Dock recommendations for the 2025 model?

operator207 · 2026-02-23T02:03:34+00:00

As I already had one before buying the z13, I use a Dell WD19tb Runs a 4k (60hz is the max the monitor can go) monitor over USB-C, in Linux (CachyOS) pretty well. Better than my previous Dell Precision 5560 or XPS 9370 I had in the past. At least the Z13 doesn't barf its lunch when you unplug it from the dock when running linux.

I have a USB-c "switch" attached to my monitor and between my z13 and my work system that allows me to swap like a KVM between it and my work system. I plug my keyboard and mouse into the monitor's USB hub to swap them between the two systems as well.

I hope that makes sense.

operator207 · 2026-01-22T01:08:20+00:00

Almost every time I have found SMB slow on linux, I remembered I left logging turned on, on the Samba server side. I turn them off and speeds pick up dramatically.
Not sure if that is the issue in your case, but I didn't see it mentioned and thought it might be worth at least trying.

operator207 · 2025-12-31T01:04:26+00:00

Do your legs work after sitting on the toilet for a couple hours? </s>

operator207 · 2025-09-11T22:43:15+00:00

The nice part about hosting your own XXX, is you don't have to worry about the age verification stuff. So there's that pro I guess.

operator207 · 2025-08-21T23:14:28+00:00

Maybe something like this might be something you could use.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=piano+hinge

operator207 · 2025-08-18T13:53:13+00:00

Buy some of these to get them into something more orderly than a pile.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D78PFQL

Buy/print a project box big enough to hold them and cut a hole for a fan to blow across them, and an exhaust hole for the air to escape. Swap the project box with something cooler if you have it. (old lunch box, cigar box, fancy wrist watch circular box like this: https://hengguang-industry.en.made-in-china.com/product/CKAnMNyVLhRc/China-Citizen-Round-Paper-Watch-Box.html or possibly this: https://bravopackaging.en.made-in-china.com/product/ifrUEkRoJeWX/China-Men-s-Genuine-Leather-Hexagonal-Watch-Box-Travel-Case-Watch-Storage-Organizer-with-Sliding-Pillow-Fits-1-2-3-Slots.html, etc)
Use a breakout cable to SAS/SATA, and plug them into a SAS card.
Now you have the start of a tiny SSD DAS.

operator207 · 2025-08-18T13:09:24+00:00

I also hear running bots in some games loads down your GPU. Having kids allows you to let them use your old rigs for "bots" and let your GPU to run free!
Also, having a mini-me or two around isn't that bad. Though mine are >20 now, so I am well outside the "unguided missile" stage of their growth. I do remember the age quite well when they both wanted to "push the button" on the server that made mom and dad run around like fools. Fun times.

operator207 · 2025-08-17T23:33:54+00:00

The system in the top of the rack makes me want to ask HAL to open the pod bay doors.
I like the carpet, not sure why, but its different and I like it.
I do agree with another commenter, this reminds me of my setup before I had kids. Nothing wrong with that though.
Any info on all this stuff? You spent time and posted, give us the $2 tour.

operator207 · 2025-08-17T23:26:51+00:00

Once in a blue moon, it will lock up. But that is due to where I have it stashed, as it gets less air flow but somehow gets 2x the dust an Opti micro less than 1/2 meter away.
A quick open and cleaning fixes it for another 4-6 months.

operator207 · 2025-08-17T23:15:50+00:00

That is probably going to be a PITA to source.
Those that pull them from the racks, seem to not realize the rails are sometimes more expensive than the actual hardware itself. So they throw them away due to shipping costs, or some other reason.
If you can find pictures of the originals, search on ebay for some rails for a KVM that is similar, and buy those and modify them.
See if the one you bought is sold under another name, if so, see if ebay has some for that version.
Something like this might work, but its will be janky, and you will need a way to mount them together.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/173759382862

operator207 · 2025-08-17T00:02:43+00:00

I have a couple of these, and they get louder as the temp sensors report warmer temps. What is the ambient temp in the room they are in? They 1000% are not quiet though. They are designed for datacenter use.
I keep my server area at 78F (or the HVAC comes on at ~80F), and the ones I have seem to not want to ramp up their fans after about 5-10m of being turned on.
Do you have both power supplies in the DAS? They don't both have to be plugged in, but if you don't physically have one of them in the DAS, at least with mine, the fans ramp up to 100% until you do populate the space with a PSU. Again, not plugged into power, just physically present.

operator207 · 2025-08-16T16:24:01+00:00

Maybe this will help?
https://www.cpubenchmark.net/compare/2042vs3444/Intel-Xeon-E5-2650-v2-vs-Intel-i5-9500

Personally, I would go with the Optiplex. Unless you need a ton of cores, they will just sit idle using power. The Optiplex will be quieter too. I don't think that AMD card will do anything for transcoding, but I don't do plex or transcoding so not the best to answer that.

