every dock. The Dell Latitude 5500 Series supports the TB Versions only in its newer 5510* (with specific CPUs) or with 5520+ Generations. This Matrix will obviously only include DELL Laptops, but it can give a good understanding if your non-DELL Laptop would work if it is in the same generation.

[casperghst]

Dell is known for just gluing a TB3 or 4 onto a USB-C hub, which means that you got two TB4 (or 3) ports, and the rest of the ports sit off an USB3 hub. They work, but they are not a full blown TB hub like the TS3+ or TS4.

[nforester]

Now thats a propper review ! thanks. Having a pain with connecting two monitors to M1 pro mac and came across your video

[WldTangent]

I love my Plugable TB3 dock, my work issues them for MacBook Pro users. Also got a number of the USB-C versions of the WD22, we only issue them to people with PCs because the extra display outputs are useless for Mac users. We use Plugable DisplayLink docks for Macbook Airs to get around their hard cap of one external display.

[circlingthesun]

I have a TB19 and ever since I moved to a Mac, I’ve been plugging in my 2nd external screen into the laptop, like an animal! I just plugged it into the thunderbolt passthrough and voilla! Thanks a stack! I wish I knew this a year ago.