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ThinkPad T480s – What is this port?
(lemmy.world)
What is the port to the right on the two USB C ports? To the left of the RJ45. (ThinkPad T480s with integrated graphics.)
Edit to add: thanks in advance!
That connector is the ethernet connection for the docking station. That provides a real ethernet connection on the dock rather than using a USB to ethernet adapter.
What is real ethernet but a PCIe to Ethernet adapter?
Using the NIC that's on the CPU/chipset (I forget which) allows it to use the same MAC regardless of which docking station or adapter is used, simplifying management. It also means that vPro, wake on LAN etc. work - neither are generally a concern for a home user, but both can be desirable in the large enterprise/government situations these are built for.