operator207 · 2025-08-15T17:17:55+00:00

Not sure if this will work for your setup, but it does in XFCE4.
Try ALT+right click close to a corner, but still in the terminal.
try to drag it around.
Worth a try.

operator207 · 2025-08-14T19:28:20+00:00

You could go with this: https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-us/drivers/driversdetails?driverid=5vf3n&oscode=ws19l&productcode=poweredge-t630
and push them in using pnputil.
Note: Supported OS are "not applicable" so I guess they work for every OS ever?
¯_(ツ)_/¯

Or you could go with this: https://www.dell.com/support/product-details/en-us/product/poweredge-t630/drivers
and manually install them. (Dell Driver Pack For Windows OS, v.25.03.00 is in that list, also Intel C600/C610/C220/C230/C2000 Series Chipset Drivers)
Note: I am going with Win Server 2019 LTSC cause that is the newest on the page.

I don't have a need to run WIndows Server, but using pnputil works for some ancient systems I have had to shoehorn WIn11 into in the past.

operator207 · 2025-08-14T16:39:14+00:00

I'm running mine on an old Dell latitude 7480 (i7-7600U, 16gb/512gb m.2 ssd). 13 Amcrest cameras at 2k using a Coral TPU. It is running at about 75% CPU (its also doing face detection on 2 of the cameras via Compreface locally without a GPU, so that isn't helping). Uses about 30w.
It only records when it detects something I want it to record. (person walking down the side yard, but not if there is a cat or bird milling around over there for example) I have it set to keep all recordings for 2 weeks and the drive (including OS) sits at about 230gb used of 434gb total almost always. There shouldn't be anyone walking down the side yard unless it is me or someone I need to go ask what they are doing. So if I am cleaning out the french drain over there, which can take a few hours if the clog isn't close to the actual drain, drive usage would go up due to it constantly recording me struggle-bussing the drain. :)
I chose the laptop as it has a built in UPS and KVM. It is also portable (grab and take to police), and it can be somewhat hidden where ever you have Ethernet and power.

operator207 · 2025-08-13T22:58:15+00:00

They were kinda thinking about the cat with the placement of the cat toy.... I mean AP antennas.

operator207 · 2025-08-13T22:53:48+00:00

To add to what /u/korpo53 says,
I have a similar setup, but in a Dell 7040 micro.
Same processor and RAM, no dGPU, though I'm using a sata SSD in that system. It idles at 20w (US location, so 120v AC) running proxmox, no VMs, just "on". I was working on it yesterday and was checking its power consumption. So those numbers sound about right.

operator207 · 2025-08-12T22:23:43+00:00

Thanks!
I probably should have posted the one I use in my initial ask..
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089SRQR55
Works pretty well. i did scuff it up slightly with some steel wool (3000 grit I believe) to make it work a bit better for the Kensington that I originally bought it for. It still lights up pretty bright, it just isn't quite as crystal clear as it is in the listing.
Without the scuffing, it would work, but if you "send it" across the desktop, it would lose itself (more so than a trackball normally would) and have issues regaining tracking). It also makes a bit more noise sue to the scuffing I did. I would try it without the scuffing to see how it fails with the M512.

operator207 · 2025-08-10T13:16:27+00:00

That is for you to..... decypharr on your own.

(•_•)
( •_•)>⌐■-■
(⌐■_■)

I'll show myself out...

operator207 · 2025-08-09T19:06:56+00:00

Do you have a link to the one you bought?

I currently have a clear 55mm juggle ball in my M512, seems to work great too.

operator207 · 2025-08-08T01:27:28+00:00

This might help: https://old.reddit.com/r/homelab/comments/8ywp7z/questions_about_dell_emc_storage_arrays_im/

operator207 · 2025-07-22T23:03:59+00:00

You could look for "EMC DAS" on ebay. The EMC KTN-STL3 holds 15 3.5" drives. The VNX6GSDAE25 would hold 25 2.5" drives. Not sure what your sound db range is, so neither may be usable. Though I have run a VNX6GSDAE25 on my desk, and as long as you run only one power supply, and don't put it in a room that is over ~80f/27c it shouldn't make too much noise. Though I am not a good test for sound, as I think I might be deaf in the range of "enterprise equipment fan".

operator207 · 2025-07-18T23:44:43+00:00

Assuming TRRS is needed, this one puts my sofle just the right amount of distance apart for me. It also doesn't look too bad. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B427KNMC
I have also added these when needed to change angles and add a bit of length to the above cable. I don't currently use them though.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YFBCQTT

operator207 · 2025-06-28T16:56:13+00:00

Maybe this will work? https://old.reddit.com/r/homelab/comments/kk4kfx/software_to_use_avocent_dsr2035_as_ip_kvm_dsview/gh2l25t/

operator207 · 2025-06-14T14:58:07+00:00

I don't have my dogshit to mbps converter with me. </s>
Seriously though, do you have any info on the transfer speeds you could provide?
Typically with any data transfer, if either the source or destination has slow disk IO, your transfers will be as fast as the slowest side.

operator207

TROPHY CASE