Home Office Computer Connections Question

[StuM]

Just curios if any one has input for me.  I am having a small issue with my home office computer configuration.  I use a wireless Keyboard & Mouse and I am experiencing periodic "Lags" ever since I added a new corporate supplied Laptop.  My Tech Services will not assist since the problem is not with corporate supplied equipment.

Until the past week I exclusively used my personal laptop at home, even for work, and had no issues.  Due to a change at corporate they have now issued me a laptop & docking bay to be used for work and I am trying to get all of my equipment to co-exist and it was after updating my various connections that the problem began.  I have a few ideas to try but have not experimented yet.

Below is a diagram to show my connections.

The "Change" related to the keyboard & mouse is that before I had the Wireless Receiver connected directly into the laptop.  Now I have it in the HP Dock.  If I move it to a USB port on either laptop the problem goes away, or at least  have not yet experienced the problem.  I can do that but my goal is to not have to keep moving connections around when I change which laptop I am using.

I need to use my "Old" docking bay (VisionTek in diagram) since one of my monitors is "VGA" and the "New" docking bay (HP in diagram) does not have a VGA connection.  Also, a lot of my devices are USB and the new HP docking bay simply does not have enough connections.

As I have it below, the only change I need to make to switch between laptops is to change which laptop the HP USB-C dock is connected to, simply move 1 USB-C cord. I also searching to see if I can find a KVM switch that will eliminate the need to move that cord but I need that switch to accommodate the power since that connection also provides power to the laptops. through the USB-C connector.

A few other changes I am considering:

1) Moving the External Hard Drive & DVDRW Drive to connect directly into the personal laptop (work lap top does not need access) That would reduce the number of UBS ports docks I need. 

2) If the issue is related to connecting 2 docks is to get a new monitor that can connect to the new dock via HDMI or Display Port.  The combination of moving the hard drive & DVDRW to the personal laptop and the monitors to the HP Dock would eliminate the need for the old VisionTek dock.  Another potential change would be for me to purchase a new dock with all of the ports I need.

3) I could get a new Bluetooth Keyboard & Mouse and get rid of the wireless receiver.

4) I could get another wireless receiver and simply have one connected directly into each laptop and I think I can pair them both to the same keyboard & mouse.

I am not using any of the Ethernet ports and just connecting via Wi-Fi.  I could easily run an Ethernet Cord if that would help but I do not see how that would impact anything.

Not shown below is I do connect by AipPods via Bluetooth.

Note: The connections/ports listed at the bottom are what is currently not being used but is available.

 

 

Edited November 22, 2023 by StuM
Corrected typo

[chspeed]

43 minutes ago, StuM said:

one of my monitors is "VGA"

🫢

Dude, you need a hobby. How about golf?

[StuM]

25 minutes ago, chspeed said:

🫢

Dude, you need a hobby. How about golf?

I need a career to pay for a hobby

[Club Rat]

2 hours ago, StuM said:

I need to use my "Old" docking bay (VisionTek in diagram) since one of my monitors is "VGA" and the "New" docking bay (HP in diagram) does not have a VGA connection.  Also, a lot of my devices are USB and the new HP docking bay simply does not have enough connections.

Buy a VGA to HDMI adapter for the monitor connection and a powered USB multi port hub.
Both are inexpensive items.

Not sure why mouse and keyboard lag happens when connected to your dock?
The hub will most likely solve the issue.

I don't like BT for keyboards or the mouse, they sometimes don't pair when reboot of pc
or after a power on.
 

[dennyjones]

49 minutes ago, Club Rat said:

I don't like BT for keyboards or the mouse, they sometimes don't pair when reboot of pc
or after a power on.

+1

[StuM]

52 minutes ago, Club Rat said:

Buy a VGA to HDMI adapter for the monitor connection and a powered USB multi port hub.
Both are inexpensive items.

What is the diff between a multi-port hub and what I have now?

[klineka]

44 minutes ago, StuM said:

What is the diff between a multi-port hub and what I have now?

It gives you more USB connections, which is one of the things you'd need if you used the HP dock, right? It'd take one of the USB ports on the HP dock and turn it into like 4+ USB ports.

Like this (just a screenshot of the first one I saw on amazon)

 

VGA to HDMI adapter to allow your VGA monitor to connect to the HP Dock was also one of the very first things I thought of too when reading your initial post. VGA to display port is also another option that should work just fine.

