Multi-Monitor Question

[MickeyLittle]

I just received and am setting up my Pluggable UD-3900 Dual Monitor Docking Station today. I am running 2 View Sonic 23'' Monitors on this as 1 is hooked up via DVI and the other via HDMI. I have a wireless mouse and keyboard plugged into the back on 2 of the unit's 4 2.0 USB ports. I have a portable hard Drive plugged into 1 of the unit's 2 3.0 USB ports. I have an Ethernet cable plugged into the back of the unit as well and for right now I have disabled my SP2's display as I just haven't found a comfortable way to scroll between the 3 monitors and maybe 2 monitors is really all I need.

Do you think this will be a problem for me if I plug my SP2 up to this configuration for 5-8 hours a day with the screen not running? My desk isn't very large so I have both 23'' monitors up on 4'' risers as I need to store some items under them and therefore the Surface is just way too low for me to be using it and the other 2 monitors so this is why it just seems much easier to have it turned off.

 

[jnjroach]

Should be fine....defeats the use of a tablet, I would use the Surface Screen with OneNote Open to replace scratch paper and post-it notes personally...

 

[MickeyLittle]

Should be fine....defeats the use of a tablet, I would use the Surface Screen with OneNote Open to replace scratch paper and post-it notes personally...

Sounds good but I'm struggling with settings. In other words. Is the Surface screen 1 or screen 3? Also like to increase the text size to 150% on my Surface but then the icons etch... are too big on my large monitors. How can I adjust 1 (Surface) without effecting the others?

Thanks...

 

[jnjroach]

I use the Standard 8.1 DPI Slider vs. using the old way of setting the DPI, so I set my Surface as 1 and set the slider all the way to the right (Gives an equivalent of 150 on Surface and 100 on my 24"(2) and 100 on my 13" USB (3)). Everything works well in this configuration.

 

[MickeyLittle]

I'll give that a shot just as soon as I get both monitors working again. It looks like one of my View Sonics is defective!

 

[MickeyLittle]

I think I have a setup issue that I can't figure out. I have 1 of my monitors that has a blue light so it is receiving a good signal but it has a black screen no matter what I do while I have it hooked into the Pluggable but when not in the Pluggable it works right.

 

[jnjroach]

So let me make sure I understand:

You have one Monitor running off the Mini-DP to HDMI from the Surface
You have one Monitor running off the DisplayLink Video off the Pluggable Dock (Using its native DVI Connection) - this isn't working while plugged into the USB Dock...correct?

Have you installed the latest DisplayLink Drivers? DisplayLink: Technology for USB adapters, USB universal docking stations and USB monitors for laptops, notebooks, personal computers and Mac OSX click on update drivers

I also assume these are all 1080p Monitors?

 

[MickeyLittle]

So let me make sure I understand:

You have one Monitor running off the Mini-DP to HDMI from the Surface
You have one Monitor running off the DisplayLink Video off the Pluggable Dock (Using its native DVI Connection) - this isn't working while plugged into the USB Dock...correct?

Have you installed the latest DisplayLink Drivers? DisplayLink: Technology for USB adapters, USB universal docking stations and USB monitors for laptops, notebooks, personal computers and Mac OSX click on update drivers

I also assume these are all 1080p Monitors?

I only have 1 cord plugged into my Surface and it runs from the USB to the back of the dock. This was working earlier until I turned off the display for my Surface then it went all haywire. Yes both monitors are brand new 1920X1080 View Sonics. It was working fine until I turned off the display for the Surface and then I adjusted the text size for one of the monitors. Before that will take place it makes you sign out and when I did, whammy!

 

[jnjroach]

OK, so you are running both External Displays off the USB Dock. What happens if you unplug the dock completely then plug it back in? Another option is re-enable your Surface Screen and reboot with it plugged into the dock.

 

[MickeyLittle]

I have tried several combos of the above mentioned for the past 2 hours and I am trying to get in touch with their tech support. One of the first things I did was installed their drivers. They actually sent a link in an email before the dock arrived.

 

[MickeyLittle]

I finally uninstalled DisplayLink from Control Panel Remove Software and installed the driver again and it works again! I should have tried that 3-4 hours ago! Anyway I still have 1 issue that I cannot seem to figure out. I have my Surface Pro as screen #1 and the text size set to 150% so that the icons aren't so small but then the icons are too big on both of my 23’’monitors.

I have even just unselected the box that says “set text size for all my monitors” and tried setting the Surface all the way on large and the 1 of the monitors on small but no go. Which ever one I adjust last it changes the 3 of them to that setting.

 

[jnjroach]

If you are using the slider approach it should have the 10.6" at 150 and the 2 23" at 100 but it is possible that Windows isn't able to Negotiate the Handshake with the Monitors running off the USB Adapter.