The Dual Host USB-C KVM 4K Docking Station from manufacturer Targus is an adaptable productivity powerhouse. Featuring 4K triple monitor support, simultaneous keyboard and mouse support over two PCs, power delivery 3.0 up to 100W for both hosts simultaneously, gigabit ethernet hardline support and a host of ports to connect peripherals, the Dual Host USB-C Docking Station provides an all-in-one solution for professionals. With full support for Windows, MacOS and other major operating systems, this docking station is the perfect office companion.
For all of its offerings, the Dual Host Docking Station is impressively compact. Weighing in at just under a pound, the docking station measures 8.8l x 3.5w x 1.31h inches, which is a remarkably small footprint, all things considered. A hard plastic outer shell is incredibly durable with a nice textured finish.
As for I/O, the Dual Host comes with an impressive lineup of ports to work with. On the front side of this KVM is a set of USB 2.0 for the keyboard and mouse. Accompanying these are dual USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type A (10Gbps), a single USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type C (10 Gbps) and audio input and output in the form of two 3.5mm jacks.
“Impressively compact, the docking station measures 8.8l x 3.5w x 1.31h inches, a remarkably small footprint, all things considered.”
Turning to the back side of the Dual Host are two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type C-to-Host connections, a single HDMI 2.0 and two DisplayPort 2.0 ports. Finally, a single Gigabit Ethernet port resides on the far side, rounding out the connections. All three of the video ports support 4K 60 monitor connections, allowing for some great workstation setups.
With dual PD 3.0 charging up to 100W, the Dual Host has no issue powering two USB Type C-powered laptops simultaneously with ease. From the ground up, the Dual Host is designed with full support for two hosts in mind. Power, I/O, and design layout all work together to create a powerful, smart solution for dual-setup docking.
This is perhaps most evident in the KVM mode selection. While the standard switching between two laptops is present, with full mouse, keyboard and additional peripherals smoothly swapping between each host, Targus didn’t stop there. There are two additional modes present that help set this docking station apart. These two additional modes allow you to assign two monitors to one source and one monitor to another.
“The KVM mode selection allows for seamless switching and simultaneous use of mouse and keyboard on both systems.”
While this is impressive in its own right, it becomes even more powerful because while in these modes, the mouse and keyboard work simultaneously on both systems. Simply dragging the mouse through the edge of the final monitor on one source seamlessly moves it to the second source. As soon as you select a window on either source, the keyboard immediately links to that host.
In practice, while a little daunting at first, it quickly becomes an incredibly powerful tool. In testing, it allowed me to capture gameplay on a gaming laptop easily, save it to an external SSD, move the SSD to my M1 Mac and seamlessly begin working on the edits in Davinci. Simultaneous dual hosting does take a bit of creative thinking to leverage to its full potential, but once you start thinking this way, the implementation is impressive.
Swapping between all four modes is as easy as clicking the button. The onboard indicator lights make it clear which is hosting. Swapping monitors does come with a slight delay, but this has more with Windows and MacOS recognizing that a new monitor is attached rather than the KVM itself.
“At USD 499.99, the Dual Host USB-C KVM 4K Docking Station is an exceptionally powerful tool for those needing dual host support.”
While the option is also available to manage mode swapping via Targus’ MVK software, it isn’t necessary. The onboard switch handles this with ease, making the whole experience exceptionally easy to set up and use. If you do want to leverage the power of the three additional monitors (most importantly on M1 Macs that don’t have native support), you will need to download the DisplayLink software available on the Targus website. This piece of software helps manage the monitor setup. It’s easy to use and makes it all work together seamlessly.
The Dual Host Docking Station is a powerful tool, and it performed exceptionally well in testing. It easily managed the Windows gaming laptop and M1 Macbook used in testing without issue, and everything functioned impressively well. There was no issue swapping modes, and the Dual mode worked flawlessly. From a tech perspective, it’s a seriously impressive piece of technology.
There are a couple of things to consider, though. The first is purpose. Unless there is a specific need for Dual Hosting in your Setup, the Dual Host USB-C KVM is most likely overkill. While powerful, there are only specific situations where it would be needed. This brings us to the second thing to consider. The price point on the Dual Host is USD 499.99. After doing some research and comparing this and its feature set with other KVMs on the market, I believe it is a fairly competitive price.
However, it’s still USD 499.99 for a device that will be overkill for the average person. If, however, you need this type of hardware, I cannot recommend the Dual Host USB-C KVM 4K Docking Station from Targus enough. With full support for two host systems, simultaneous control and charging, as well as seamless hot-swapping modes, it is an exceptionally powerful docking station. It has the potential to be a productivity powerhouse and would be an excellent addition to your setup.
