2

I have a "ThinkPad Universal USB-C Dock" (Link to German Lenovo page) that works reasonably well with a DELL 5560: Monitors via Displayport, Ethernet, USB, fwupd all work. The DELL is running Debian 12 (Bookworm). I didn't have to install anything, just plug an d play.

Now I wanted to attach the ThinkPad Docking Station to my ThinkPad T570 and was quite astonished that almost nothing works: No monitors are recognized at all, Ethernet says "no link", fwupd doesn't list the device. The t570 is also running Debian, only 13/Trixie.

I had a look at the bis settings for thunderbolt: It is enabled, Security is set to "No Security".

Please note: it's NOT the "ThinkPad Hybrid USB-C Dock mit USB A" station, where there are already some posts here. And I don't think it's related to DisplayLink, because I didn't have to install anything related on the DELL (also nothing related was already installed).

How can I bring the ThinkPad Dock to work with the T570?

Improve this question
2
  • 4
    If your BIOS is up to date and all settings are correct, is it possible for you to run a normal Debian 12, live system, or Windows on the ThinkPad to check if the issue is caused by the Debian 13 kernel? Commented Apr 21 at 12:31
  • The joke seems to be that many of the docking stations work with third-party products but not with their own! Commented Apr 28 at 10:12

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
1

After reviewing various sources and information, the issue could have the following causes.

The ThinkPad Universal USB-C Dock isn’t listed in the wiki, but it should still work.

Dockingstation:

  • ThinkPad Basic Dock
  • ThinkPad Pro Dock
  • ThinkPad Ultra Dock
  • ThinkPad Thunderbolt Dock
  • ThinkPad USB-C Dock
  • ThinkPad WiGig Dock (US only)
1. Check the BIOS to ensure all settings are correct
  • USB-C/Thunderbolt Mode, should be set to Thunderbolt + USB, not just USB
  • If possible, perform a BIOS update
2. Module & Packages
3. Try booting other os
  • If your BIOS is up to date and all settings are correct, try booting Debian 12 normally or as a live system, or test Ubuntu/Windowson the ThinkPad to check if the issue is caused by the Debian 13 kernel

Steps 4 and 5 are not recommended for now if possible. Step 4 could affect the Dell device and step 5 might cause issues in your Debian 13 system.

4. Update the device firmware.
5. Kernel version issue, booting older kernel
  • Debian 13 Trixie, is still in testing, and some Thunderbolt/USB-C drivers might not be fully stable
    - You could try booting an older kernel, but i don't recommended (unless this is a test system, otherwise, make a full backup first).

Update:

Possible Issues & Solutions:

  • Thunderbolt 3 uses the USB-C port, but not every USB-C port supports Thunderbolt 3
  • The T570 might not support Thunderbolt 3, only USB-C with DP Alt-Mode
  • The dock requires stable power delivery (at least 60W)
  • In some configurations, the T570 only has USB-C 3.1 (10 Gbps) with DP Alt-Mode, but no Thunderbolt 3 (40 Gbps)
  • If your T570 doesn’t have a Thunderbolt logo next to the USB-C port, it likely doesn’t support TB3, meaning the dock will only work in USB-C mode (with potential limitations)
  • The DisplayPort Alt-Mode is not initializing correctly
  • Incorrect graphics drivers

If you've tried everything software, hardware, cables, power supply, then it seems like this dock just doesn’t work with the T570.

You don’t seem to be the only one having issues.

It looks like a general problem with some Lenovo laptops and certain docking stations.

Here are some links (all in German) discussing the issue.

In one article (the T570 is also affected), it says:

The tech news site Golem writes about this:

This update is intended to fix critical bugs: For instance, some USB Type-C ports stopped working. Additionally, the Intel Thunderbolt controller was no longer visible to the operating system. Both charging functionality and connectivity with Thunderbolt 3 docking stations were partially affected. In some cases, HDMI video output also reportedly failed. A large number of ThinkPad devices are impacted.

Critical Intel Thunderbolt
SymptomSystems may experience any of the following symptoms:
  • USB-C port not working
  • Intel Thunderbolt controller not visible in the OS/Device Manager
  • USB-C or Thunderbolt docking stations not visible or having connectivity problems
  • HDMI output not available
  • System battery not charging with a USB-C power adapter connected to the USB-C port
  • Intel Thunderbolt pop-up error message
  • Intel Thunderbolt safe mode error message
  • BIOS Thunderbolt communication error or hang during POST

These symptoms may occur after 6 to 12 months of typical usage.

Contact Lenovo Technical Support if symptoms continue after the installation of these update packages.

Improve this answer
1
  • I updated the Thinkpad Bios and the Docks BIOS to the latest version. I also booted a Debian 12, without any success :( Commented Apr 27 at 14:29

You must log in to answer this question.

Start asking to get answers

Find the answer to your question by asking.

Ask question

Explore related questions

See similar questions with these tags.