Number of USB 2.0 Ports | 4 |
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Number of USB 3.0 Ports | 2 |
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- Easy Claims Process: File a claim anytime online or by phone. Most claims approved within minutes. We will send you an e-gift card for the purchase price of your covered product. In some instances, we will replace or repair it.
- Product Eligibility: Plan must be purchased with a product or within 30 days of the product purchase. Pre-existing conditions are not covered.
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Add to your order
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$89.95$89.95
Ships from: Amazon Sold by: Plugable Technologies
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FREE delivery May 17 - 24
Ships from: Matthew Wilson Sold by: Matthew Wilson
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Plugable USB 3.0 Universal Laptop Docking Station Dual HDMI Monitor for Windows and Mac, USB 3.0 or USB-C, (Dual Video: HDMI and HDMI/DVI/VGA, Gigabit Ethernet, Audio, 6 USB Ports)
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Purchase options and add-ons
Brand | Plugable |
Color | Black |
Hardware Interface | USB Docking Station |
Compatible Devices | MacBook Pro 13" / 14" / 15" / 16", MacBook Air, MacBook Retina, MacBook M1 / M2 / M3, HP Spectre x360 / Pavilion / Envy, Dell XPS / Precision / Latitude, Lenovo ThinkPad / IdeaPad / Yoga / Flex, Surface Pro 7 / 7+ / 8 / 9, Surface Laptop 3 / 4 / 5 / Go / Go 2 / Studio / SE, Surface Go / Go 2 / Go 3, LG Gram, Acer Aspire / Swift / Spin, ASUS Zenbook / Vivobook, and Most Windows systems with Windows 10 or newer / Most Chromebooks running ChromeOS 100 or newer See more |
Total USB Ports | 6 |
Product Dimensions | 8.5"L x 5"W x 4"H |
Number of Ports | 11 |
Item Weight | 13 Ounces |
Total HDMI Ports | 1 |
Wattage | 20 watts |
About this item
- Flexible Expandability - Featuring a hybrid 2-in-1 USB 3.0 and USB-C cable, a single connection from a host PC to this USB dock provides dual HDMI video outputs, wired Gigabit Ethernet, 3.5mm Headphone and Microphone jacks, two USB 3.0 ports, and four USB 2.0 ports
- Dual HD Monitors - Supports dual HDMI displays up to 1920x1200 @ 60Hz refresh rate. Second output can support HDMI, DVI, or VGA display with included adapter. Capable of 2560x1440 @ 50Hz with a single HDMI display
- Compatibility - This laptop docking stations compatibility is universal; compatible with Windows 11, 10, 8.x and 7, macOS 10.14 or later, and ChromeOS 100 or later. Plug and play driver installation via Windows Update; manual driver installation on macOS. Dock does not charge host PC
- For Best Results - Can use the USB docking station with web and productivity software; not recommended for gaming. Not supported: some non-DisplayLink adapters, DisplayPort connections, HDCP-will not playback encrypted or copy-protected content
- 2 Year Warranty - We love our Plugable products, and hope you will too. All of our products are backed with a 2-year limited parts and labor warranty as well as Seattle-based email support
Additional Details
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Important information
Safety Information
Standard USB ports not recommended for charging USB devices. Some devices may charge in some scenarios, however USB device charging is a complex topic. View the product listing page on the Plugable website for detailed information on device-specific charging behaviors.
From the brand
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At Plugable, we design products for productivity. And we know that work can happen anywhere–at a desk, on the road, in an office, and more often than ever, at home.
Every Plugable product–from dongle to docking station–is designed and tested by our team in Redmond, Washington to work anywhere you work.
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Product guides and documents
Product Description
Expand Your Workstation
Designed for those who want a one-stop upgrade for your Thunderbolt 3, Thunderbolt 4, USB4, USB 3.0, or USB-C laptop. The Plugable Universal Laptop Docking Station for Windows, Mac, and ChromeOS (UD-3900) allows you to add dual monitors, and connect your peripherals, all through a single cable back to your laptop. Quickly come and go from your desk with ease. By connecting one cable to your laptop, you gain 11 extra ports of connectivity, making it easier to do more work in less time.
