Detect Docking Stations

[nmarques777]

Hi does LS detect Docking Stations?

Surely if it can detect monitors when it runs the scanning, it could detect the docking stations as well.

[Canucklehead]

Adding my journey in trying to scan dell docking stations to this most recent post. The Dell docking stations cannot be detected by the chassis in Lansweeper and I have found that Dell Inventory Agent is a required install for the WMI objects to be detected as a "dock" and return an identifier and serial number.  https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/000126566/windows-how-to-identify-your-dell-docking-station...

I have tried and failed at multiple powershell attempts to return a nice bulk export csv when scanning the entire network. I am stuck between whether I need to learn how to use arrays better in powershell and whether the dell command objects can even work properly with the syntax i'm attempting. It seems like the dell command demands the list of computer objects to act on at the end of the command.

import-module ActiveDirectory
Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned
$notebooks = Get-ADComputer -SearchBase 'ou=Notebooks,dc=your,dc=domain,dc=com' -Filter * -Properties Name | Select -ExpandProperty Name
Invoke-Command -ScriptBlock {gwmi -n root\dell\sysinv dell_softwareidentity | select elementname, serialnumber, description, versionstring | where elementname -like '*WD1*'|ft} -ComputerName $notebooks

The hideous results of that is the best i've gotten so far for scanning all notebooks, and if I remove the -ExpandProperty Name to try to get the invoke-command to display which computer its listing, it breaks the scirpts ability to run through each computer. If someone could get this working properly as an array that combines this output with the computer name as a custom PSObject, then at least I could run this on demand to get the asset serial numbers. Not sure how this could hook into lansweeper as custom reporting, but it should technically be possible as it scans WMI objects.

[nnewton]

I think this depends a lot on the dock itself, most docks pass through the network connection. I believe we had some docks at some point that could be configured to report their IP/MAC as well as the machine that they were connected to (Microsoft Surface maybe?). We use Lenovo and Alogic now, they pass-through the connections.

We use a network interface report and try to infer the dock based on the client machine's network adapter MAC or adapter name. It's not bulletproof, but it's better than nothing.

Relevant code from our report:

  Case
    When tblNetworkAdapter.MACAddress Like '08:3A:88%' Then
      'Lenovo Thunderbolt 3 Gen 2'
    When tblNetworkAdapter.MACAddress Like '3C:E1:A1%' Then
      'Lenovo Thunderbolt 3 Gen 2'
    When tblNetworkAdapter.MACAddress Like '00:50:B6%' And
      tblNetworkAdapter.Name Like '%TBT%' Then 'Lenovo Thunderbolt 3 Gen 1'
    When tblNetworkAdapter.MACAddress Like 'E0:4F:43%' Then 'Lenovo USB-C Gen 1'
    When tblNetworkAdapter.MACAddress Like '48:2A:E3:7D:5C%' Then
      'Lenovo USB-C Gen 2'
    When tblNetworkAdapter.MACAddress Like '48:2A:E3:85%' Then
      'Lenovo USB-C Gen 2'
    When tblNetworkAdapter.MACAddress Like '6C:0B:84%' Then 'Lenovo USB-C Gen 2'
    When tblNetworkAdapter.Name Like 'Lenovo%' Then 'Lenovo'
    When tblNetworkAdapter.Name Like 'DisplayLink%' Or
      tblNetworkAdapter.Name Like 'ALOGIC%' Or
      tblNetworkAdapter.Name Like 'TWIN Dock%' Then 'ALogic'
    Else ''
  End As Docktype,

[dwinters2022]

Please add this feature! I is hard to use Lansweeper as an Asset Tracking system when it can't scan assets like a dock. Thanks!

[glenh]

We use Lenovo laptops, and I have recently found that they have a tool called Dock Manager, that among other things can update WMI with Serial Number and Firmware versions. Unfortunately much of our existing inventory of docking stations are an older model that this software doesn't support, but I've seen it work on some of our newer docking stations. If it helps, here's some info: https://download.lenovo.com/consumer/options/dock_manager_readme.txt

I'm looking at trying to make use of it anyway, and if Lansweeper can't pick up this information automatically, I'm looking at using a PowerShell script to write it to a custom registry entry that I can tell Lansweeper to read in.

Sure would be great if Lansweeper could do this automatically without me having to do so much as custom work.

[CyberCitizen]

Believe its a limitation of Windows, as I have looked for this feature for quite some time, even a command line that I could run to query serial numbers. The docks just seem to pass through the data. If you can find a way within windows through powershell, wmi etc, then let Lansweeper know. But at this stage I don't believe its possible.

[bmontythe3rd]

HP has a product called "HP Insights" and it can detect any monitor or dock regardless of brand or model. Must be a proprietary software. 

We hope they add this feature because we are trying to decide between Lansweeper or HP Insights.

[Christophe]

Same for me, add a vote. it would be very useful to me

[glenh]

I too am looking for this same functionality. Can I add a vote as well to this request? Not sure how to do that.

[FrankSc]

Hi,
Docking stations aren't discovered as linked or related assets at the moment. This has been requested though in the past and is on our wish list. We hope to add this in the future. We'll provide it with an extra vote.