I have a new Macbook Pro M1x Max (2021) that I have connected to two external monitors via an OWC Thunderbolt dock. Monitors are connected via the USB-C ports on the dock. Everything seems to be working, except that after the MBP has been in sleep mode for a few hours or overnight, the MBP will wake up but the monitors won't. I have to unplug the OWC dock and reboot it, sometimes have to reboot the Macbook Pro. Very annoying. OWC says it's not their dock to blame. Anyone else having this issue? I've installed the OWC dock ejector and it doesn't seem to fix the problem. Any help is appreciated.
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Macbook Pro M1x Max won't wake monitors after sleep mode
- Thread starter Phil S571
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Actually UBS28, the Mac does wake up, but the monitors won't. So wondering if it's either the TB4 ports on the Mac that are in too deep of hibernation, or if it is the OWC dock. I tend to think it's the dock. Waiting till next week when their Cust Srvc folks are back. This is all new equipment (MBP M1x and OWC T4 dock) so not that many out there yet. But wondering if anyone else has had this problem. Thanks for the response though.
I have been having this issue since 2020 with two different machines and and several different OSs. All the issues I've had with this dock have persisted through each of my hardware changes and troubleshooting attempts. Admittedly, most of my issues documented here are from when I used a Mac as my host machine. I have also encountered issues with the dock and my Windows machine, but I chalk that up to issues with Razer/Microsoft and not the dock itself (I can elaborate on this if anyone would like, but am omitting for now).
Additionally, it's worth noting that I did not experience any issues with this dock in 2018-2019. At that time I was using a MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2016) running macOS Sierra as the host machine, two monitors that were the same make and model (Dell Flat Panel Monitor E2417H), and a wired USB headset.
When on a call (Discord) using Razer Man O'War, participant's voices will suddenly become staticy and their volume will increase to unpleasant levels.
I could not find a solution for this issue that wasn't just not using the ethernet port and relying on the host machines wifi adaptor.
Additionally, it's worth noting that I did not experience any issues with this dock in 2018-2019. At that time I was using a MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2016) running macOS Sierra as the host machine, two monitors that were the same make and model (Dell Flat Panel Monitor E2417H), and a wired USB headset.
Specs
Hardware:
- OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock
- 2 different MacBook Pros (16-inch, 2019)
- 2.3 GHz 8-Core Intel Core i9
- 16 GB 2667 MHz DDR4
- AMD Radeon Pro 5500M 4 GB
- Razer Blade 15" Base (2018)
- Acer XF27OHU (Specs - downloadable Manual)
- Dell Flat Panel Monitor E2417H
Software/Firmware:
- macOS High Sierra
- macOS Mojave
- macOSCatalina
- macOS Big Sur
- macOS Monterey
- Windows 10 (Home Edition)
- Windows 11 (Home Edition)
- OWC Dock Ejector for Mac
- OWC Dock Ejector for Windows
Peripherals:
- Logitech C920 Webcam
- Logitech G733 Headset
- 3rd party mechanical keyboard
- Razer Man O'War Headset
Configuration
Rear Configuration (Picture from manual included for reference):
- Host machine connected to the dedicated Power Delivery port (4-right) using included Thunderbolt 3 Cable
- Acer Monitor connected to the extra Thunderbolt 3 port (4-left) using Display Port to USBC cable
- Dell Monitor connected to Mini Display Port (5) using Display Port to Mini Display Port cable
- Ethernet connected to Gigabit Ethernet Port (3)
- Acer Monitor USB Hub connected to High Powered USB 3.1 Port (1-far left)
- Logitech Webcam connected to USB 3.1 Port (1-second in from the left)
- 3rd Party Keyboard connected to USB 3.1 Port (1-third in from left)
Front Configuration (Picture from manual included for reference):
- Logitech G733 Headset receiver connected to High-power USB 3.1 Gen 1 Port (5)
- Audio cable connected to Combo Audio Port (4)
Issues:
Monitor Wake Issues
When host machine is sleeping and then wakes up, only the monitor connected to the extra Thunderbolt 3 Port via DP to USBC cable wakes, and the monitor connected to the Mini Display Port remains dark (does not detect any input from dock).What Resolved the Issue
- unplug the mini display port from dock, and plug back in
- unplug thunderbolt 3 cable from host machine, and plug back in
- Disconnect monitor plugged into dock's extra Thunderbolt 3 port, and connect it directly to host machine (with other monitor still connected to the dock via Mini DP, and the dock still connected to host machine)
What Did Not Resolve the Issue
- Reboot host machine (works sometimes, does not work others)
- Connect the dock to host machine using one of the host machine's other Thunderbolt Ports (tried all 4)
- Turn the monitor that did not wake off and then back on
- replace original thunderbolt 3 cable connecting dock and host machine with generic brand thunderbolt 3 cable
- replace original thunderbolt 3 cable connecting dock and host machine with high quality thunderbolt 3 cable
- replace original DP to Mini DP cable connecting Dell monitor and Dock with new DP to Mini DP cable
- Change Monitor Configuration (ie. connect Acer monitor to dock's Mini DP port using DP to Mini DP cable, connect Dell monitor to dock's extra Thunderbolt 3 port using DP to USBC cable)
- The monitor connected via Mini Display Port continues to remain dark when host machine wakes.