Power users with dual monitors: The UD-3900 is the dock you need to maximize your productivity and your workspace. Great for business uses such as email, web applications, Google Docs, Microsoft Office, and more. Featuring a vertical design, you can easily slip this dock between your monitors and save valuable desk space. Conveniently access the front USB and audio ports for those devices you plug and unplug everyday.
Note: The UD-3900 will not charge your laptop and you will need your external charger to provide power to the system. The UD-3900 has one HDMI port and one DVI port and we include both a DVI to VGA adapter and a DVI to HDMI adapter if needed (not compatible with DisplayPort displays).
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11 Ports of ConnectivityGet your ports back with a dock that has space for all of your peripherals.
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High-Resolution DisplaysGet more screen space for more productivity. High resolution displays (HDMI, DVI or VGA) will change the way you manage your out of control tabs and your workflow. No more grainy visuals and tiny screens. Watch videos on clear and sharp 2K 60Hz screens (1920x1200 @ 60Hz). Expand your screen real estate with this dock and cut down the time it takes to work on those highly productive tasks. |
Dynamic DesignNot only does this dock expand your connectivity, it also brings a whole new level of performance and flexibility. Featuring DisplayLink graphic technology, you can connect this dock to a USB 3.0 or USB-C Windows, Mac, or ChromeOS laptop. So whether you're hoteling at a desk for work, or sharing your dock at home, this dock provides the flexibility you need. The vertical orientation is designed to reduce its desk footprint to give you more room for the things that matter most. With easily accessible ports on the front of the dock, you can unplug your headphones with ease. |
Compatibility
Laptop Compatibility | Compatible with most modern laptops and desktops running Windows 11 / 10 / 8.x / 7, Macs with 10.14.x / 10.15.x / 11.x, and ChromeOS version 100 or newer. The box includes a hybrid 2-in-1 USB 3.0 and USB-C cable to connect the dock to your laptop. |
Not compatible with: macOS 10.13.x and earlier, Linux / Unix, and ARM-based Windows systems | |
Monitor Compatibility | Supports two high-resolution monitors up to 1920x1200 @ 60Hz. Compatible with HDMI DVI and VGA displays. Conversion to Dual-Link DVI (DL-DVI) is not supported. DisplayPort displays are not supported. |
Software Compatibility | DisplayLink is a flexible and versatile technology that’s great for most users’ workflow. But there are a few scenarios where it’s not the right fit such as gaming and HDCP (copy-protected) content playback from Blu-ray/Netflix/Prime/ iTunes/Hulu/etc. |
Power and Charging | This dock does not provide power to the connected laptop or tablet—the laptop will still require a separate charger.It cannot control the power of the laptop. |
UD-3900 | UD-3900H | UD-6950Z | UD-ULTC4K | TBT4-UDZ | |
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Customer Reviews |
4.5 out of 5 stars
11,396
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4.5 out of 5 stars
1,648
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4.4 out of 5 stars
1,442
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4.1 out of 5 stars
1,531
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4.1 out of 5 stars
251
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Price | $89.95$89.95 | $78.86$78.86 | $149.00$149.00 | $239.95$239.95 | $289.95$289.95 |
Max # of Displays Connected to Dock | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Video Ports | 1x HDMI 1.3, 1x DVI | 1x HDMI 1.3, 1x DVI | 2x HDMI 2.0, 2x DisplayPort 1.2 | 3x HDMI 2.0 or DisplayPort 1.2 | 2x DisplayPort, 2x HDMI |
Max Resolutions Supported | 2x 1920x1200 @ 60Hz | 2x 1920x1200 @ 60Hz | 2x 4K 60Hz | 3x 4K 60Hz | 2x 4K 60Hz on Mac (Intel, M1 Pro/Max CPU) 1X on M1 and M2 Mac |
# of USB Ports | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 7 |
USB Port Specifications | 2x USB 3.0 front, 4x USB 2.0 rear | 2x USB 3.0, 4x USB 2.0 | All USB 3.0 | 1 USB-C (front) , 4 USB 3.0 (rear) | 1x USB-C (10Gbps), 3x USB (10Gbps), 2x USB (5Gbps), 1x USB 2.0 |
