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Anyone using DisplayLink to connect monitors?

VitoBotta

VitoBotta

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Dec 2, 2020
888
347
Espoo, Finland
At the moment I am using a single (old) display and because I was having problems with the HDMI connection, I am now testing with a USB-C to DVI cable to see if it works better. However I am receiving a new display in one or two days and I will be using that as primary with a USB-C to DP cable. If I understood correctly, I cannot connect the secondary display to the other USB-C port at the same time, so I'd have to use HDMI which seems to cause problems.

As an alternative, I've been reading about DisplayLink, which connects the displays via USB 3.0. I could buy an adapter but these are expensive here so I would like to know if it would work with the Mini and what the performance would be like. I usually use the secondary display with the terminal, Slack/Discord, notes. The rest is usually on the primary display. Would DisplayLink work OK with this?

Thanks!
 
O

Ocnetgeek

macrumors regular
Sep 1, 2018
185
105
Oak Creek, WI
VitoBotta said:
At the moment I am using a single (old) display and because I was having problems with the HDMI connection, I am now testing with a USB-C to DVI cable to see if it works better. However I am receiving a new display in one or two days and I will be using that as primary with a USB-C to DP cable. If I understood correctly, I cannot connect the secondary display to the other USB-C port at the same time, so I'd have to use HDMI which seems to cause problems.

As an alternative, I've been reading about DisplayLink, which connects the displays via USB 3.0. I could buy an adapter but these are expensive here so I would like to know if it would work with the Mini and what the performance would be like. I usually use the secondary display with the terminal, Slack/Discord, notes. The rest is usually on the primary display. Would DisplayLink work OK with this?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
I have a M1 Mini that I connect to an older Dell monitor using a DisplayPort to DVI Adapter off of my Thunderbolt Dock. That is my primary monitor and works fine. I had planned to connect a second older Dell Monitor via HDMI but that has not worked so far. I have a case open with Apple on that and they are working on a fix for a future release. I remembered yesterday that I had a Cables Matters Usb3 to HDMI Display link adapter that I bought last year but had not been using. I downloaded the drivers from Displaylink and plugged in the monitor and it works fine. I am not runnI g any video on that monitor but if the adapter that you get works as well as the one I have I don’t see any reason it would not work for your usecase. The only issue that I have run into is that I cannot play copy protected video on my primary monitor when the displaylink software is running. If I start a video in Apple TV I can hear but get no video. The second I quit the Displaylink software I get video.
 
F

Fomalhaut

macrumors 68000
Oct 6, 2020
1,993
1,724
I'm using a Dell D6000 dock and running 2 x 1080p monitors via DisplayLink (Download). Plugged in and worked without issue.

I was using the same dock with my 2019 MBP16 and did have to upgrade the firmware on the Dock (via a Windows machine), but I expect a new Dock won't require this.
 
H

hstanyan

macrumors newbie
Dec 11, 2020
10
4
With my macbook m1, using a WAVLINK docking station (WL-69DK5-CA) to drive two 24" 1920x1200 monitors from one usb-c connection. Works perfectly fine for productivity. Does not charge the macbook, but I have one port open for charging.
 
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