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How to Use and Troubleshoot Dell Universal Dock D6000

Summary: Learn how to setup, use and troubleshoot Dell Universal Dock D6000. Find information about drivers, setting up multiple monitors and steps to resolve common issues.

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Article Content


Symptoms


Dell Universal Dock D6000 links all your electronic devices to your laptop PC using a single cable that supports both Thunderbolt ™ 3 (USB Type-C) or USB 3.0. When you connect the laptop to the docking station, you can gain access to all your peripherals such as the mouse, keyboard, stereo speakers, external hard drive, and large-screen displays without having to plug each one into the laptop.

Cause

Dell Universal Dock D6000 works with DisplayLink technology that enables docking features over USB. The universal docking solution enables multiple displays, audio, ethernet and other USB peripherals to be connected to PCs through USB.

Resolution

For help with specifications, setup, connecting an external monitor, troubleshooting common issues, etc. refer to an expanding section below.

Dell D6000 docking station technical specifications
PC Connectivity
  • USB 3 .0 Type-A (Via USB Type-C to USB Type-A converter)
  • USB Type-C (supports Power Delivery up to 65W)
Video ports
  • 1 x HDMI 2.0
  • 2 x DisplayPort 1.2
NOTE: Dell Universal Dock (D6000series) supports up to 3 displays when connected to your PC using the Thunderbolt 3 USB Type-C cable and up to 2 displays using the USB 3.0 cable.
Audio ports
(D6000 only)
  • 1 x audio line-out (rear)
  • 1 x headphone or microphone combo (front)
NOTE: Audio pass-through is not supported on the D6000 series Dock.
Network ports
  • 1 x Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45)
USB ports
  • 3 x USB 3.0 Type A (1 front and 2 rear)
  • 1 x USB 3.0 port (front) with PowerShare
  • 1 x USB Type-C (front) data only and PowerShare
Dell D6000 docking station minimum system requirements
Minimum System Requirements for Productivity & Web Usage
  • Processor: Intel Core i3 2+GHz, Intel Core e M, AMD Trinity, or better
  • Memory (RAM): 4GB
  • Video Card: Intel HD 4000, ATI Radeon HD 8650, NVidia GeForce 7xxM or better, with drivers released specifically for the Windows version.
  • USB: USB 3.0 recommended (USB 2.0 compatible with limited functionality)
Minimum Requirements for Full-Screen Video Playback
  • Processor: Intel SkyLake i3 or Intel Core i7 2+GHz, AMD Richland A10-575x, AMD Kaveri A10-7400P, or better
  • Memory (RAM): 8GB
  • Video Card: Intel HD 4000, ATI Radeon HD 8650, NVidia GeForce 7xxM or better, with drivers released specifically for the Windows version. If playing UHD content (4K), the PC must be capable of decoding 4K video in the GPU.
  • USB: USB 3.0
  • Hard Disk: 7200RPM or SSD
Operating system
  • Windows 10, 8 (8.1), and 7
  • Ubuntu OS 14.04.2 or greater
  • Chrome OS Build 58 onwards

D6000 ports
Figure 1: Dell Universal Dock (D6000) Ports

Dell Universal Dock D6000 works with DisplayLink technology that enables docking features over USB. The universal docking solution enables multiple displays, audio, ethernet and other USB peripherals to be connected to PCs through USB.

NOTE: For optimal performance, Dell recommends updating the BIOS and Chipset driver on your PC before installing the DisplayLink driver for the docking station. You will need Admin Rights on your computer to install the DisplayLink driver.
  1. Download and install the latest DisplayLink driver from Dell Drivers & Downloads page
  2. Follow the screen instructions until the installation is complete
  3. Restart the PC
  4. Connect all the external devices to the docking station
  5. Connect the docking station to your PC
NOTE: Latest DisplayLink driers for supported Operating systems including Corporate installers can also be found at displaylink.com/downloads External link icon

Microsoft Windows operating system includes the VGA graphics drivers only. Therefore, for optimum graphics performance, it is recommended that Dell graphics drivers applicable for your PC be installed from Dell Drivers & Downloads website under the "Video" section.