Laptop Charging | No | No | No | Yes - 100W (96W Certified) | Yes - 100W (98W Certified) |
Laptop Connection | USB4, Thunderbolt 4 / 3, USB-C, USB 3.0 | USB 3.0 | USB4, Thunderbolt 4 / 3, USB-C, USB 3.0 | USB4, Thunderbolt 4 / 3, USB-C | USB4, Thunderbolt 4 / 3, USB-C |
Compare with similar items
This Item Plugable USB 3.0 Universal Laptop Docking Station Dual HDMI Monitor for Windows and Mac, USB 3.0 or USB-C, (Dual Video: HDMI and HDMI/DVI/VGA, Gigabit Ethernet, Audio, 6 USB Ports) | Recommendations | dummy | dummy | dummy | dummy | |
Try again! Added to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart | |
Price | -31% $89.95$89.95 List: $129.99 | $139.95$139.95 | -35% $109.95$109.95 List: $169.99 | $59.99$59.99 | -8% $109.00$109.00 Typical: $119.00 | -7% $139.95$139.95 Typical: $149.95 |
Delivery | Get it as soon as Friday, May 17 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 17 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 17 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 17 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 17 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 17 |
Customer Ratings | ||||||
Tech Support | 4.2 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 4.7 | — | — |
Camera quality | 4.1 | 3.4 | 4.0 | 4.5 | — | — |
Quality of material | 4.6 | 3.8 | — | 4.8 | — | — |
Value for money | — | 4.1 | 4.3 | 4.1 | — | — |
Sold By | Plugable Technologies | BEASTRON | Plugable Technologies | Oyyou | Juyi Store | Plugable Technologies |
hardware interface | usb docking station | usb3.0, usb2.0, hdmi, ethernet, 3 5 mm audio | usb c | usb | usb3.0 c, usb3.0 a, 3 5 mm audio, hdmi, displayport | usb docking station, usb3.0 c |
number of ports | 11 | 3 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 10 |
number of usb ports | 6 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 2 |
HDMI ports | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
compatible devices | MacBook Pro 13" / 14" / 15" / 16", MacBook Air, MacBook Retina, MacBook M1 / M2 / M3, HP Spectre x360 / Pavilion / Envy, Dell XPS / Precision / Latitude, Lenovo ThinkPad / IdeaPad / Yoga / Flex, Surface Pro 7 / 7+ / 8 / 9, Surface Laptop 3 / 4 / 5 / Go / Go 2 / Studio / SE, Surface Go / Go 2 / Go 3, LG Gram, Acer Aspire / Swift / Spin, ASUS Zenbook / Vivobook, and Most Windows systems with Windows 10 or newer / Most Chromebooks running ChromeOS 100 or newer | Windows, MacOS | Macbook Pro 13" / 14" / 15", 16", MacBook Air, MacBook Retina, MacBook M1 / M2 / M3, HP Spectre x360 / Pavilion / Envy, Dell XPS / Precision / Latitude, Lenovo ThinkPad / IdeaPad / Yoga / Flex, Surface Pro 7 / 7+ / 8 / 9, Surface Laptop 3 / 4 / 5 / Go / Go 2 / Studio / SE, LG Gram, Acer Aspire / Swift / Spin, ASUS Zenbook / Vivobook, Most Windows systems with Windows 10 or newer, Most Chromebooks running ChromeOS 100 or newer | Laptop Docking Station for WINDOWS: Windows 10, Windows 8, 8.1, Windows 7, Windows Vista; Windows XP SP3 32 bit | Apple M1 and Intel Macs (with macOS 10.15 or later), Microsoft Surface line, HP Spectre x360 series, Dell XPS 13 & XPS 15 / Latitude, Lenovo Thinkpad T series | Supports full-featured USB-C, USB4, and Thunderbolt 3 / Thunderbolt 4 systems running Windows 10 / 11 & ChromeOS 100 or newer including, HP ProBook / EliteBook / Spectre x360 series, Dell XPS / Latitude / Inspiron series, Lenovo ThinkPad / IdeaPad / Yoga , Microsoft Surface Pro / Go / Book / Laptop models, LG Gram, Thousands of other laptops which are compliant with full-featured, standards-compliant USB-C ports |
weight | 13 ounces | — | 1.7 pounds | 250 grams | — | 8.1 ounces |
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Product information
Technical Details
Brand | Plugable |
---|---|
Series | UD-3900 |
Item model number | UD-3900 |
Hardware Platform | PC |
Item Weight | 13 ounces |
Product Dimensions | 6.45 x 3.22 x 4.02 inches |
Item Dimensions LxWxH | 6.45 x 3.22 x 4.02 inches |
Color | Black |
Power Source | DC |
Manufacturer | Plugable |
ASIN | B00ECDM78E |
Country of Origin | Taiwan |
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
Date First Available | August 15, 2013 |
Additional Information
Customer Reviews |
4.5 out of 5 stars |
---|---|
