A method of managing data for a plurality of analyte test instruments connected to a data communication network. The method comprises the steps of: detecting via a host computer the connection of each instrument to the data communication network； uploading data received from each instrument to the host computer； processing the uploaded data on the host computer for operator review； and downloading configuration data from the host computer to each test instrument, the downloaded data comprising instrument-specific setup and control data. The invention further involves a hand-held analyte test instrument and a docking station for the test instrument.