Connect the monitor to the docking station using the HDMI / DisplayPort cable provided with the monitor. Dell Universal Dock D6000 supports up to 3 displays when connected to your PC using the Thunderbolt 3 USB Type-C cable and up to 2 displays using the USB 3.0 cable. Refer to the Display Resolution Table below for more details about the supported resolution when connecting multiple monitors to the docking station.

To learn more about setting up and troubleshooting issues with multiple monitor setup, refer to these Dell knowledge-base articles How to Setup Multiple Monitors or How to Troubleshoot Multiple Monitor Issues


Display resolution table

Dell D6000 docking station display resolution support using USB-C connection
Docking station connected to PC using USB Type-C
Input Output
DP 1 DP 2 HDMI DP 1 DP 2 HDMI
DP 1 DP 2 HDMI 4K @ 60Hz 4K @ 60Hz 4K @ 30Hz
DP 1 DP 2 HDMI 5K @ 60Hz 4K @ 30Hz
DP 1 DP 2   4K @ 60Hz 4K @ 60Hz  
DP 1   HDMI 4K @ 60Hz   4K @ 60Hz
  DP 2 HDMI   4K @ 60Hz 4K @ 60Hz
DP 1     4K @ 60Hz    
  DP 2     4K @ 60Hz  
    HDMI     4K @ 60Hz

Dell D6000 docking station display resolution support using USB 3.0 Type-A connection
Docking station connected to PC using USB 3.0 Type-A
Input Output
DP 1 DP 2 HDMI DP 1 DP 2 HDMI
DP 1 DP 2 HDMI 4K @ 60Hz 4K @ 60Hz  
DP 1 DP 2 HDMI 5K @ 60Hz  
DP 1 DP 2   4K @ 60Hz 4K @ 60Hz  
DP 1   HDMI 4K @ 60Hz   4K @ 60Hz
  DP 2 HDMI   4K @ 60Hz 4K @ 60Hz
DP 1     4K @ 60Hz    
  DP 2     4K @ 60Hz  
    HDMI     4K @ 60Hz
Dell D6000 docking station troubleshooting guide for common issues
Symptom Possible Solution
There is no video on the monitor attached to the dock
NOTE: Video is not available outside the operating system or in a pre-boot environment such as the BIOS.
  • Check the video connection cables
  • Unplug the power, wait 10 seconds, and then reconnect
The video on the attached monitor is distorted or corrupted
  • Check video connection cables
  • Check the video resolution under Control Panel > Display > Change Display Setting
The video on the attached monitor is not displaying in extended mode
  • Press Windows logo + P key.
  • Toggle the display mode.
The audio jacks are not functioning
(D6000 on;y)
  • Right-click the Sound icon on the System Tray
  • Select Playback devices
  • Right-click and check both Show Disconnected Devices and Show Disabled Devices
  • Right-click USB Audio device and select Set as default
USB ports are not functioning on the dock
  • Unplug from the power, wait 10 seconds, and then reconnect
  • Download and install the latest USB 3.0 host controller from Dell Drivers & Downloads page
HDCP content is not able to display on the attached monitor
  • HDCP content support is currently not available
DisplayLink Driver is not able to install You can download the latest DisplayLink driver from:
Laptop failed to boot with dock connected
  • Remove all USB devices connected to the dock
  • Power on the laptop
Some unqualified boot devices may cause a lockup during boot
First time Internet access causing error message
  • Download the driver from an Internet connected computer and copy the driver over USB flash drive, and run the setup
Insufficient system resources exist to complete the requested service This can occur when entering extend mode with low system resources. The PC does not have enough memory to start an extend display
  • Close down any unused applications. The situation may also be improved by rebooting the PC
Incompatible Display Driver This message will appear if the primary graphics card drivers installed are not WDDM compatible. Windows 7 onwards is not designed to operate without WDDM drivers.
  • Download and install the latest graphics drivers for your primary graphics card
Laptop failed to wake up from Ethernet port
  • Check the settings under BIOS Items to make sure laptop supports wake-up-from-Ethernet port function
Laptop fail to power charge when the dock is connected to your computer
  • Make sure the dock is connected properly to its own power adapter
  • Make sure the LED of your dock is ON (White LED). Disconnect and re-connect the dock cable to your computer
  • Make sure the notebook’s USB-C port accept power charging
  • Check with your notebook manufacturer to confirm power charging compatibility with the dock
No video on the monitors attached to High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), or DisplayPort (DP) port on the dock
  • If your monitor is connected to the dock, the video output on your computer may be disabled. You can enable the video output under Control Panel\Display\Change Display Setting
  • Check the resolution settings on your computer. Your monitor may support higher resolutions than what the dock is able to support. Refer to the Display Resolution Table in the User Guide of your dock for more information on maximum resolution capacity
  • Make sure the video cable (HDMI or DisplayPort) is connected properly to the monitor and the dock. Ensure to select the correct video source on your monitor (refer to your monitors documentation for more information about changing the video source)
  • If only one monitor is shown and the other monitor is not. Download the latest driver from the DisplayLink website to install or Connect to Windows Update with dock (by using Wi-Fi or Ethernet port of the laptop)
  • Try with a different monitor and Laptop computer that is known to be good, if possible