Best Sellers Rank | #186 in Computers & Accessories (See Top 100 in Computers & Accessories) #16 in Laptop Docking Stations |
Warranty & Support
Feedback
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What's in the box
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers like the performance, weight and appearance of the docking station. For example, they mention it works phenomenally, has fewer quirks and that it takes up little space. That said, they appreciate the clear graphics and the sleek design. That being said, opinions are mixed on connectivity and USB connectivity.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers like the performance of the docking station. They mention that it works phenomenally, has fewer quirks, and has increased functionality. They say that the video performance is not noticeably different than having the monitor plugged in, and that the station works great with two external monitors connected. They also say that there is not noticeable lag that you see with USB 2.0 docks, the switchover is seamless, and fast.
"...Station does exactly this with minimal effort and without spending hundreds of dollars...." Read more
"...Especially considering its increased functionality, decreased cost, cable management, and footprint." Read more
"...Has worked phenomenally. I just restart it about every 6 months, otherwise no issues & great speeds. Highly recommend." Read more
"...a cheap laptop that only has a USB3 port to connect it and everything works all the time. I also connected it to a USB-C port and also see no issues." Read more
Customers find the docking station easy to set up and use. They say it has a sleek design and is simple to connect. They also say the software installs successfully. Customers also mention that the primary display is very easy to switch around and that it's easier to switch a cable that is laying on the desk.
"...I've set this all up so that primary display is very easy to switch around...." Read more
"...The UD-3900 came packaged very nicely and securely. Setup was relatively easy, and MS Pro automatically downloaded and installed the necessary..." Read more
"...me. The help provided by Bob was courteous, professional and friendly, and his patience with my ignorance of the situation was outstanding...." Read more
"...Easier to switch a cable that is laying on the desk next to the monitor than it is to crawl behind the computer...." Read more
Customers like the quality of the docking station. They say it's a solid dock, with top-notch build quality. They also say it provides beautiful resolution and is a great piece of hardware. Customers also mention that it'll be reliable and durable.
"...That being said, it does have the option to plug in an Ethernet cable to it, thus eliminating an additional cord attached to your computer..." Read more
"...years ago, but this unit is a lot better, with more USB ports, and better quality. I highly recommend it, works great!" Read more
"...Everything crashed. I tried this several times and found that if any headset was plugged in, it would crash. I really thought I had a defective unit...." Read more
"...months, and I read up on all the options, and really, this Plugable dock is amazing...." Read more
Customers like the weight of the docking station. They say it has a pretty small footprint, is slim enough, and has s reasonable sized AC adapter. Some say that the product is easy to position on their desk and that the programs fit on the page perfectly.
"...It's nicely compact and doesn't take up much desk space...." Read more
"...It has a small footprint, supports 2 monitors (I also use the screen from my laptop so there's 3 screens total) and all that other stuff I mentioned...." Read more
"...Other than that, I don't have any complaints. It's small, has one USB charging point for when nothing is connected which is nice...." Read more
"So far, so good. Compact and super easy to set up." Read more
Customers are satisfied with the support provided by the electronic device docking station. They mention that it is an excellent piece of equipment, provides fast, personal, and helpful support. Some customers also mention that the customer support is great online and that it makes them feel secure.
