Plugable USB-C Triple Display Docking Station

When a Plugable DisplayLink device is not working as expected with a Windows system, the best practice is to disconnect the device from the host system (and remove it's external power source, if it has one) and perform a 'clean' manual installation of the latest version we recommend of the required DisplayLink software driver to help ensure both are in a good state.  To do so, please follow these steps:

1) Disconnect the Plugable USB docking station or video adapter from the host system. If the product you are using has an external power adapter (for example a USB docking station), please also disconnect the power adapter from the product so that the unit resets. Please keep everything disconnected until prompted

2) Uninstall any and all software with 'DisplayLink' in the title that is present from within the Control Panel -> Programs and Features. Don't worry if these entries are not present or if the process does not work for any reason, just move onto the next step

3) Download and run the DisplayLink Installation Cleaner utility --> https://s3.amazonaws.com/plugable/bin/DisplayLink/DisplayLink+Installation+Cleaner+9.1.1462.exe    We have a short video that demonstrates this process --> https://youtu.be/AcVV1gD_FvI

4) Once the cleaning utility has completed running, restart the host system (even if not prompted to)

5) Now download and install the latest version we recommend of the DisplayLink software driver --> Link

6) If you disconnected the power adapter from your product in step one, please reconnect it so the device powers on, then reconnect the product to the host system. If the product is still not working as expected, please restart the host system one more time. 

If after having completed this process your Plugable DisplayLink device is still not working as expected, please reach out to us directly via support@plugable.com with the output of our PlugDebug diagnostic utility --> Link and we will be happy to help. 

The DisplayLink driver does not currently support this type of color adjustment. As a result, applications like f.lux, Night Shift or Night Light will not affect displays connected to a DisplayLink-based docking station or video adapter. 

** f.lux has added there own proprietary support for DisplayLink-based devices in the latest version of there utility. However, this capability is not supported by Plugable or DisplayLink directly. 

The graphical software utilities provided by Intel, NVIDIA and AMD/ATI are designed to only recognize and work with graphics adapters made by their respective manufacturers. As a result, they will not recognize USB-attached displays connected to a DisplayLink-based docking station or graphics adapter.

It is recommended to use the facilities built-in to Windows to manage the connected displays. These would be the ‘Display Settings’ application on Windows 10 and ‘Screen Resolution’ application on Windows 8.1 and 7. Both of these applications are available by right-clicking on empty space within the Windows desktop and selecting the appropriate choice from the context menu that appears. 

** Note - Intel has released an updated 'Intel Graphics Command Center' application that can recognize DisplayLink-attached displays and configure them to a certain extent. However, some of the features within the Intel Graphics Command Center application that are specific to Intel graphics adapters may not work on a DisplayLink-attached display. **

The DisplayLink driver does not support color calibration functionality of any kind. Most monitors have built-in controls that can be used to adjust the characteristics of the display, though we realize this approach may not be ideal in all cases. For environments that necessitate near-perfect color reproduction and display calibration capabilities via software, a dedicated graphics card is recommended.

Touchscreens that do not require drivers and use the host’s operating system’s built-in USB Human Interface drivers (HID) to record touch inputs can be made to work with our products, however Plugable does not provide support for doing so due the complexity of multi-monitor touch screen setups.

No, the DisplayLink device's presence on your system will not preclude the use of any of your system’s built-in video outputs.

The use of Powerline-based network adapters in conjunction with the Ethernet port within our DisplayLink-based docking stations or video adapters is not supported.

Windows does not have the ability to adjust the brightness of a display connected using DisplayLink technology. We recommend making use of the display’s internal on-screen menu options in order to adjust the display's brightness.

No, Plugable does not recommend or support using our DisplayLink-based docking stations with a traditional KVM switch. If you simply need to share the dock between two systems, the dock can be manually disconnected from the first system and then manually connected to the second system. 

For those using our USB 3.0 DisplayLink docking station products that would like a more permanent solution that does not require disconnecting the unit from the host system, our Plugable USB 3.0 Sharing Switch can be used as an alternative to share the dock between two systems (please keep in mind that the dock can only be used by one system at a time).

Wi-Fi Performance Issues:

Any time a USB 3.0 device is connected to a laptop system, there is a potential that the USB 3.0 connection can generate interference that can affect the performance of the laptop's built-in Wi-Fi adapter.

This behavior is not specific to Plugable products, and Intel has published a white paper on the topic for those who are curious about the technical details. 

So now that we know that this can happen with any type of USB 3.0 connection, how do we solve the problem should it occur? Every person’s setup can be a little different so there will never be one definitive solution, but a few simple approaches can solve the problem in most cases:

Option One – move the device as far as away from the system as the USB cable will allow. This will try and ‘move’ the signals from both the USB connection and the Wi-Fi physically further apart. As a corollary to this, if the dock is located very close to the Wi-Fi router itself, placing more distance between the two can help.

