Kensington lock port?

Hello,
Is there a kensington lock port on the laptop ?

Marc

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Well I think I answer my question, after seeing some photos, it looks like there is no such port.
Too bad as I am working in an openspace and… well… unfortunately… you can’t trust everyone.

:rofl: With it’s wonderful modularity, I’m not sure a Kensington lock would help a lot. A determined thief with a Torx screwdriver would still able to steal the SSD, RAM and motherboard and even the screen. :rofl:

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Yes of course, but it would take a little bit of time; longer than just closing the lid and getting away with it :wink:
And you could think of a system like with the HP mini desktop when you attach the machine with a cable lock it prevents opening the case.
In the Framework you could have a hole in the base and a hook in the keyboard so when you attach the kensington lock it goes through the base and the keyboard.

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Yes, obviously I was not being serious. A Kensington lock would probably deter an opportunistic thief. But I’m not sure how a hole in the bottom of a laptop would be very practical as it would surely prevent it sitting flat. However, it seems a little odd that no lock hole is provided unless there is some kind of royalties or license fee issue.

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There are special model of kensington cable for mobile devices like this one kensington-k67890ww-minisaver-mobile-keyed-lock.jpg (800Ă—800) (geewiz.co.za) where the lock is not directly in contact with the machine.
I hope too there is no fees to simply drill a hole in a case :slight_smile:

this is a really good point for a major omission I hadn’t thought of. If Framework wants to appeal to the business space they have an amzing design for businesses from a repairability perspective, however the omission of a lock means that any business with strong IAP rules will not be content with the design.

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There seem to be locks you can attach to the 3.5mm port. You would rip the thing off easily of course, but it might be enough to deter the casual thief. At least those things look like you have a lock, which might already be enough of a deterrent. There are also other options (essentially laptop stands), but those seem to get expensive very fast (and prevent you from closing the lid when locked).

The better option by far would be if v2 would have a real lock port.

Given the modularity, maybe they could even offer a replacement chassis with a lock port.

Just ship out a couple extra holes for the user to install

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not ideal, but how about a noble locks tz58?

@iaredavid I prefer not to use glue on a nice machine. For a demo/sales unit that might be fine, but on a personal machine I thoroughly dislike that idea.

(but of course for some people that would be an excellent suggestion, so thanks for sharing it)

Asked them on twitter, waiting for responce

For a very basic theft deterrent, an expansion module with maybe a USB-C and a kensington lock combo would probably be enough to deter an opportunistic thief in a cafe or shared work space. Obviously they could flip the laptop over and release the module but even that would slow someone down and be conspicuous and that’s assuming they know the module can be removed. The casual observer who doesn’t know might just see the cable lock and move on. For a more complicated solution - a dock that uses the two rear expansion slots and locks together such that you can’t remove it without unlocking the two from each other. The bar underneath would provide a secure tether point, would lift the back up maybe .5in for wrist ergonomics and airflow and also provide a lot of real estate for ports on either side (where they’d normally be) and along the back (under the laptop facing towards the hinges). Another theft deterrent suitable for a cafe or shared work space would be an expansion module with a sensor on the bottom. Placing the laptop into some sort of secure mode would sound of some sort of full volume alarm if the laptop is ever removed from the surface it’s on while in secure mode.

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@kippie_koppie It’s an 80% solution for sure. The Compulock Blade Universal looks more streamlined.

Personally, I don’t leave my laptop unattended not for anti-theft concerns, but because physical attack vectors are generally the most effective against computers. I’m not exactly a juicy target, but I take my security & privacy very seriously. USB ports are soooo vulnerable!

@njf @SoNick_RND for the United States, the original patents for the Kensington slot have expired. Currently, they state that they’re royalty-free and they’ll email the design documents. But they’re easy enough to find otherwise. Looking at pics online, there might be space to mill out a slot on the right side just beyond the WLAN card shielding. Hopefully mine will arrive in a week or so, and if I feel frisky, I might get it milled out (for funsies).

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So, how it’s going?

Maybe add some metal enforcement from inside? Not sure how to do it better (less “stealable” and make it harder to break)

I’m thinking that a product such as the LD-5400T might be a good option - I’m considering bringing my laptop between my home office and a rented office.

||85W PD - Win/Mac | Featured Products - Kensington

LD5400T Thunderbolt 3 40Gbps Dual 4K Dock w/ K-Fob™ Smart Lock - 85W PD - Win/Mac

And, for my mobile office, this locking station looks good.

||Laptop Locking Station 2.0 | Laptop Locking Stations - Kensington

Professional-Level Design. Designed to provide a simple locking solution for laptops without security slots, the locking station offers a sleek, brushed aluminum locking station that provides access to side ports with flexibility to rotate, slide and tilt your laptop as desired.

…you don’t need much determination… just good preparation:

Or, if someone just really want to screw with you, a quick press to your display panel will end your day in less than a second (lift screen by an inch, quick thumb press…job done). In the case of the gen 1 Framework laptop lid, you just need to press hard enough in the centre of the lid while it’s closed (This force required is quite a big less than some other laptops, e.g. XPS 13, X1 carbon, X280…etc.)

…and if you think that typical kensington lock cable will deter anyone…again, all you need is preparation. This is a lot thicker…and well…that’s the cutter. For the kinsington lock cable, it’s going to be a much smaller cutter. You get the idea.:

If you leave your laptop around with a Kensington lock thinking it’s safe…let me introduce you to this (timestamped):

…and this (timestamped):

My laptop has no Kensington lock slot, I managed to find the Anchor laptop security lock adapter, that locks into the 3.5mm headphone port creating a lock slot for a Kensington lock cable to be attached, so far so good as easy to install and sleek design made from aluminium, personally did not want to go for any stick on adapters.
Got it from Multplx the company that sells it they have a online store.

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I just came across this product for macbooks, which adds a lock slot by replacing one of the laptop’s screws with a longer screw that also goes through the lock adapter.

(@iaredavid mentioned the “Blade Universal” lock from the same company, but I think this type is nicer because it doesn’t use adhesive.)

For Framework, this type of lock would also prevent opening it to remove the internals, if the screw is a “security” screw. (Yes, I know that security screws don’t provide real security, but the point is to slow the crooks down or make them look for easier targets.)

Maybe if enough people are interested, CompuLocks would make a version of this for Framework.

Why not just offer an expansion card with a Kensington slot? The cards are already harder to remove than most Kensington locks are if you haven’t got the key. :wink:

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