Two computers and one Studio Display?

[BeatCrazy]

Hi @BeatCrazy Sounds like you have the ASD working with multiple MacBooks. I'm new to Macs, so I don't quite get how you managed to do it. How does using the magnetic connectors over ride the single display input of the ASD?

I have two 2021 MacBook Pros that I would like to connect to the ASD and switch between the MBPs without swapping cables. Would it be too much to ask you to list out the steps involved here?

Thanks for your time.

You use one cable permanently connected to the back of the ASD. On the "Mac" end of the cable, you put the magnetic connector.

Each MacBook has an "plug" that is inserted into one of its Thunderbolt ports.

[2Pack Straight+ Extra 2 Plugs]USB C Magnetic Adapter,24 Pins Type C Support Thunderbolt 4,USB4.0, PD 100W Charge,40Gb/s Data Transfer,8K Video Output Compatible with MacBook and More USB C Devices

[2Pack Straight+ Extra 2 Plugs]USB C Magnetic Adapter,24 Pins Type C Support Thunderbolt 4,USB4.0, PD 100W Charge,40Gb/s Data Transfer,8K Video Output Compatible with MacBook and More USB C Devices

www.amazon.com

 

[trevor-b]

You use one cable permanently connected to the back of the ASD. On the "Mac" end of the cable, you put the magnetic connector.

Each MacBook has an "plug" that is inserted into one of its Thunderbolt ports.

[2Pack Straight+ Extra 2 Plugs]USB C Magnetic Adapter,24 Pins Type C Support Thunderbolt 4,USB4.0, PD 100W Charge,40Gb/s Data Transfer,8K Video Output Compatible with MacBook and More USB C Devices

[2Pack Straight+ Extra 2 Plugs]USB C Magnetic Adapter,24 Pins Type C Support Thunderbolt 4,USB4.0, PD 100W Charge,40Gb/s Data Transfer,8K Video Output Compatible with MacBook and More USB C Devices

www.amazon.com

Apologies (wasn't lying when I said I'm new to Mac, as must be obvious now ), but how does this help in connecting both Macs to the ASD without physically switching the cable from the ASD to the Mac that I want to view in the ASD)?

 

[BeatCrazy]

Apologies (wasn't lying when I said I'm new to Mac, as must be obvious now ), but how does this help in connecting both Macs to the ASD without physically swapping the cables?

You move the single cable from the ASD between between two Macs. The magnets mean it’s easier than actually plugging, on the Mac side. The ASD end of the cable stays plugged in.

 

[trevor-b]

You move the single cable from the ASD between between two Macs. The magnets mean it’s easier than actually plugging, on the Mac side. The ASD end of the cable stays plugged in.

Ah! Got it now, thanks!

 

[bluecat456]

You still have to plug them in manually. It's just a little faster due to the magnetic adapters.

 

[trevor-b]

Just placed the order, won't be here until August.

Would VNC be an option as well? Will I get the full 5k resolution if I went this route? Trying to minimize manual cable swapping if possible as I'm planning to have one of the Macs under the desk.

 

[BeatCrazy]

Just placed the order, won't be here until August.

Would VNC be an option as well? Will I get the full 5k resolution if I went this route? Trying to minimize manual cable swapping if possible as I'm planning to have one of the Macs under the desk.

Yes, VNC will work. Although you'll need another app (SwitchResX) for the Mac that your VNC'ing from to get HiDPI resolutions on the ASD. The cursor is going to lag a bit, and I wouldn't recommend watching videos, but it will certainly work for basic tasks.

 

[JerryWest44]

You move the single cable from the ASD between between two Macs. The magnets mean it’s easier than actually plugging, on the Mac side. The ASD end of the cable stays plugged in.

Did you use the TB cable that came with the display to toggle between both computers?

 

[BeatCrazy]

Did you use the TB cable that came with the display to toggle between both computers?

No, I used a CableMatters TB4 cable. The included cable doesn't work with Windows PCs.

 

[battleslim]

To all others facing the same issue, I successfuly managed to convert my Apple Studio Display into a full on kvm+docking station!! Here's how:

My workflow is having two laptops (mbp 16 inch 2019), one for work and one for personal. And I'd like to switch between them with the least amount of effort. I also like to share my mouse and keyboard during the process.
For that I bought:

- CableDeconn USB-C Type-C 8K Updated Switch (Link)​

- Syntech USB C to USB Adapter Pack of 2 USB C Male to USB3 Female Adapter (Link)​

The switch acts as a kvm. No convertors or hubs are necessary. Just press the button and it switches, with power delivery! The unit also comes with all the cables necessary included. Also for the mouse and keyboard I use a razer basilisk x mouse (supports both 2.4 gz usb and blutooth) and Logitech mx mini with the bolt receiver. So I connect both directly to the studio display itself using usb-a to usb-c convertors and everything works like a charm!

