Dual-Monitor KVM USB 3.0 Docking Station for Two Laptops

Sometimes an on-board network interface card (NIC) conflicts with a new NIC.  In these cases it is best to disable the on-board NIC.

The best way to disable your on-board NIC is to go into your BIOS and disable it there if possible.  To do this, consult your motherboard manual.

You can also disable any NIC in Windows.  Here is how you do this:

First click Start, or, in Windows 10 and 8, hold down the Windows key and press X.  Then click Control Panel.

Windows 10

1. Click Network and Internet.
2. Click Network and Sharing Center.
3. On the left, click Change adapter settings.
4. Right-click the NIC that you would like to disable and select Disable.

Windows 8

1. Click Network and Sharing Center.
2. On the left, click Change adapter settings.
3. Right-click the NIC that you would like to disable and select Disable.

Windows 7

1. Click Network and Internet.
2. Click Network and Sharing Center.
3. On the left, click Change adapter settings.
4. Right-click the NIC that you would like to disable and select Disable.

Windows Vista

1. Click Network and Sharing Center.
2. On the left, click Manage network connections.
3. Right-click the NIC that you would like to disable and select Disable.

Windows XP

1. Click Network Connections.
2. Right-click the NIC that you would like to disable and select Disable.

If hardware acceleration is enabled on any of your software applications, it can result in poor resource management and limit the performance of your video device. If you experience this problem, you should disable hardware acceleration in the program(s) that were impacted. 

To disable hardware acceleration in common applications and operating systems, complete one of the following series of steps, depending on what software application(s) or operating system that you are running.

Internet Explorer 9 and later

Note: Earlier versions of Internet Explorer do not use hardware acceleration.

1. Click the Start button.
2. Open Control Panel.
3. Click Network and Internet.
4. Click Internet Options.
5. Click the Advanced tab.
6. Browse to the Accelerated graphics screen.
7. Select the Use software rendering instead of GPU rendering check box.
8. Click Apply.
9. Restart your computer.

Mozilla Firefox

1. Open Firefox.
2. Press the Alt key.
3. Click Tools and Options.
4. Click the Advanced icon.
5. Click the General tab.
6. Under Browsing, clear the Use hardware acceleration when available check box.
7. Click the OK button.
8. Restart your web browser.

Google Chrome

1. Open Google Chrome.
2. Click the Options icon (it has three horizontal lines on it).
3. Click Settings.
4. Click Show advanced settings.
5. Scroll to the bottom of the screen and clear the Use hardware acceleration when available check box.
6. Restart your web browser.

Microsoft Office 2013 / 2010

1. Open any program in Microsoft Office (for example, Microsoft Word).
2. Click the File tab.
3. In the menu on the left side of the screen, click Options.
4. Click Advanced.
5. Under Display, select the Disable hardware graphics acceleration check box.
6. Close and restart all of the Microsoft Office programs that you had open.

Windows 10 / 8

1. Press the Windows key +X.
2. Click Control Panel.
3. Click Personalization.
4. Select a high-contrast theme.

Windows 7 / Vista 

1. Click the Start button.
2. Click Control Panel.
3. Click Personalization.
4. Select a non-Aero theme. Ideally, you should select a basic and high-contrast theme.

Windows XP

1. Click the Start button.
2. Open the Control Panel.
3. Select Display.
4. Click the Settings tab.
5. Click Advanced.
6. Click the Troubleshooting tab.
7. Move the Hardware Acceleration slider to None.
8. Restart your computer.

DisplayLink powered USB video adapters and docking stations are not compatible with any MacBook running macOS 10.13.4 - 10.13.6. If a system has updated to macOS 10.13.4, 10.13.5, or 10.13.6, upgrading to macOS 10.14 (Mojave) is an option for users to restore DisplayLink functionality.

At this time, the DisplayLink compatibility issue also affects any 2018 MacBook Pro laptops with an Intel Coffee Lake CPU running macOS 10.14. Please see the DisplayLink site for a driver download workaround. This workaround will force AirPlay to extend or mirror one USB display.

For alternative product recommendations including our catalog of Thunderbolt™ products, connect with our Technical Advisory team at the bottom of our Support page.

If the display connected through your USB display adapter does not wake up after your computer has been in extended hibernation, it is likely that Windows has automatically turned off the USB Root hub to save power. 

