How to setup MacBook pro (M3 PRO chip) with two external monitors: one cable - triple displays?

[neokao]

I have recently replaced my ThinkPad X1 to MacBook pro (M3 PRO chip) at work.

We have open office with many dual external (ThinkVision) monitors connecting to each other. There is only one type-C cable out to connect to ThinkPad X1 but ThinkPad X1 could use two external monitors as extended displays. 99% of people use ThinkPad X1 at work and this setup works OK in terms of triple display working environment. Now the issue is that when I connect that one type-C cable to my MacBook pro (M3 PRO chip) to connect two external monitors, these two ThinkVision monitors are mirrored. There is no way to do extended displays to have triple display unless I disconnect the cable between these two ThinkVision monitors and then use one type-C from one ThinkVision monitor and one HDMI from the other ThinkVision monitor to connect my MacBook pro to have two extended displays. Since this is open office and we don't have any designated desk/monitors, I need to connect these two ThinkVision monitors back to each other every time I am done with using that space so that the next person could just use one type-C cable to wok on his/her ThinkPad X1.

This is becoming annoying and I have been looking for some portable Thunderbolt dock/USB-C hub solution that could achieve the goal of using one type-C cable for triple displays on MacBook pro (M3 PRO chip) with two external monitors.

Many thanks.

 

[Slartibart]

Try the following: when arriving at the the setup (which was working for your colleague, they just left) disconnect the secondary monitor (the one which is daisy-chained to the primary) and connect your MBP. If not already, configure it as extended display. Reconnect the daisy-chain cable from the primary monitor to the secondary. Does this config run as extended displays? If not, try adjusting the monitor resolution(s).

 

[splifingate]

I am satisfied with the use of an OWC TB4 -> Dual DP adapter on my M2 Studio:

OWC Thunderbolt Dual DisplayPort Adapter for 4K, 5K, and 8K Displays

Connect up to two 8K displays through just one Thunderbolt port. Experience higher resolutions, faster refresh rates, and multichannel audio formats.

www.owc.com

It's patched through a OWC TB4 Hub.

They have a Dual HDMI version, also.

 

[neokao]

I am satisfied with the use of an OWC TB4 -> Dual DP adapter on my M2 Studio:

OWC Thunderbolt Dual DisplayPort Adapter for 4K, 5K, and 8K Displays

Connect up to two 8K displays through just one Thunderbolt port. Experience higher resolutions, faster refresh rates, and multichannel audio formats.

www.owc.com

It's patched through a OWC TB4 Hub.

They have a Dual HDMI version, also.

Thanks but this won't work. The key is that these dual monitors in my office are already daisy-chained and I don't want to dis-connect them every time I use them and re-connect them every time I complete using them in the office since they are shared by all the people in the next gen office. I need some device to split the daisy-chained monitors on one type-c cable into two. Thanks.

 

[neokao]

Try the following: when arriving at the the setup (which was working for your colleague, they just left) disconnect the secondary monitor (the one which is daisy-chained to the primary) and connect your MBP. If not already, configure it as extended display. Reconnect the daisy-chain cable from the primary monitor to the secondary. Does this config run as extended displays? If not, try adjusting the monitor resolution(s).

Will try at work next week. Thanks

 

[PaulD-UK]

@neokao
It sounds like the first monitor, the one you connect the computer to, is daisy-chained to the second using a feature called MST:
DisplayPort Multi-Stream Transport
Unfortunately, as you have found, this feature isn't supported by MacOS, and the two monitors will mirror each other.
Unless you cable each monitor separately, or through a dock.

 

[JPack]

It's not going to work regardless because the Lenovo monitors sound like they're daisy-chained. In other words, one DP cable from a monitor to the other. This setup uses MST. And one final USB-C cable from the monitor to the notebook.

macOS doesn't support MST.

The only way for it to work is buy your own dock. Plug in the two monitors into the dock. Then plug in the USB-C cable from the dock to your MacBook. Obviously, this isn't feasible.

 

[JPack]

I need some device to split the daisy-chained monitors on one type-c cable into two. Thanks.

There is no such device. Daisy chaining relies on MST. macOS does not support MST. Unfortunately, no device exists where you simply attach to the USB-C cable to undo the MST.

Even if you buy a Thunderbolt dock, some of them rely on MST. This is a huge weakness of macOS.