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Austria, Vienna
1 Level
717 Review
46 Karma

Review on πŸ’» Dell WD15 Monitor Dock 4K: Ultimate USB-C Docking Solution with 130W Adapter (450-AFGM), Black by Tim Thuss

Revainrating 2 out of 5

Delivering on promises

I really wish I liked the WD15 and had a single cable dock, but it's not reliable and Dell support says it can't be fixed. I tried this with the new Dell Inspiron 13 2-in-1 (model 7378), which has a USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C connector with DisplayPort Alternate Mode and USB Power Delivery. Dell distributors have repeatedly assured me that the WD15 and Inspiron 7378 are compatible, even though one product's website doesn't list the other as compatible. They said the websites are simply outdated. Some users have reported using the docking station successfully after updating the firmware and drivers on both the laptop and the docking station according to the docking station's instructions. I think it depends on the specific laptop model you are using. I had no problem updating my 7378 laptop, but the docking station firmware updater says it's not connected. Dell replaced the dock under warranty, but the new one exhibited the same behavior, after which Dell confirmed it was a known issue with no fix. It's possible to get the docking station to work, but the process ends with the awkward 6+ cable disconnection/docking sequence as follows: 1.) Start with the laptop and docking station powered off and disconnected from each other, and any peripherals that aren't connected to the stations . 2.) Switch on the laptop in battery mode and log in. 3.) Turn on the docking station. 4.) Connect the docking station to your laptop. 5.) Connect the main monitor to the docking station. 6.) Connect an additional monitor to the docking station. 7.) Connect Ethernet to the docking station. 8.) Connect USB devices to the docking station. With this process cycle you will transfer cables more than 12 times! If any part of it fails exactly, you have to unplug everything and start over. Sometimes it seems to work even if you didn't follow the procedure, but then you WILL have problem with disconnecting your ethernet and USB devices which can lead to data corruption. If you follow the 6+ cable splicing procedure closely, it works reliably, but what's the point? You're better off just plugging in your laptop's power adapter and an "old-fashioned" USB 3.0 dock for everything else. It's reasonable to think that dock issues are software issues and can be fixed with a firmware update, so it's really disappointing that Dell hasn't fixed this. My Dell Support request lasted 30 days, including dozens of email, phone, and remote management sessions, driver installation/reinstallation, and countless reboots. I should have paid attention to the other negative reviews and not wasted my time on them.

Pros
  • Multiple competitors
Cons
  • unreliable