"...back to bite me. The help provided by Bob was courteous, professional and friendly, and his patience with my ignorance of the situation was..." Read more
"...This is a great docking station and their support is awesome." Read more
"...rave review - I've never received such FAST, personal, and helpful support for a product!..." Read more
"...Top notch product with a top notch support team/company behind it. Can't recommend either of them enough." Read more
Customers like the appearance of the docking station. They mention it has a sleek design, the screen quality looks great, and the image is crisp and clean. They appreciate the clear graphics and the vertical design that helps with cable management. Some customers also say that the text is notably clearer when the monitor is connected directly to their laptop's screen.
"...The UD-3900 came packaged very nicely and securely...." Read more
"...It also has a very high definition screen that doesn't always scale correctly when I connect directly from the laptop to my external monitors...." Read more
"...It is a greatly designed product that mostly works fine. I will continue buying it but with the thought that I'm taking a gamble." Read more
"The station was quick and easy to set up. The vertical design helps with cable management. Very happy with this purchase." Read more
Customers are mixed about the usb connectivity. Some mention that the docking station comes with multiple USB ports, 1 HDMI, and 1 DVI connection, and extra ports for their mouse, keyboard, and USB drives. However, others say that it has only USB-A 3.0 ports, not the faster, more versatile USB, and that the lack of ports is a real problem when used as a desktop.
"...I didn't hold out much hope! But Lo and behold, this pluggable docking station actually worked...." Read more
"...desktop working, I dug deeper and ultimately found that USB 3.0 drivers are still imperfect and Windows doesn't always handle them the best...." Read more
"Unlike cheap port replicators/ docking stations, this one works on all ports as it should...." Read more
"...The keyboard section has a USB3 port...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the connectivity of the docking station. Some mention that it's great for connecting multiple devices, and provides both DVI and HDMI monitor connections. However, some customers have reported issues with connectivity and disconnection issues with devices.
"...The connection can be flaky and they just give up the ghost randomly leading to the purchase of, you guessed it, another cable. ii...." Read more
"...one was Rally good for MacBook Air M2 compatible and I can connect multiple monitors" Read more
"...by one star for two reasons; because it ultimately did not solve my connection problems and the increased resolution was only minimal, and because I..." Read more
"...I was able to set up the new dual monitors! I can’t explain the sense of accomplishment...." Read more
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I’ve included my thoughts on the Plugable USB 3.0 Docking Station as well as some helpful hints that users who are not super computer savvy might find helpful (I will add, I’m not a super techy person myself).
First, my thoughts on this product:
It accomplishes my “wish list” without having to spend hundreds of dollars on a Docking Station.
I have two computers – an older, personal computer (from around 2013/2014 time frame) that does not have a 4K screen and a brand new 2019 screaming machine that is provided by my job that does have a 4K screen. My home monitors are two 27” LG Class Full HD IPS LED with dual HDMI connections that I purchased around 2 years ago. This means that I am dealing with resolution differences across all of my equipment (I’m working with 3 generations of technology). Each computer has the following connections – 1 HDMI port (both computers), 3 USB ports (older computer - 1 USB 3.0 and 2 USB 2.0), 2 USB ports (newer computer – all USB 3.0) and 1 USB-C Port (newer computer).
My wish list included the following:
1. Connect and EXTEND my desktop display to my two 27” monitors.
2. Keep a resolution that does not blow everything up to a size that is unusable (an issue when dealing with 4K and not 4K capable equipment)
3. Plug one cord into my computer (rather than multiple)
The Plugable USB 3.0 Docking Station does exactly this with minimal effort and without spending hundreds of dollars. I was really pleased when I plugged everything in and changed the display setting to extend and everything just worked. (As a note, I did tinker with the resolution settings on both computers to get my mouse to move screen to screen anywhere along the side borders – I did not observe a noticeable change in the image on my computer or on the monitors after doing this.) I was fortunate that all I had to do was plug and play and did not even have to restart either computer after plugging the unit in for the first time. The little informational booklet that comes with the product is actually pretty helpful if you know a little bit about what you are doing and want to accomplish, though it is brief and mostly contains pictures. There is also a web page and email address listed in the booklet if you need troubleshooting help. In short, if you have lots of cords that need to connect to your computer (for whatever reason), you don’t care if it charges your laptop, and you need two additional displays I would definitely recommend this docking station.
