Most of the docking stations offer an internal power supply that can operate the portable and its peripheral attachments: an external parallel port for printers, a serial port for serial devices (mice and modems), USB ports, external VGA/DVI video and full size keyboard connections, and audio connections for external speakers.
If a peripheral device is not working, one of the first steps to take is to ensure that the external device has been activated.
For audio problems, check that the speakers are connected to the correct RCA mini jacks. Verify the documentation to ensure the sound output has not been muted using a Function key combination.
On Windows operating systems, the hardware profile information for the portable computer can be configured differently for docked and undocked situations. When the computer is docked and turned ON, its configuration is reset and the Eject PC option appears on the Start menu. However, when the computer is not docked, the Eject PC option is automatically removed from the Start menu.