And the best part of this is, all combined costs less than a hundred bucks!
Cheers!

 

[trevor-b]

@battleslim Wow! This is exactly what I'm looking to do without manually switching the cables.

I know you have listed details, but can you please share more info/steps (ie: the recipe ... what is connected where etc)? I'm new to Apple, so this will be very helpful for me. Can you please include details re: any additional cables as well?

It's not clear to me why I need the Syntech USB C to USB Adapter Pack of 2 USB C Male to USB3 Female Adapter?

Also, do you know if I can share my existing bluetooth Logitech mouse/kboard between the 2 Macs? I think it should be possible (says can pair up to 3 devices).

Thanks.

Edit: Just read the Amazon listing for CableDeconn

It is not compatible with Macbook Pro or Mac Series Devices with M1 Chip

 

[Sir Ruben]

To all others facing the same issue, I successfuly managed to convert my Apple Studio Display into a full on kvm+docking station!! Here's how:

My workflow is having two laptops (mbp 16 inch 2019), one for work and one for personal. And I'd like to switch between them with the least amount of effort. I also like to share my mouse and keyboard during the process.
For that I bought:

- CableDeconn USB-C Type-C 8K Updated Switch (Link)​

- Syntech USB C to USB Adapter Pack of 2 USB C Male to USB3 Female Adapter (Link)​

The switch acts as a kvm. No convertors or hubs are necessary. Just press the button and it switches, with power delivery! The unit also comes with all the cables necessary included. Also for the mouse and keyboard I use a razer basilisk x mouse (supports both 2.4 gz usb and blutooth) and Logitech mx mini with the bolt receiver. So I connect both directly to the studio display itself using usb-a to usb-c convertors and everything works like a charm!

And the best part of this is, all combined costs less than a hundred bucks!
Cheers!


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This is exactly what I needed. Ordered

 

[ssmed]

Hi all,

I just ordered a Studio Display & Mac Studio and I have a question about connecting two computers to one Studio Display. I have my work laptop (Dell Latitude 5420) and I want to connect both of my work computer and Mac Studio, and switch between those two. (not by unplugging / plugging)

This can be easily done with my current Dell monitor which has two inputs. But it seems the Studio Display has only one input and I'm trying to figure out how. I use bluetooth mouse / keyboard which can be connected to multiple computers so I won't need full KVM feature. I just need to switch monitor inputs.

If anyone has a solution or know of good switchers, please share. Thanks!

I would suggest the Studio display is not for you! Its not a multiple input monitor. I have a Mac Studio, but stuck with a couple of traditional monitors from Eizo (and can use my old HP desktop and laptop with no issues) It was a big factor in my decision not to go with the monitor.

 

[iSuzan]

To all others facing the same issue, I successfuly managed to convert my Apple Studio Display into a full on kvm+docking station!! Here's how:

My workflow is having two laptops (mbp 16 inch 2019), one for work and one for personal. And I'd like to switch between them with the least amount of effort. I also like to share my mouse and keyboard during the process.
For that I bought:

- CableDeconn USB-C Type-C 8K Updated Switch (Link)​

- Syntech USB C to USB Adapter Pack of 2 USB C Male to USB3 Female Adapter (Link)​

The switch acts as a kvm. No convertors or hubs are necessary. Just press the button and it switches, with power delivery! The unit also comes with all the cables necessary included. Also for the mouse and keyboard I use a razer basilisk x mouse (supports both 2.4 gz usb and blutooth) and Logitech mx mini with the bolt receiver. So I connect both directly to the studio display itself using usb-a to usb-c convertors and everything works like a charm!

And the best part of this is, all combined costs less than a hundred bucks!
Cheers!


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Pity it doesn't work with M1 chips. So useless for me.