Here are some things I learned along the way in regards to my specific situation. This is not meant to be a how to for all systems or set ups, just information that hopefully helps others. There is a lot of functionality in this little device way beyond what I have covered below - again, I'm not a really tech oriented person, a lot of what follows is laymen's terms.
1. Calling this a “docking station” is a bit of a misnomer – a true docking station, when plugged into your laptop, will charge it (this product does not charge the device it is plugged into). True docking stations also have a multitude of other capabilities, including supporting more than 2 screens and device charging and will run you in the $200 - $400 range. I would dub this a “docking station Jr.”, some but not all of the capabilities of a true docking station. That being said, it does have the option to plug in an Ethernet cable to it, thus eliminating an additional cord attached to your computer (super convenient!). I’m all about fewer cords if possible and if you have to be hard wired into your internet this is definitely a plus.
2. The order of the monitors (1, 2, 3) is as follows on the back of the Plugable USB 3.0 device (keep this in mind if you are picky about how your mouse will travel from one monitor to the next)
a. Monitor 1 will always be the device you are duplicating or extending by default
b. Monitor 2 will be the DVI port
c. Monitor 3 will be the HDMI port
3. Cables…there are so many choices and some are directional and some are not and some need adapters and some don’t and, and, and… jeepers cats batman why can’t this be more simple!!! Here’s what you need to know about your computer and monitors to make THIS PRODUCT work.
a. Do you have a USB 3.0 Port on your computer? It will say SS (super speed) next to the port. Most new computers have at least one USB 3.0 port, some older computers, like mine have 1 USB 3.0 and 2 USB 2.0. I recommend using the USB 3.0 rather than the 2.0. The basic difference is in the speed of data transfer, but either should work according to the box. (I did not try using the USB 2.0 since I have a USB 3.0 available on both computers.)
b. Does/do your monitor(s) have any of the following ports on the back – HDMI, DVI, D-SUB (also sometimes called VGA)? I don’t recommend using the D-SUB (VGA) port, it doesn’t support very good resolution and you may end up with a really grainy image on your screen, but in a pinch it functions exactly as it is designed to with an adapter to connect it to the docking station (the unit comes with a VGA to DVI adapter if you didn’t notice in the product description). You’ll need a DVI to DVI cable if you are going to use the adapter.
c. IF YOU HAVE HDMI PORTS ON BOTH YOUR MONITORS - here are the cables you should buy:
i. 1 HDMI to HDMI, spend a couple extra dollars and get a decent cable, my experience with cheap cables is they are well, cheap. The connection can be flaky and they just give up the ghost randomly leading to the purchase of, you guessed it, another cable.
ii. 1 HDMI to DVI, again spend a couple extra dollars and get a good cable.
d. You need to have at least one monitor with an available HDMI port for this docking station to work for TWO MONITORS. (Why, because of the type of connections available on the docking station and the way display data is designed to stream through the available connections on your devices – there’s a way more technological answer, but simply put 1 connection out on the docking station gets you 1 connection in for each monitor.)
e. What direction should the cables be connected??? This relates specifically to the HDMI to DVI cable. The DVI side of the cable is the signal out; plug it into the docking station. The HDMI side of the cable is signal in; plug it into the monitor. You are moving the image from your computer/docking station (out) to the monitor (in).
4. Duplicating a desktop vs extending a desktop:
a. Duplicate means just that, whatever is on my desktop will be on my monitor(s), if I move my mouse on my desk top it moves on my monitor(s). Think meeting in a conference room where someone puts their computer screen up on the conference room monitor for everyone to see – duplicated.
b. Extend means take my desktop and stretch it out across all three monitors. (Tricky, now you see where resolution problems can come into play.) For my set up my laptop is on the far right, monitor 2 is in the middle and monitor 3 is on the far left. This means that if my mouse starts on my laptop (far right) and I move to the left border my mouse will “exit” my laptop screen and “enter” my monitor 2 screen on the far right. The same will happen when I move from monitor 2 to monitor 3, and the reverse will happen when I move back towards my laptop screen.
c. There a literally hundreds of YouTube videos on how to duplicate or extend your screen, simply look up “extend my computer screen” on YouTube to learn more.
