Precision Dual USB-C Thunderbolt Dock - TB18DC

While the older style Dell docks where the laptop sat on top were the very best you could find, this dock is possibly the very worst you can find. There is almost nothing positive to say about this dock and except for the Dell logo on top, feels like a cheap third party product. The captured cable requires your entire office to be rearranged since the cable is short, stiff, and will fall out of the laptop with even the slightest touch. When the cable does get even slightly bumped, most of the devices attached to the dock stop working and it will take approximately 30 minutes to get everything working again (if you are lucky). The power button on the dock doesn't really work properly since the laptop turns on once the cable is connected to the laptop. As the dock uses thunderbolt, the dock requires pairing with the laptop, but this frequently doesn't work properly and requires 1-2 hours of futzing with stuff to get on of the two channels to connect properly. This issue might be a result of constantly changing drivers. You can't connect your keyboard and mouse to this dock because every couple of minutes, the keyboard and mouse will stop working of about a second. This might not sound like much, but it makes getting work done very difficult, especially for technical work. When any of these problems occur, you generally need to open the laptop to use the laptop screen and keyboard. Given the layout restrictions of the dock, this can frequently become a very difficult challenge. In summary, do not buy this dock if you can help it. Dell, which used to have the very best products, has completely dropped the ball on this dock.

Works great after finding the 'right' power match. Our first dock had to be returned because it was under-powered and through off continual warnings. This replacement works great although we're surprised to learn that it should not be relied on to charge. For that Dell recommends plugging in BOTH power adapters.

I work in IT and the company has ordered these along with the shiny Precision 7730. Now I would consider myself a veteran with Dell products as I have worked with and on Dell equipment for years. So I remember the old USB docks using the first rendition of the DisplayLink drivers that were recommended for the Latitude 6430u. Those were crap, so when our Dell representative brought the USB-C docks that used the same DisplayLink driver set, we were reluctant. Years have gone by and we have learned a few things about the TB16 docking stations. The TB18DC is the TB16's big brother. You should note that in the User's Guide for BOTH the TB16 and TB18DC, they warn you... "Make sure the docking station is connected properly to its own power adapter. Computer requiring more than 130 W power input must also be connected to their own power adapter for charging and operating at full performance." Let me stress the part about "Computer requiring more than 130 W power input must also be connected to their own power adapter for charging", as this is the very definition of the Mobile Precision Laptops that this dock is being marketed for. You are highly likely to encounter the “You have attached an undersized power adapter to your system” message if you are looking for this dock to charge your laptop while using it.

Disconnects itself often with no notice or warning. Connection into my 7730 workstation feels flimsy and not secure. Bump the desk and it disconnects. Sometimes it comes back after 30 seconds or so and sometimes it turns into a long process to try and get it to work again. It died entirely after 6 months and now I am trying to find something else to replace it with because I will not buy another one of these. Massive disappointment from Dell on this one

These docks are garbage. I have tried 3 all with the same results. After a couple months, the monitors (2) and the laptop display will randomly stop working or shuffle their positions. The mouse, keyboard and monitors will not connect at startup, Sometimes it takes several startups and 1/2 hour to get everything to boot up. If you bump the connector to your laptop, the displays will scramble. Conversely, sometimes if you wiggle the cable connection points at the laptop or dock, all your devices will connect. I'd like to return this one also but it is past the return window. At $300, it is a waste on money and lots of frustration. We use these docks at my work and several of my co-workers have the same issues. At least at work the IT guys just bring us another dock that works for couple months.

My last Precision Workstation worked great with the top-loading dock and I loved using the precision as a desktop that I could also take on the road. When upgrading to a newer Precision in December 2018, I was disappointed to learn the old docking stations had been replaced. Thinking it must be an "upgraded" dock was the first mistake as the new docking station has a mind of its own. After a matter of months it no longer plays audio and I have to plug the speakers directly into my laptop. The dock has also decided it will no longer charge my laptop so I'm having to plug a power cord into the laptop too. The only thing it's useful for at this point is for pushing dual monitors. I really am disappointed with this Dell product. I'm "upgrading" from this poorly constructed dock back to my old Precision. Unless Dell gets a better docking system that's as reliable as their old one, I'll be going back to a desktop for my office work and only use the laptop on the road. What a shame to see a quality docking station system go by the wayside with a cheap replacement.

I bought 3. 1 of the 3 works right. One kind of works sometimes and the other never works.

Less than a year ago I paid $299 for this item now it sells for $117. There's a reason why, it caused many problems with crashing the laptop and eventually this unit wont power the laptop or monitors. The new model WD19DC works as it should.