Option Two – switch to a different USB port on the system, preferably one on the opposite side of the laptop. This employs the same approach as option one, in that physically separating the two signals (in this case the physical proximity of the USB connection and the internal Wi-Fi antennas within your system) can help. If your system has both USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports, try using the USB 2.0 port first.

Option Three – use a USB 2.0 cable, like one used connect to a USB printer, instead of a USB 3.0 cable. All USB 3.0 devices should be backward compatible with a USB 2.0 cable, and when a device is connected at USB 2.0 speeds there is no possibility for the interference.

Option Four – switch to using a 5GHz Wi-Fi connection. As the name implies, there are two common sets of frequencies used by most Wi-Fi networks (2.4GHz and 5GHz). If both your wireless router and the wireless network adapter in your system support a 5GHz connection (they both need to, one is not enough), connecting to your Wi-Fi in that manner will prevent the interference from happening due to the two very different frequencies in use.

Option Five – if using a 5GHz connection is not possible, changing the ‘channel’ of a 2.4 GHz connection can help. Within the 2.4GHz band used for Wi-Fi, there are eleven different channels each using a slightly different frequency. The three most commonly used ones in the United States are channel 1, 6 and 11. Using the manual for your wireless router as a guide, switching channels can potentially help. Ideally you would want to switch the channel to the opposite end of the spectrum for the best results, for example if you are on channel one already try switching to channel eleven or vice-versa

Wireless mouse or wireless keyboard performance issues (Radio Frequency interference):

While the items listed above can help with Wi-Fi interference, there is another type of interference that can sometimes cause problems with wireless keyboards and wireless mice which we refer to as Radio Frequency (RF) interference. 

To expand further, the USB wireless receiver 'dongles' used by many wireless keyboards and wireless mice operate within the same 2.4GHz radio frequency range as many Wi-Fi adapters. 

If a USB 3.0 connection is generating interference, this can affect the behavior of a wireless keyboard or wireless mouse. This behavior typically manifests as inconsistent mouse movement and/or inconsistent or sporadic keystroke registration.

In general there are two methods to mitigate this behavior should it occur:

RF Option One – Reconnect the USB wireless receiver 'dongle' to one of the USB Docking Station's USB 2.0 ports, furthest away from the USB 3.0 host connection cable. Moving the USB receiver to a USB 2.0 port typically mitigates this interference.

After it was determined that the customer had connected the small USB wireless receiver for both the keyboard and mouse to one of the front USB 3.0 ports of the docking station, I asked him to remove the USB wireless receiver from the front USB 3.0 port and place the receiver in one of the top-most USB 2.0 ports on the back of the dock. After doing so, both the mouse and keyboard worked properly.

RF Option Two – In rarer cases when moving the receiver is not enough or if the product in question does not have a USB 2.0 port, adding a short USB 2.0 extension cable can also help mitigate the behavior. In many cases wireless mice or keyboards include such a cable for this very reason, but if one is not available our USB2-2PORT is a good alternative solution.

Our DisplayLink-based products can be made to work with macOS with some potential limitations.

We provide information, driver download links, and installation instructions as a courtesy to our customers that elect to use their devices with macOS systems.

As of this writing, there are two different versions of the macOS driver that have been released by DisplayLink (the separate company that makes the primary chip within our DisplayLink-based products, and who also develops the software driver).

A ‘legacy’ version which uses a kernel extension in order to provide its functionality, and a newer ‘DisplayLink Manager Graphics Connectivity’ App which utilizes a new architecture that does not rely on a kernel extension to provide its functionality.

The choice of which driver to use is ultimately determined by one’s OS version and individual specific requirements, since each version offers different capabilities and operating system compatibility. We have provided a comparison table below that highlights their differences in an effort to help our customers make an informed decision.

Unsure which version of macOS you have installed? Click on the ‘Apple’ icon in the menu bar on your desktop and select ‘About this Mac’. A new window will open and display the system’s macOS version.

How to install the DisplayLink Manager application

1. Download the DisplayLink Manager from our drivers page here: https://plugable.com/pages/displaylink

2. Open the DisplayLink Manager Graphics Connectivity 1.x.pkg

3. Click ‘Continue’ on ‘Introduction’ page

4. Click ‘Continue’ on ‘Licence’ page

5. Click ‘Agree’ when prompted

6. Click ‘Install’ on ‘Installation Type’ page

7. Input your password when prompted

8. When installation finishes click ‘Close’ on ‘Summary’ page

9. Click’ Move to bin’ when prompted

How to use DisplayLink Manager?

