In these years of work I have never benefited from very powerful computers but above all even if I had had one, I always found myself short of ports to connect the many frills that accompany the computer experience, such as screen lights, speakers, LED lights, keyboard, mouse etc.. therefore having to resort to many hubs, or docking stations if you prefer, aiming to spend as little as possible. I have often made use of products that over time have turned out to be "Chinese junk" but unfortunately popular sayings are often right and in fact "He who spends more spends less?"
Topics of this article:
So I realized that the time had come to make a qualitative leap and when I was offered to try the excellent WAVLINK WL-UMD309 docking station, which costs €69,99, I didn't hesitate for a moment and now after a few weeks in its company I can say that it is worth every cent asked. I'll tell you everything in this review.
WAVLINK WL-UMD309 10 in 1 Docking Station
Wavlink is a well-known name for this kind of products or rather IT-related ones, it had been in the past another one in the editorial office leaving a positive memory for the undersigned. I chose the WL-UMD309 model for the declared specifications, in particular the presence of 5 USB inputs of different types and speeds, but also the presence of a Type-C port with power delivery, thus offering me the opportunity to resurrect an old notebook with a dead battery, without giving up being able to connect external peripherals. We do not find an SD and microSD reader but with a standard USB adapter I can overcome this problem by still having 4 inputs available for connecting external accessories. I will explain better what the Wavlink docking station offers.
The specifications
The docking station has the identification code WL-UMD309 and integrates 10 ports of various types in a single product, compared to the single Type-C output. In the following image there is a very clear representation of the different ports.
These are top-level specifications, starting from the RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet port, to get to the two 4K HDMI at 30 and 60 Hz, without forgetting a USB-C 3.2 at 10 Gbps and a USB-C Power Delivery with 100W input and 85W output. It is also worth mentioning the 5 USB-A ports, of which two are 3.2 at 10 Gbps, 2 of the 3.0 type at 5 Gbps and finally another more standard type 2.0 at 480 Mbps, for connecting peripherals that do not require fast data transfer, such as mice and keyboards. As a corollary, there is a small LED that allows you to view the operating status of the dock.
Design and materials
From the moment of unboxing I had the feeling of having a quality product in my hands, it is unexpectedly heavy and large, built entirely of aluminum, with additional aluminum reinforcement also on the Type-C connector that connects to the PC, usually found in plastic. I also liked the cable, braided and reinforced with a braided rope channel that prevents tangles but above all it is decidedly long thus allowing the HUB to be used even with PCs positioned behind the screen.
A gem are the indications stamped next to each port, which help the user choose the most suitable one based on their needs. The positioning of the Gigabit Ethernet port on the short side is also very intelligent, functional because it allows you to take advantage of the flexibility of the Type-C cable without having to bend the Ethernet cable which is much less adaptable. Finally, I also appreciated the generous distance between the various ports, so that even when connecting different accessories there are no clutter that impedes accessibility.
My tests
I tried to run some empirical tests to evaluate the speed of the HUB, running a speed test on peripherals connected directly to the computer or passing through the docking station as well as the real speed of the Ethernet port. Of course the results also depend on the type of peripheral that is connected, in fact there are USB sticks with different speeds, but beyond the speeds achieved the interesting aspect is that in no case the docking station has proved to be a bottleneck for performance.
I also appreciated the opportunity to connect an external monitor, or rather two, thus being able to revive my old notebook. This means that if you have a laptop with a broken screen but with still valid hardware, you just need the Wavlink gadget and a monitor, to still be able to have fun with the computer “Lazarus”.
WAVLINK WL-UMD309 docking station: price and purchase link
The Wavlink 10-in-1 docking station has proven to be an excellent product and has taken a permanent place on my desk. For the time being, I can say I am satisfied from all points of view. It does its job even if you have very high transfer speed requirements and therefore I can only recommend it.
It costs €69,99 on Amazon, a seemingly high price, but there is no comparison in terms of quality and durability with the cheaper alternatives, so make your own assessments.