5. Resolution – tricky stuff if your equipment is all different like mine
a. Ever notice how when you go to arrange your screens in the order you want and some are pictured big and some are pictured small? This is because of the resolution that is set for each screen. This also means that you have to remember how you set up the order of your screens - where the borders touch in picture in the settings is the ONLY PLACE THE CURSOR CAN MOVE FROM SCREEN TO SCREEN.
b. Normally the “recommended” resolution is sufficient. If you have a variety of equipment you may need to tinker with these settings. I don’t have a good step by step option because everyone’s equipment is different, all I can say is experiment; you can always change it back later. YouTube is another good resource for where settings are located and how to change them.
c. If you want all of your screens to be the “same size” in the settings so your mouse can move from one screen to another at any point along the border you’ll want to set the resolution for each screen in the settings to the same thing. This might mess with how things look on your monitors and on your computer, again, tinker with it, you can always change it later if you don’t like it.
Again, this is not meant as an official “how to guide”; I wanted to share some of the things I learned and clarify some terminology for those who are not super tech savvy. Hopefully this helps someone who is trying to decide if this product is the best option for their setup. Happy Computing!
QUICK TIP: Get the latest Display Link driver right from Display Link's site or by going through Plugable's site before you ever even plug this device in. There will be an on-screen prompt during installation for when to plug it in. When it asks you to restart, DO IT
Okay, here was my experience.
As mentioned, I bought this to allow me to dock my primary laptop in 2 locations. I also wanted to dock a second laptop on occasion. And, one location also has a desktop in which I want to be able to swap, similarly to a KVM. KVM won't work because the whole point is to plug and unplug as few cables as possible to the laptops to make it work.
In the end, the connections for making things work are:
Laptop 1: Power, 1x USB, and if I want 3D apps the primary display HDMI input
Laptop 2: Power, 1x USB - no 3D ever needed
Desktop: Power, Ethernet, 1x USB, Primary display HDMI input
THE CONNECTIONS
At the primary station I have plugged into the Plugable unit: HDMI primary 1920x1200 monitor, DVI secondary 1080 monitor, Headset, Keyboard that has built-in hub, Mouse, Webcam, USB hub built into Dell monitor, Xbox controller, and external hard drive.
I use a 1 ft female to male HDMI cable from the Plugable so that I can easily swap whether the primary display gets plugged into Plugable, the laptop, or into an extension going to the desktop. This is so I can use 3D apps when needed.
THE SETUP PROCESS
I started the setup on my desktop. That was my first mistake. If I had started on a laptop I would have had the display and keyboard to more easily troubleshoot along the way.
Per the instructions, I plugged it in, and it installed itself. "Sweet!" I thought. It was basically acting as a USB hub at this point but the monitors didn't immediately work. A reboot fixed that. Then I plugged in a pair of headphones into the headphone jack on Plugable. Everything crashed. I tried this several times and found that if any headset was plugged in, it would crash. I really thought I had a defective unit. I had tried the driver that came with it, the Microsoft default, and the newest from DisplayLink's site. Nothing worked.
After spending a bit trying to debug the desktop's sound issue, I got irritated enough to give it up and started a return process. Then I figured what the heck, I'll plug it into the laptop. Sure enough, an install and a reboot later and everything worked perfectly, including the sound.
With my motivation back to get the desktop working, I dug deeper and ultimately found that USB 3.0 drivers are still imperfect and Windows doesn't always handle them the best. I found the model for my USB 3.0 hardware, downloaded the latest driver, uninstalled Microsoft's default driver, and installed the new one. A reboot later everything worked on the desktop.
THE IMPORTANT THING HERE
It seems like a lot of people are having USB 3.0 related issues. If you are, try finding your specific USB 3 hardware and get the newest driver for it. It just might work.
NOW FOR THE PRODUCT ITSELF....