The following steps are to be followed once after installing the app.

1. After installing the DisplayLink Manager and connecting the Plugable DisplayLink product to your laptop please press ‘command’ + ’space’ and type in DisplayLink Manager, click on the application to open it

a. Alternatively you can go to the Applications folder in Finder and click on the DisplayLink Manager there

2. When first opened, DisplayLink Manager will ask you to turn on notifications for the app. Click on the notification below when it shows up. It will open a Notifications window.

3. Turn on ‘Allow Notifications’ for DisplayLink Manager

4. The DisplayLink Manager logo will show in the Menu Bar. It will be grey when the dock is disconnected (Connection status will show: No monitor detected) and white when connected (Connection status will show: Monitor detected).

5. Select “Launch automatically after logging-in” for the software to start automatically every time you log-in.

NOTE: this is not compulsory but recommended to save you from repeating step 1 each time you login.

6. Screen Recording

NOTE: From macOS Catalina 10.15, the operating system requires the user to permit "Screen Recording" in order for DisplayLink based devices (like Plugable UD-3900) to work properly. The message is generated by the OS and the screen is not actually being recorded by DisplayLink. Approving it enables the DisplayLink driver to access the pixels it needs to render a mirrored or extended screen and send the pixels over USB from your computer to the DisplayLink display. DisplayLink Manager does not store or record any screen content.

a. If you enabled notifications in step 3 you will see the below message if Screen Recording is switched off

b. This message will also show in the DisplayLink Manager app window and there will be an exclamation mark ‘!’ next to the DisplayLink Manager icon.

7. To enable “Screen Recording”

a. Go to System Preferences and click on Security & Privacy

b. In the ‘Privacy’ tab scroll down to ‘Screen Recording’ and click on the padlock to make changes

c. Enter password to allow the system to make changes

d. Tick the box next to ‘DisplayLink Manager’ and click ‘Quit and reopen’ when prompted.

e. Click on a padlock to save the changes.

Other functions of the DisplayLink Manager

Login screen extension (Optional)

This enables the external screens to be available on the login screen prior to the app loading after logging into your account.

1. Download the Login Screen Extension from the link available on the front page of the DisplayLink Manager.

2. Install the extension.

3. Once the installation is complete the extension will show as ‘Installed’

Support

NOTE: Opening a ticket through the Support tab will contact the DisplayLink engineering team in Europe. We recommend contacting support@plugable.com if you have any questions or issues. 

No. The port complies with HDMI 1.4, and as such 3840x2160 (4K is only achievable at 30Hz. 2560x1440 and all lower resolutions will display at 60Hz.

No, this is not possible. Please note that DisplayPort to HDMI cables (as with any cable involving protocol/signal conversion) are not bidirectional adapters. Such cables will not allow an HDMI output port (such as those on the dock) to function with a DisplayPort input on a monitor.

We have a produced a series of short videos that introduce the general concepts of multi-monitor setups in Windows, how to make changes to the way things behave, as well as how to solve common problems. 

Direct links to the introductory videos our customers have found the most useful are:

Introduction to multiple displays in Windows

Common multi-monitor problem – spatial orientation

How to make a display the ‘Main’ display in Windows

Multi-monitor problem – spatial orientation part two

Introduction to display scaling in Windows

We also maintain a 'playlist' that contains all of the multiple monitor tutorial videos we have made available here --> Link

Please note that not all USB-C ports on a computer support charging. Verify if your computer supports Power Delivery (PD) over USB-C and also identify which port has this functionality (if multiple USB-C ports are available).

Otherwise, please check that the docking station is powered on. Depending on the model of the dock, you should see a blue or white light which indicates the dock is powered.

Please contact us at support@plugable.com for further assistance.

Windows has special power management settings that control what happens when the laptop lid is closed. If this happening, these settings need to be changed. Please right-click on the Start button and select ‘Power Options’ from the menu.

From the choices present on the left-hand side of the 'Power Options' window, please click on ‘Choose what closing the lid does’. 

** Important note – if you are running the Creators Update (or newer) to Windows 10, you will have to first click on the ‘Additional power settings’ option to access this window **

Make sure the setting for ‘When I close the lid’ under the ‘Plugged In’ column is set to ‘Do Nothing’. 

Click the ‘Save Changes’ button and restart the system (making sure that the laptop’s power adapter is also connected) and test the behavior again.

Unsure which version of macOS you have installed? Click on the ‘Apple’ icon in the menu bar on your desktop and select ‘About this Mac’. A new window will open and display the system’s macOS version.