The steps below outline how to configure the USB root hub to stay on during hibernation, to prevent this from happening.

Windows 8 / 10

1. On your keyboard, press the Windows key + X and select Control Panel.
2. Click Hardware and Sound, then click Power Options.
3. Click Change plan settings for the plan you want to change.
4. Click Change advanced power settings.
5. Click the plus sign (+) next to “USB settings” and “USB selective suspend setting” to expand the options and change the setting to Disabled.
6. Click OK to apply the setting.

Note: You may need to disconnect and re-connect your USB display adapter after applying these settings to re-establish the connection.

Windows 7 / Vista

1. Click the Start button and select Control Panel.
2. Click Hardware and Sound, then click Power Options.
3. Click Change plan settings for the plan you want to change.
4. Click Change advanced power settings.
5. Click the plus sign (+) next to “USB settings” and “USB selective suspend setting” to expand the options and change the setting to Disabled.
6. Click OK to apply the setting.

Note: You may need to disconnect and re-connect your USB display adapter after applying these settings to re-establish the connection.

Windows XP

1. On your desktop, right-click the My Computer icon and select Properties.
2. Click the Device Manager tab.
3. Expand Universal Serial Bus controllers by clicking the arrow to the left of it.
4. Right-click the first USB Root Hub device and select Properties.
5. Click the Power Management tab.
6. Clear the box next to Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.
7. Click OK to apply the setting.
8. Repeat steps 4-7 for any remaining devices in the Universal Serial Bus Controllers section with “Root Hub” in the name.

Note: You may need to disconnect and re-connect your USB display adapter after applying these settings to re-establish the connection.

Computers running macOS Catalina (10.15) may experience compatibility issues with products that use DisplayLink technology, such as USB Docking Stations and Video Adapters. Connecting to a DisplayLink-powered Product may cause the Display(s) to output a blank screen. If you experience this problem, follow these steps:

1. Update computer to the latest version of macOS 10.15
2. Permit Screen Recording by following these steps: macOS Catalina 10.15: Screen Recording permission (external link)
3. Enable the DisplayLink Kernel Extension by following these steps: macOS 10.13, 10.14 and 10.15: Video functionality not enabled (external link)
4. If the problem persists, try installing the DisplayLink Manager Application (external link). Be sure to run the application after installation and select “Launch automatically after logging-in” for it to start automatically every time you log-in.

When you troubleshoot issues with a laptop docking station, there are some quick tests that you can complete to rule out potential problems. You can test to make sure that the following components are working correctly and are not the source of the issue:

• Video cables

• Video source

• Video destination

• Laptop docking station

• USB peripherals

• Ethernet connection

To test your setup components, try the following:

• Use the video cables, video source, video destination, laptop docking station, USB peripherals, and Ethernet connection in another setup to see if the problem is with the components or the setup.

• Use a different video cable, video source, video destination, laptop docking station, USB peripherals, and Ethernet connection setup to see if the problem persists. Ideally, you should test a component that you know works in another setup.

When you test your cables, it is recommended that you do the following:

• Test each cable individually.

• Use short cables when you are testing.

When you test the video cables, video source, video destination, and laptop docking station it is recommended that you do the following:

1. Press the Windows key + R, type devmgmt.msc, and press Enter to open Device Manager.

2. If you do not see the USB video adapter in Device Manager, refer to the following FAQ: https://www.startech.com/support/faqs/technical-support?topic=expansion-cards#usb-cannot-detect-windows.

3. If the device is listed with an error, reinstall the drivers following the instructions on the website.

4. Check to see if your video card drivers are current. You can check what video card you have in Device Manager under Display adapters. It is recommended that you go directly to the video card manufacturer's website to check for the latest drivers.

5. Check to see if the monitor is being detected by Windows.

For more information about testing the USB peripherals and the laptop docking station, visit www.startech.com/faq/usb_hubs_general_troubleshooting.

When you test Ethernet and the laptop docking station, refer to the following FAQ: http://www.startech.com/faq/network_adapters_general_troubleshooting.

When you test sound and the laptop docking station, refer to the following FAQ: http://www.startech.com/faq/sound_cards_general_troubleshooting.

To arrange extended displays on Windows 10, complete the following. 