DISPLAY:
Works great. I haven't had any frame rate issues using 2 monitors through the Plugable, even while watching Netflix or YouTube. Based on other reviews for this and other products, I think the displays' consistency will depend on how much traffic the other components are handling at a given time. See Ethernet...
AUDIO:
So far so good. I'm still testing it. It is as good as the audio out on my desktop, but the Dell laptop puts out more power and feels a little cleaner on its own. I have yet to try it with plugging in my amp to it. If you have a dedicated sound card or built in HiFi DAC I would definitely recommend sticking with plugging in straight to that and not through the Plugable.
USB:
All working great. Keyboard is responsive and mouse doesn't seem to lag at all.
ETHERNET:
To be fair here, I haven't used it. However, here's my thought: I wouldn't use it. The reason is that the added traffic is probably not worth the usability. I feel like if anything would contribute to latency, it'd be Ethernet. If you're using a desktop, why bother? Just plug a cable straight in to the tower. It should be capable of higher speeds that way anyways. For laptops, my opinion and preference is to use the Wifi. I don't feel like Ethernet through the USB 3 would be faster with all the other traffic going on, and may only cause issues. Again, I have not directly tested this theory, and please correct me if I am wrong. I'll also report back if I do get around to testing that out.
If anything changes I'll definitely update this review. For now I feel like it is definitely making things easier for me by only having to plug a power cable and a USB 3 cable to "dock" my laptop. When I want games or 3D apps I have one more: the primary display. I've set this all up so that primary display is very easy to switch around. I really like that I can bring in another computer and plug it in as well. The only thing is that I'll make sure to get Display Link installed first onto the computer I want to plug in, so things work as expected.
I'll recommend it. Might buy a third soon for another location. It is not perfection, but I believe that to be in largely the lack of ability of current technology. This might be as good as it gets for this type of setup, for now.
UPDATE 8/15/2016:
Adding the 5th star because these things have held up great and because Plugable is active and a pleasure to deal with.
I now have a third one of these and all three of them are working great.
Top reviews from other countries
The Plugable UD-3900 allows me to use an external monitor again. I wish I had found out about this last year when the discrete video in my laptop broken.
Performance through USB 2 port:
1) no noticeable lag for text editing, web browsing, etc. I guess this should NOT be surprising because USB 2 has 480 Mbps transfer rate, while Netflix can stream HD at even 700 kbps and 4K at 22 Mbps.
2) web video plays normally.
3) there seems to be minimal CPU load on a i7 2675QM.
Caveats:
1) on High Sierra 10.13.6, video resolution set through Airplay. All users logged on can have external video, but only one user can set the resolution b/c Airplay seems to allow only 1 user controlling it at a time.
2) apparently High Sierra 10.13.6 also prevents dual external monitor through this device. Have not checked personally, this is on DisplayLink's website.
Caveat #2: problems using this device with disabled discrete video hack on MacBook Pro laptop 8,2:
1) The "hacks" used to force the broken discrete video chip can conflict with this device when the laptop goes to "sleep" (suspend to ram/disk). My laptop couldn't boot; says something about not being able to load "kext" files. The resolution was at 1080p at boot up (for instance, when one presses "Option" at startup to choose a device to boot from). Max resolution on my laptop lcd is 1440x900.
2) I did "Command+Option+R+P" to reset the NVRAM, then booted into Single User Mode (Command S) and set the NVRAM to disable discrete video. Everything returns to normal.
3) Not sure whether this problem with "sleep"/booting is due to "kext" files I moved or due to the 1080p resolution seen by NVRAM set by DisplayLink driver.
4) In any case, this cannot be attributed to Plugable dock because I made changes to my laptops setting that are outside the normal usage. I put it here in case anyone is facing a similar situation.
Other DisplayLink products:
1) Many other vendors use DisplayLink. The popular Dell D3100 uses a more recent chip. I considered buying it because it supports 4K through a DisplayPort cable, but the reviews were not as positive as this product. Does anyone have first-hand comparison between Dell D3100 and this product?
Reviewed in Australia on February 23, 2022
Reviewed in Singapore on August 22, 2020