'Legacy' DisplayLink Driver installation for macOS 10.15 Catalina

We also have a video that demonstrates this process here –> https://youtu.be/ixWKrd5SLKs

Before you begin

If have installed a previous version of the DisplayLink driver, please uninstall it and then reboot your system before proceeding.

1. Download the latest driver for macOS 10.15 Catalina from here -> Link

2. Navigate to your Downloads folder and double-click on the DisplayLink driver download

3, The disk image of the driver will mount, and automatically open the DisplayLink Installer main landing page.

4. Double-click on the ‘DisplayLink Software Installer.pkg’ file. The Install DisplayLink Driver page will open.

 *** Depending on your system’s security settings, the installer may not open and instead present you with a warning ***

Click on the ‘OK’ button to dismiss the warning, and then open ‘System Preferences’ (gear icon) and then open the ‘Security & Privacy’ application.

Click on the ‘Open Anyway’ button in the lower right-hand portion of the application window. Then click the ‘Open’ button within the next prompt.

5. Click the ‘Continue’ button shown within the installer’s ‘Introduction’ screen.

6. Click the ‘Agree’ button to accept the license.

7. Click the ‘Install’ button.

8. Click the ‘Continue Installation’ button. The system will need to be restarted when the installation is complete.

9. Enter your system password and click the ‘Install Software’ button.

10. After a few moments, the installer should report a successful installation.

11. The system should also prompt you to access the System Preferences to grant necessary permissions to the DisplayLink driver. Click on the ‘Open System Preferences’ button.

*** If the prompt described above did not appear automatically, manually open the ‘System Preferences’ application (gear icon in the macOS dock at the bottom of the screen) and select the ‘Security & Privacy’ application. Within the ‘Security & Privacy’ application click on the ‘Privacy’ tab. Scroll down in the list of items on the left-hand side of the application window and click to select ‘Screen Recording’. The proceed to the next step ***

12. The ‘Security & Privacy’ application should open and default to showing the ‘Privacy’ tab. On the right-hand side of the application window there should be a single entry entitled, ‘DisplayLinkUserAgent’. Click to place a checkmark next to this entry.

*** Important note – the contents of your screens (displays) are not being recorded. This setting just enables the DisplayLink driver to access the information generated by the system’s built-in graphics adapter to generate the image shown on the DisplayLink-connected displays. ***

13. After having placed a checkmark next to the ‘DisplayLinkUserAgent’ entry, click the ‘Quit Now’ button in the prompt that appears.

14. Close the ‘Security & Privacy’ application, and then restart your system. The DisplayLink device should start working after the restart is complete.

'Legacy' DisplayLink Driver installation for macOS 10.14 Mojave

** Before you begin **

If have installed a previous version of the DisplayLink driver, please uninstall it and then reboot your system before proceeding.

1. Download the latest driver for macOS 10.14 Mojave from here -> Link

2. Navigate to your Downloads folder and double-click on the DisplayLink driver download

3. The disk image of the driver will mount, and automatically open the DisplayLink Installer main landing page

4. Double-click on the ‘DisplayLink Software Installer.pkg’ file. The Install DisplayLink Driver page will open

5. Click ‘Continue’

6. Click the ‘Agree’ button

7. Click ‘Install’

8. Click ‘Continue Installation’ The system will need to be restarted when the installation is complete

9. Enter your system password and click the ‘Install Software’ button

10. There is a chance that the security settings in macOS may block the installation of the DisplayLink extension

11. If that occurs, click on the ‘Open Security Preferences’ button and click the ‘Allow’ button at the bottom of the window to grant permission for the extension to be loaded. ** Important note – this approval must be granted within 30 minutes of the driver installation or the process will not work. A fresh installation must be performed to reset this timer. **

There is also a chance that the warning message about the blocked System Extension will not appear, but macOS may still block the extension. After the driver installation completes, please double-check that the necessary approval was granted by clicking the ‘System Preferences’ icon (the gear) and then clicking on the ‘Security & Privacy’ icon. From the window that appears please ensure the DisplayLink driver is Approved by clicking the ‘Allow’ button.

12. Close the ‘Security and Privacy’ window. The DisplayLink installation should now complete

13. Click on the ‘Restart’ button to restart your system. The DisplayLink device should start working after the restart is complete.

'Legacy' DisplayLink Driver removal for macOS

We also have a video that demonstrates this process here –> https://youtu.be/VRRLJf6D7vc

1. Click the Spotlight magnifying glass icon in the Apple Menu, and search for ‘DisplayLink Software Uninstaller’. Double-click on the result

2. The uninstall window will appear

3. Click the ‘Uninstall’ button

4. Enter your account password and click ‘OK’

5. After a few moments the process will complete. Click the ‘Restart’ button to complete the removal process.