Frequently asked questions

You can download the latest DisplayLink driver from:

 

No. Dell Universal Dock D6000 USB cable is attached to the dock and not replaceable. However, Dell provides a 1-year standard warranty which will cover the Dock and cable (if purchased as a tied laptop accessory, the Dell Universal Dock D6000 will share the system warranty).

Dell Universal Dock D6000 works with any PC equipped with USB 3.0 Type-A, USB Type-C, or Thunderbolt 3. However, bandwidth is capped at USB 3.1 Gen1 (5Gbps).

The DisplayLink solution offered with the Dell Universal Dock D6000 is a "USB Graphic" solution which involves software compression. The compression is utilizing the CPU process power but not using the discrete GFx card power for video processing. Also, the DisplayLink solution does not support UMA-GFx card switching resulting in not being able to take advantage of GFx hardware acceleration. For Precision users, the work performed typically requires real-time rendering, Dell's Thunderbolt Dock TB16 or WD15 docking solutions may offer a better experience.

Dell Universal Dock D6000 uses DisplayLink technology, and should work with most PCs equipped with USB 3.0 Type-A, USB Type-C, or Thunderbolt 3. However, bandwidth is capped at USB3.1 Gen1 (5Gbps). The drivers on older PCs may need to be updated to ensure compatibility with the DisplayLink driver.

Yes, however certain Dell features of the Dell Universal Dock D6000 might not function on third-party PCs including power charging over 60W and management features. Also, due to certain PC manufacturer’s designs, there may be limited or no functionality for video, USB, and so on.

Yes, any Dell PC that supports Display Port over USB Type-C or Thunderbolt 3 can connect to the Dell Dock with the USB Type-C non-Thunderbolt cable (ships with the Dell dock).

Some Dell Precision models may require more than the 65W that the Dell Universal Dock D6000 can deliver to charge the laptop. You can still use the D6000 series dock to charge the laptop, but it may take a longer time to fully charge versus using the PC's power adapter.

To remove the error message, one way is to either boot with the power adapter connected to the PC in addition to the dock connected via USB Type-C, or disable the warning in BIOS. Once the PC has booted you can disconnect power and the PC will work fine while powering from USB Type-C.

The D6000 series does not support business-class features such as PXE boot or Wake-on-LAN. For docks using DisplayLink, like the D6000 series, not all functions will work outside of the operating system or BIOS. For customers that require enterprise features like PXE boot, Wake-on-LAN (WOL), and other business-class features for deployment in large enterprises, Dell offers WD15 and TB16 docking solutions which have the full suite of enterprise features. The Dell Universal Dock D6000 does offer MAC-address-pass-through (MAPT).

For more information on MAPT, refer to the Dell knowledge-base article What is MAC Address pass through? Latitude, Mobile Precision Workstation, XPS, USB Type-C.

Yes, the Dell Universal Dock D6000 has a media access control (MAC) identifier that can be passed through for network identification. Each dock typically has its own MAC address, but with a Dell PC, a system-unique MAC address is passed through from the PC to the dock to make it unique to assist IT.

D6000 MAC address

PowerShare allows you to charge your phone or tablet without the notebook being turned on. Power Delivery is used with the USB PD charging spec for USB Type-C devices. Power Delivery means a product (AC adapter or docking station) has the ability to provide enough charging power to charge the device with up to 65W.