Switching manually still. Not a big deal, but yes, a switch would be nicer

 

[edanuff]

Edit: Just read the Amazon listing for CableDeconn

It is not compatible with Macbook Pro or Mac Series Devices with M1 Chip

These switches have been reported to work with M1 chips. I bought one of these a few months back to test out and it worked to switch between a Mac Studio and a PC. The problem I saw is that they are *very* finicky about the cables you use with them (looks like they need to be USB4 active cables which most Apple-supplied cables are not). I doubt the vendor did any additional testing other than that they saw some returns from M1 users and put up that warning. The main thing to be aware of with these is that with a Mac, it's going to switch the signal to be DisplayPort rather than Thunderbolt which means that you're going to use DSC (display stream compression) which might not be that big of an issue. Because of this, I opted to go with the magnetic couplers instead but it looks like those wear out after a couple of months of use so I may go back to using one of these switches. Amazon has a good return policy so would recommend testing it out with your configuration with the caveat that you're probably going to need to get a set of USB4 cables to go with it.

Oops, let me amend that since I checked my previous post on the subject - when I tried this previously, only a Cable Matters 10 Gbps Gen 2 USB C to USB C Cable 3.3 ft worked. Neither a Cable Matters 40Gbps Active Thunderbolt 4 Cable 6.6 ft nor the Apple Thunderbolt cable 1m from the Studio Display box nor a Corning Optical TB3 cable worked with the switch. So my previous statement was exactly wrong, it's actually the higher quality cables that don't seem to work, probably because the Mac assumes that it should be using Thunderbolt rather than DisplayPort when it sees them.

 

[trevor-b]

@edanuff

What's the downside of DSC?

Are these the cables that worked for you?

Cable Matters [USB-IF Certified] 10 Gbps Gen 2 USB C to USB C Cable 3.3 ft / 1m with 8K Video and 100W Power Delivery in Black

Cable Matters [USB-IF Certified] 10 Gbps Gen 2 USB C to USB C Cable 3.3 ft / 1m with 8K Video and 100W Power Delivery in Black

www.amazon.com

 

[battleslim]

These switches have been reported to work with M1 chips. I bought one of these a few months back to test out and it worked to switch between a Mac Studio and a PC. The problem I saw is that they are *very* finicky about the cables you use with them (looks like they need to be USB4 active cables which most Apple-supplied cables are not). I doubt the vendor did any additional testing other than that they saw some returns from M1 users and put up that warning. The main thing to be aware of with these is that with a Mac, it's going to switch the signal to be DisplayPort rather than Thunderbolt which means that you're going to use DSC (display stream compression) which might not be that big of an issue. Because of this, I opted to go with the magnetic couplers instead but it looks like those wear out after a couple of months of use so I may go back to using one of these switches. Amazon has a good return policy so would recommend testing it out with your configuration with the caveat that you're probably going to need to get a set of USB4 cables to go with it.

Oops, let me amend that since I checked my previous post on the subject - when I tried this previously, only a Cable Matters 10 Gbps Gen 2 USB C to USB C Cable 3.3 ft worked. Neither a Cable Matters 40Gbps Active Thunderbolt 4 Cable 6.6 ft nor the Apple Thunderbolt cable 1m from the Studio Display box nor a Corning Optical TB3 cable worked with the switch. So my previous statement was exactly wrong, it's actually the higher quality cables that don't seem to work, probably because the Mac assumes that it should be using Thunderbolt rather than DisplayPort when it sees them.

So I only had success only with the cables included in the box (not with the original thunderbolt cable). Which is fine, as long as the cables work and they are free who cares . Also another thing to make sure was that the switch is actually connected to a usb charger not a computer or anything.

 

[battleslim]

Pity it doesn't work with M1 chips. So useless for me.

Switching manually still. Not a big deal, but yes, a switch would be nicer

There has been success reports in amazon reviews with m1 mac mini and 5k displays. Looks to me the vendor is trying to be just carefull and not over promise.

 

[battleslim]

@battleslim Wow! This is exactly what I'm looking to do without manually switching the cables.

I know you have listed details, but can you please share more info/steps (ie: the recipe ... what is connected where etc)? I'm new to Apple, so this will be very helpful for me. Can you please include details re: any additional cables as well?

It's not clear to me why I need the Syntech USB C to USB Adapter Pack of 2 USB C Male to USB3 Female Adapter?

Also, do you know if I can share my existing bluetooth Logitech mouse/kboard between the 2 Macs? I think it should be possible (says can pair up to 3 devices).

Thanks.

