When I connect the UD- ULTC4K to the USB-C port on my desktop PC, it doesn't show any signs of activity or response

[cthulhu]

Good evening! I’ve just acquired a new PC and I intended to connect it to the UD-ULTC4K Hub using a USB-C cable. Regrettably, nothing happens when I make the connection. Curiously, the hub works flawlessly when connected to my Mac. Do you have any suggestions or ideas to troubleshoot this? I’ve used a different Plugable model previously without any issues. Could there be a BIOS configuration on my motherboard that requires attention?

[Pat_P]

Hi Adrian,

Thanks for contacting us! I am sorry this is not working as expected.

This docking station relies on two graphics technologies to support up to three external displays.

The “Display 2” and “Display 3” outputs are controlled by DisplayLink USB Graphics Technology, this is a combination of software on the computer and hardware on the docking station which extends the capability of the computer to support more displays than the computer was designed to support. This requires installing the DisplayLink drivers for Windows ( https://plugable.com/drivers/displaylink ) or the DisplayLink Manager App for macOS and configuring macOS to support the external displays ( for macOS 13: https://kb.plugable.com/1595423, for macOS 11, and 12: https://kb.plugable.com/1185378 ).

The “Display 1” output relies on the computer’s internal graphics controller, it utilizes USB Type-C DisplayPort Alternate Mode (“Alt-Mode” for short). This is an optional USB Type-C port feature which is not enabled on all computers. This relies on the computer’s built-in graphics drivers and requires the docking station to be connected directly to a USB Type-C port with Alt-Mode capability using the original USB Type-C data cable provided with the docking station. USB Type-C cables from other products, or purchased separately online may be charging cables that do not support Alt-Mode video data.

Most desktop computers will not support USB Type-C DisplayPort Alternate Mode video data and the docking station’s “Display 1” HDMI/DisplayPort output port will be non-functional, however I would expect connected USB devices, Ethernet, and the second and third display connections to function after installing the DisplayLink software.

If the docking station is connected to a USB Type-C port on the front of the computer then I recommend moving the cable to a USB Type-C port directly on the computer’s main-board, this will provide a more reliable USB 3 data connection to the docking station as front-panel USB ports often suffer from RF (Radio Frequency) interference from inside the case.

If the docking station is already connected directly to the system main-board’s USB Type-C port but still non-functional, our next step is to get some additional information from your system using our log-gathering tool: PlugDebug, when you have a moment:

1. Keep the docking station connected to the computer with the displays and devices connected to the docking station
2. Download and run our PlugDebug utility ( http://plugable.com/support/plugdebug )
   2a) For Windows: Download the PlugDebug Utility, then Right-click on the PlugDebug application and run as administrator
   2c ) For macOS: Click on the red button “Generate PlugDebug Report (Deprecated Pending Update)” to expand the section, select the PlugDebug utility from the Downloads pop-up on the Dock, or double-click if saved to the Desktop
   2d) Follow the on screen instructions to launch the application
3. Click the “Start” button to begin gathering logs from the system
4. When completed the application will pop-up a message with the name of the zip file containing the logs on the user desktop directory
5. Please attach this zip file to your reply email to ‘support@plugable.com’ with the subject line ‘Ticket #413434 - Attention Pat’

This will allow us to examine some log files from your system to help determine the next steps.

Thank you,

Pat
Plugable Technology
support@plugable.com