Yes, if the laptop manufacturer enabled charging capability via USB Type-C.
*Industry standard USB PD rev 2.0 v1.1 Power Delivery at 15W (5V@3A) and 60W (19.5V@3A). USB Power Delivery exceeding 60W* for Dell connected devices.

NOTE: Not all USB Type-C connections offer the same functionality. Some USB Type-C connections may deliver only data, for instance.

The USB Type-A adapter on the end of the cable does not deliver power to the notebook when in use. This adapter will never deliver power as USB Type-A plugs and receptacles do not have Power Delivery capability.

As the Dell Universal Dock D6000 is originally designed for use with any laptops that support industry standard USB Type-C, and for use in a hoteling/hot-desk environment, Dell-on-Dell features are not currently offered.

This is referring to the maximum recommended surrounding temperature where the Dell Universal Dock D6000 will operate normally.

No, this is not recommended as charging and USB features may not work with third-party add-on adapters.

Windows will determine whether to toggle between wired LAN or wireless depending on the strength of the signal, and according to its priority list. You can change this behavior within the Settings of your Wireless Network Card. Refer to the Dell knowledge-base article How to configure Intel PROSet to disable Intel Wireless when PC is connected Via Ethernet network connection for Intel Cards.

The decision to switch to wired LAN or WiFi when docked is managed by the Window operating system according to priority list. You can change how Windows detects the wireless connection when docked to a LAN connection using the instructions in the Dell knowledge-base article How to disable a wireless network connection when a wired connection is detected .

  • Up to 3 displays via USB Type-C connection: 1 x 5K; 2 x 4K; 3 x 4K.
  • Up to 2 displays via USB Type-A connection.
  • 5120 x 2880 @60Hz (2 DP cables required to be plugged in) / 3840 x 2160 @60Hz (single DP/HDMI cable required)
  • Three display out only available via USB Type-C connection. Maximum two display out for USB 3.0 Type-A connection.

Display resolution table

Dell D6000 docking station display resolution support using USB-C connection
Docking station connected to PC using USB Type-C
Input Output
DP 1 DP 2 HDMI DP 1 DP 2 HDMI
DP 1 DP 2 HDMI 4K @ 60Hz 4K @ 60Hz 4K @ 30Hz
DP 1 DP 2 HDMI 5K @ 60Hz 4K @ 30Hz
DP 1 DP 2   4K @ 60Hz 4K @ 60Hz  
DP 1   HDMI 4K @ 60Hz   4K @ 60Hz
  DP 2 HDMI   4K @ 60Hz 4K @ 60Hz
DP 1     4K @ 60Hz    
  DP 2     4K @ 60Hz  
    HDMI     4K @ 60Hz

Dell D6000 docking station display resolution support using USB 3.0 Type-A connection
Docking station connected to PC using USB 3.0 Type-A
Input Output
DP 1 DP 2 HDMI DP 1 DP 2 HDMI
DP 1 DP 2 HDMI 4K @ 60Hz 4K @ 60Hz  
DP 1 DP 2 HDMI 5K @ 60Hz  
DP 1 DP 2   4K @ 60Hz 4K @ 60Hz  
DP 1   HDMI 4K @ 60Hz   4K @ 60Hz
  DP 2 HDMI   4K @ 60Hz 4K @ 60Hz
DP 1     4K @ 60Hz    
  DP 2     4K @ 60Hz  
    HDMI     4K @ 60Hz

Dell Universal Dock D6000, using the DisplayLink solution, DOES NOT support MST Daisy Chain. There is NO MST chipset in the Dell Universal Dock D6000. If the Dell Universal Dock D6000 is connected via DP to a MST monitor, the second MST monitor in the Daisy Chain loop will show a DUPLICATE of first monitor. In this scenario, the second monitor behavior is not controlled by the Dell Universal Dock D6000, it just duplicates the video signal from the first display.

Additional Information

Out of Warranty support Out of warranty? No problem. Browse to the Dell.com/support website and enter your Dell Service Tag and view our offers.

NOTE: Offers are only available for US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, and China personal computer customers. Server and Storage not applicable.

Article Properties


Affected Product

G Series, Alienware, Inspiron, Latitude, Vostro, XPS, Dell Universal Dock D6000

Last Published Date

17 Jul 2023

Version

12

Article Type

Solution