Edit: Just read the Amazon listing for CableDeconn

It is not compatible with Macbook Pro or Mac Series Devices with M1 Chip

I recommend ordering one and return if didn't work because it seemingly works with M1 even though it says it doesn't.
The usb converter stuff are kind of optional. If you have a mouse and keyboard that you want to share and they have a usb dongle, you can use them and connect them directly to your studio display. If your logitech devices have a unifying receiver or bolt receiver then you can do it.
As for the recipe, the connect 1 usb-c to your laptop A and othe end to the switch. the second cable goes to your second machine and switch. Finally the switch has an output that goes into the monitor. Now can click a button on the switch to select what should be displayed on the monitor.

 

[Keroro1]

To all others facing the same issue, I successfuly managed to convert my Apple Studio Display into a full on kvm+docking station!! Here's how:

My workflow is having two laptops (mbp 16 inch 2019), one for work and one for personal. And I'd like to switch between them with the least amount of effort. I also like to share my mouse and keyboard during the process.
For that I bought:

- CableDeconn USB-C Type-C 8K Updated Switch (Link)​

- Syntech USB C to USB Adapter Pack of 2 USB C Male to USB3 Female Adapter (Link)​

The switch acts as a kvm. No convertors or hubs are necessary. Just press the button and it switches, with power delivery! The unit also comes with all the cables necessary included. Also for the mouse and keyboard I use a razer basilisk x mouse (supports both 2.4 gz usb and blutooth) and Logitech mx mini with the bolt receiver. So I connect both directly to the studio display itself using usb-a to usb-c convertors and everything works like a charm!

And the best part of this is, all combined costs less than a hundred bucks!
Cheers!


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Hi @battleslim, only one question, because I have exactly the same USB-C switch.

You can reach the 5120x2880 resolution, right? I mean If I use the official TB4 cable that comes with the ASD the switch don't work, but If I use a cheaper cable, works with lower resolutions.

 

[trevor-b]

I recommend ordering one and return if didn't work because it seemingly works with M1 even though it says it doesn't.
The usb converter stuff are kind of optional. If you have a mouse and keyboard that you want to share and they have a usb dongle, you can use them and connect them directly to your studio display. If your logitech devices have a unifying receiver or bolt receiver then you can do it.
As for the recipe, the connect 1 usb-c to your laptop A and othe end to the switch. the second cable goes to your second machine and switch. Finally the switch has an output that goes into the monitor. Now can click a button on the switch to select what should be displayed on the monitor.

Got it, thanks! Does the switch come with USB-C cables or did you get your own?

 

[battleslim]

Hi @battleslim, only one question, because I have exactly the same USB-C switch.

You can reach the 5120x2880 resolution, right? I mean If I use the official TB4 cable that comes with the ASD the switch don't work, but If I use a cheaper cable, works with lower resolutions.

I couldn't get things working with the original thunderbolt 4 cable from studio display. But just used the included cables in the box and get 5k output no issues. The cables are decent.

 

[battleslim]

Got it, thanks! Does the switch come with USB-C cables or did you get your own?

It came with two usb c 3.1 gen2 cables and on the output of the switch it has a usb-c cable attached. So basically you don't need to buy or use any cable of your own

 

[Keroro1]

I couldn't get things working with the original thunderbolt 4 cable from studio display. But just used the included cables in the box and get 5k output no issues. The cables are decent.

Yes, I get the same conclusion, I have been doing tests for a while and these are the results:

- The CableDeconn USB-C Switch only can handle up to 10Gb/s cables (incompatible with Thunderbolt 4)
- Studio Display Included 1-Meter Thunderbolt 4 is 40Gb/s (Black screen with the switch)
- M1 CPU Mac mini can draw 5120x2880 with 10Gb/s cable
- Intel i7 2018 15" Macbook Pro, as use the same cable for power, only can draw up to 3840x2160 with 10Gb/s

Next week Im going to receive the M1 Pro 14" Macbook Pro, so lets see if with this new one we can reach the 5K resolution with 10Gb/s.

 

[trevor-b]

Yes, I get the same conclusion, I have been doing tests for a while and these are the results:

- The CableDeconn USB-C Switch only can handle up to 10Gb/s cables (incompatible with Thunderbolt 4)
- Studio Display Included 1-Meter Thunderbolt 4 is 40Gb/s (Black screen with the switch)
- M1 CPU Mac mini can draw 5120x2880 with 10Gb/s cable
- Intel i7 2018 15" Macbook Pro, as use the same cable for power, only can draw up to 3840x2160 with 10Gb/s

Next week Im going to receive the M1 Pro 14" Macbook Pro, so lets see if with this new one we can reach the 5K resolution with 10Gb/s.

If I'm reading this correctly, you used the switch + included cables and were able to get it working with M1 and at 5k.

Glad to see another data point