docking station

A docking station is a hardware frame and set of electrical connection interfaces that enable a notebook computer to effectively serve as a desktop computer . The interfaces typically allow the notebook to communicate with a local printer, larger storage or backup drives, and possibly other devices that are not usually taken along with a notebook computer. A docking station can also include a network interface card ( NIC ) that attaches the notebook to a local area network ( LAN ).

Variations include the port replicator , an attachment on a notebook computer that expands the number of ports it can use, and the expansion base , which might hold a CD-ROM drive, a floppy disk drive, and additional storage.