Charging Macbook Pro with the UD-ULTC4K (Plugable USB-C Triple 4K Display Docking Station)

I just started using the UD-ULTC4K (Plugable USB-C Triple 4K Display Docking Station) with my 2017 Macbook Pro 15". I have it hooked to two displays (HDMI + DP). I am using the included USB-C cable. I have the Displaylink drivers installed. So far, the unit works really well - displays look great and are responsive and the ethernet works.

But the unit is not charging my laptop. It seems like it is providing some charge, because the battery is falling slowly. But it is falling. I checked the compatibility chart here: https://plugable.com/products/ud-ultc4k and it seems like I should be fine - it should be charging. I also tried the charging cable that came with my laptop. NO luck.

Ideas?

Thanks.

Hello Sam, thanks for posting! Sorry to hear of this behavior and I will be happy to help.

Thank you for the description of what you are seeing. If you haven’t tried already, does preforming SMC and NVRAM resets help? Apple has guides here –> https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201295 and here –> https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204063 for resetting these respectively.

If those resets do not help, does the same issue occur regardless of Thunderbolt 3 port on the MacBook Pro you are connecting to?

Please let us know this additional information whenever you have a moment and we will go from there.

Thank you,

David W.
Plugable Technologies
www.plugable.com/support

Hi. Thanks for the reply.

When I first plugged it in, I was syncing my dropbox, and the processors were all pegged with the fans on - that’s when the battery was falling. Now that it has calmed down, I see the battery percent rising - very slowly. So, it is charging, but nowhere near what I get with the 87W charger that came with the machine. But I think this will do. I haven’t tried the SMC reset or switching the ports yet.

Thanks for the reply.

Hello Sam, thanks for the reply. Our dock outputs 60W of power delivery so the slower charging rate is expected since the system wouldn’t be pulling the 87W of the Apple power adapter.

Thank you,

David W.
Plugable Technologies
www.plugable.com/support