1. Press the Windows key+R, type desk.cpl, and press Enter. 
2. Under the ‘Multiple Displays’ selection, select ‘Extend Desktop To This Display.’  
3. Press ‘Identify’ to determine what number each display is assigned to. 
4. Drag and drop each display accordingly to the physical layout on your desk.  
5. Click the Apply button. 

To confirm that Windows detects your USB device, complete the following:

1. Press the Windows key+R, type devmgmt.msc, and press Enter.
2. In Device Manager, under the appropriate heading, confirm that your expansion card is listed and that there isn't an exclamation mark next to it.  For example, a USB controller card would be under Universal Serial Bus controllers.

Your USB device is listed according to the name of the chipset. To determine the name of the chipset of your USB device, navigate to www.StarTech.com and look on the Technical Specifications tab for your product.

To arrange extended displays on macOS, complete the following. 

1. Navigate to the Apple Menu > System Preferences, click Displays, then click Arrangement. 
2. Make sure that the ‘Mirror Displays’ checkbox is not selected. 
3. Click on each display to determine what number each display is assigned to. 
4. Drag and drop each display accordingly to the physical layout on your desk.  

To confirm that the Mac OS detects your USB device, complete the following:

1. Click the Apple icon.
2. Click About This Mac.
3. Click More Info or System Report.
4. Under the appropriate heading, confirm that your USB device is listed and that there isn't an error. For example, a network card would be under Ethernet Cards.

You may need to refresh the System Information page after you plug in your device.  To do so, press Command + R with the System Information page open.

Your USB device is listed according to the name of the chipset. To determine the name of the chipset of your USB device, navigate to www.StarTech.com and look on the Technical Specifications tab for your product.

Active adapters are required if adapting DisplayPort to HDMI or DVI monitors. Active adapters use additional chips to make the conversion inside the adapter. Passive DisplayPort to HDMI or DVI will not work with this device.

Starting in High Sierra 10.13, macOS enforces stricter security policies than previous revisions. As a result of these changes, software packages, like those used in this installation, will need to be allowed within the macOS Security and Privacy settings, immediately after the software has been installed, in order for the device to operate.

To allow the software, follow these steps after you've completed installation on your Mac:

1. Open System Preferences.
2. Open Security & Privacy.
3. Click the Allow button near the bottom of the General tab.

Note: The option to allow the software will be available within the Security & Privacy settings for 30 minutes. If the software is not allowed within that time frame, the software must be reinstalled in order for macOS to grant the opportunity to allow it again.

Note: Do not physically connect the laptop docking station to your computer until instructed to (Step 7).

1. Download the latest drivers from the StarTech.com website (http://www.startech.com/Support). You can find the part number and product ID on the product’s packaging.

Note: Mac OS X will typically save the files to the Downloads folder that is associated with your user account (for example, hard_drive_name\Users\your_name\Downloads).

2. Double-click the DisplayLink.zip file.
3. Double-click the MAC OS folder.
4. Double-click the appropriate folder for your operating system.
5. Double-click the DisplayLink Installer 75598.dmg file.
6. Follow the prompts to install the new drivers. Restart the computer when prompted.
7. Once Mac OS X has restarted, connect the laptop docking station to your computer.

Note: Installation might take several seconds to complete. During the installation your display might flicker; this is normal. Once the installation has completed you will see your Macintosh desktop extended to any connected monitors.

Whether this device works with the Chrome OS™ operating system or not depends on the version of the Chrome OS operating system that you’re running and the model of the Chromebook™ notebook computer that you’re using.

Existing DisplayLink® enabled USB 3.0 products natively support Chrome OS build version R55 and later, but not all Chromebook notebook computers running build version R55 and later natively support DisplayLink. Support for DisplayLink is being rolled out to Chromebook notebook computers in a series of releases. To see the build version of the Chrome OS operating system that supports DisplayLink and corresponds to the model of the Chromebook notebook that you’re using, view the following knowledge base article on the DisplayLink website: http://support.displaylink.com/knowledgebase/articles/891030.

No, you cannot use this docking station to charge a connected laptop computer.

To see a list of laptop docking stations that can charge a connected laptop, refer to the following FAQ: https://www.startech.com/faq/laptop-docking-stations-will-charge-laptop.