How it is possible to use DC-125 in LAN?

Aaron_Knopf · February 8, 2012, 7:59pm

Hi,

Thanks for your question. In short, the DC-125 is not an Ethernet- or WiFi-enabled device.

The longer answer, though, explains how you can use the DC-125 as a thin-client solution with Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 via USB connectivity.

What Is the DC-125
At its core, the Plugable DC-125 (http://plugable.com/products/dc-125/) is a two-port USB hub that also includes a VGA video output port and audio input/output ports. The DC-125 provides no Ethernet or WiFi connectivity.

Standalone Setup of the DC-125
If you connect a computer to a standalone DC-125 via the included USB A/B cable, the connected computer now will have access to two more USB ports as well as the DC-125’s VGA port and audio input/output ports, which you can use to hook up a second monitor and add a microphone and speakers to your computing configuration.

Using the DC-125 with Windows MultiPoint Server
The real power of the DC-125, though, is when it is connected via USB to a Windows MultiPoint Server 2011. The DC-125 then becomes a a “thin client” workstation hub. This means that you don’t also need to connect a full computer workstation to the DC-125 to give someone a functional Windows PC. All you need to do is connect a monitor, keyboard, mouse–and if desired, audio input/output devices (e.g. speakers and a microphone) plus plug-and-play USB-based peripherals–to the DC-125, and it’s like having a Windows PC. But Windows MultiPoint server does all the actual computing.

If the MultiPoint server is connected to your LAN, then all the DC-125 workstations connected to the server can have access to whatever LAN-based applications and functionality you want to provide–again, no individual PCs or network connections required.

The number of DC-125 workstations you can set up is limited mostly by the computing power (processor, RAM, etc.) of the MultiPoint server. Microsoft provides a handy planning guide (http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/…) to help you determine how big a server you will need for your usage scenarios.

It’s important to remember that the connection between the DC-125 and a Windows MultiPoint Server does not happen over the LAN. A USB cable between the MultiPoint Server and the DC-125 is required, which means the you’re limited in where you position the DC-125 by the maximum distance permitted between a host port (the MutliPoint Server) and a connected device (DC-125). In the USB 2.0 specification, this maximum length is five meters. In our lab, we’ve been able to connect a Plugable powered seven-port hub (http://plugable.com/products/USB2-HUB…) to the server and then use a 10-meter cable (http://plugable.com/products/USB2-10M/) between the hub and the DC-125.

Recap
In short, the DC-125 is not a LAN device.

The DC-125 can be used as a standalone docking-station for a computer.
The DC-125 also can be used to provide a thin-client Windows workstation in conjunction with Windows MultiPoint Server 2011. USB connectivity between the DC-125 and the MultiPoint server is required for this functionality.

Please let me know what additional questions you have about the DC-125 or other Plugable products. We’re here to help.

Best Regards,

Aaron
Plugable Technologies

MateMolnar · February 9, 2012, 9:57am

Yes i know the specs, but I took it some other way: it is possible to convert USB to LAN and use DC-125 in longer distance? Example with Sharkoon LANPort 100?
!](https://s3.amazonaws.com/satisfaction-production/s3_images/695957/plugable-lan_inline.jpg?1328781380)](https://s3.amazonaws.com/satisfaction-production/s3_images/695957/plugable-lan.jpg?1328781380)

Aaron_Knopf · February 9, 2012, 6:24pm

Hi Máté,

Thanks for the follow up. The configuration you mention is intriguing and one we have discussed and tested internally. But we don’t recommend it with the DC-125. While it functions, we have concerns about the reliability and performance declines occur when bridging USB over Ethernet and from the additional management software needed on the MultiPoint server.

If this is what you want to do, we recommend looking for traditional Ethernet-enabled thin clients rather than trying to use the DC-125.

Thanks for your interest in Plugable. I’m sorry we don’t support your desired configuration. If there’s any more I can answer about our Products, don’t hesitate to ask.

Best Regards,

Aaron
Plugable Technologies