Edited November 23, 2023 by klineka

[StuM]

56 minutes ago, klineka said:

It gives you more USB connections, which is one of the things you'd need if you used the HP dock, right? It'd take one of the USB ports on the HP dock and turn it into like 4+ USB ports.

Like this (just a screenshot of the first one I saw on amazon)

 

VGA to HDMI adapter to allow your VGA monitor to connect to the HP Dock was also one of the very first things I thought of too when reading your initial post. VGA to display port is also another option that should work just fine.

I see how the hub will provide a few more USB connections than my current VisionTek doc but I do not see how it may fix the lag I am getting in the mouse & keyboard.

I already have the receiver plugged into the newer HP dock that is connected directly to the laptop.

[klineka]

16 minutes ago, StuM said:

I see how the hub will provide a few more USB connections than my current VisionTek doc but I do not see how it may fix the lag I am getting in the mouse & keyboard.

I already have the receiver plugged into the newer HP dock that is connected directly to the laptop.

The USB hub isnt a fix for the lag, its simply a way to get you more USB ports.

In my experience most receivers work better when plugged directly into the laptop vs a docking station. Back when I worked in a corporate IT Help Desk role we always recommended people plug receivers directly into the laptop.

Are you switching between laptops that often? Even still it'd be like what a 15 second process at the most to unplug the receiver from the laptop and plug it into the new one and wait for it to connect?

[StuM]

2 hours ago, klineka said:

The USB hub isnt a fix for the lag, its simply a way to get you more USB ports.

In my experience most receivers work better when plugged directly into the laptop vs a docking station. Back when I worked in a corporate IT Help Desk role we always recommended people plug receivers directly into the laptop.

Are you switching between laptops that often? Even still it'd be like what a 15 second process at the most to unplug the receiver from the laptop and plug it into the new one and wait for it to connect?

I switch back & forth a few times a day so moving the receiver is more of an annoyance than a problem.

I do have some concern that plugging & unplugging a few times a day may eventually result in loose connections.  Maybe that is a non-issue?

I did search for a kvm switch and found one I liked BUT it would still need a hub for a couple extra USB ports and it would probably not fix the lag issue.  That is two too many “Buts” for a $315 kvm switch. I’ll not be getting that.

 

[Club Rat]

The lag issue has been reported by many users doing a quick search.
It appears that the wireless receiver needs to be connected to the laptop.
My suggestion to obtain a Hub was intent to give you more Peripherals connections.
My wife has a "Display Link" powered hub which has many types of connections.

Quote

The issue is with the docking station. USB wireless receivers do not work well on them. The problem resides within the USB 3.0 hardware causing interruption of the usb wireless signal.

An extension cable may work. It will get the wireless receiver further from the USB 3.0 signals.

If this does not work then you must plug the receiver directly into the laptop or use a wired laptop and mouse into the docking station. Other options are to see if you can find a bluetooth keyboard and mouse as they will work as well. 

As others have said. It's the electromagnetic interference. I have a Toshiba Dynadock U3.0 and only wired peripherals work. I have however found a solution to this problem, just use the wireless receiver with a cheap USB Hub that you connect to the dock. Not very elegant, but it works.

 

[StuM]

It sounds as if I am down to 2 options as @Club Rat, @klineka say.  A hub or connect the receiver direct to the laptop.  I hate wires and will not be going back to a wired mouse or keyboard.

[StuM]

Had a very old USB Hub in my box of old stuff that seems to work.  Not sure how old it is, possibly 7-10 years.  Been connected for @ 4-5 hours with no mouse or keyboard lag issues.

 

[chspeed]

On 11/22/2023 at 5:45 PM, StuM said:

I need a career to pay for a hobby

I hear ya. Apologies for the snarky answer. I own an IT company, so I tend to look at things through a dollar-cost vs time-cost lens. People generally underestimate their time-cost (i.e. spend a lot of time solving a problem) and overestimate their dollar-cost (e.g. buying new equipment).

This problem, most likely, can be fixed with some very reasonably priced new equipment.

EDIT: Never mind, you fixed it with VERY reasonably priced old equipment. 🙂

Edited November 26, 2023 by chspeed

[StuM]

10 minutes ago, chspeed said:

Apologies for the snarky answer

Snarky is OK, no apology needed.