- Change host machine configuration (ie. connect host machine to extra Thunderbolt 3 port, and connect Monitor to extra Thunderbolt 3 Port
- Update host machine to latest OS
- Update host machine's graphics drivers with latest
- Install OWC Dock Ejector software
- Update Dock's Firmware
- N/A, from what I could find this is not possible.
- use a different OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock (slightly newer model)
- had the same issue
Have yet to try
- Connect both monitors to a USBC splitter/dongle, and connect that dongle to the extra Thunderbolt 3 port on the dock
- Connect Monitor to dock using HDMI to Mini DP
- Connect Monitor to dock using VGA to Mini DP
- Connect Monitor to dock using DVI to Mini DP
Peripheral Issues
When on a call (Slack/Discord) using Logitech G377 Headset, my voice becomes staticy/robot-like, or cuts out entirely for participants.When on a call (Discord) using Razer Man O'War, participant's voices will suddenly become staticy and their volume will increase to unpleasant levels.
What Resolved the Issue
- Use a wired USB headset
- Use a wired audio jack headset
- Plug wireless headset receiver directly into host machine
What Did Not Resolve the Issue
- update Logitech G377 Headset's firmware
- update Razer Man O'War Headset's firmware
- Reboot Slack/Discord (works initially, but issue comes back shortly)
- Reboot host machine (works initially, but issue comes back shortly)
- Move wireless headset receiver to different USB 3.1 port on the dock (tried all ports)
Network Issues
Wired network connectivity will drop for short periods of time at seemingly random intervals. Not a big issue when working, but very big issue when streaming or gaming.I could not find a solution for this issue that wasn't just not using the ethernet port and relying on the host machines wifi adaptor.
What Did Not Resolve the Issue
- use a different ethernet cable
Theories
The theories I have of what the issue might be are as follows:- Not enough power going to the dock
- this would explain the network drops and why peripherals that require a large amount of power (monitor, wireless headset) have a spotty connection.
- there's a bug with the dock where it does not wake monitors connected via Mini DP if a monitor is connected using the extra Thunderbolt 3 port
- this doesn't really make sense since this configuration worked seamlessly for me back in 2018-2019.
- dock gets confused with two different makes and models of monitors
- my issues began when I started working from home full time using two different monitors. I never had issues using two monitors of the same make and model (Dell Flat Panel Monitor E2417H)
- I could be using the wrong Display port cables
- the OWC Dock manual states the Mini DP port connection supports DisplayPort 1.2. When I replaced my cables, I specifically looked for DP to MiniDP 1.2, but could only find 1.4. However, I started out using the cables I had used when my dock was working properly in 2018-2019.
- there's a bug in macOS where it does not wake monitors correctly that are connected to a splitter/dongle/dock
- this would make sense since my issues only started with macOS High Sierra, however, I'd expect to see more questions on forums related to my issue if this was the case.
Conclusion
The only way I've found to be able to use this dock today is to, essentially, not use the dock. The main pieces of equipment that I use on a daily basis are 2 monitors, a wireless headset, a mouse, and a keyboard. My mouse and keyboard connect via bluetooth, so there's really only 3 things that I need plugged into the dock. However, in order for both monitors to reliably wake with the host machine, and my headset to not cut out, I need to plug my wireless headset receiver and one monitor directly into the host machine. An added perk would be if my network speed increased due to a wired connection, but I don't even get that from this dock since the network cuts in and out. Currently, this dock saves me one Thunderbolt 3 port since the charge through does work, and it can only seem to handle one monitor connected to it.
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That would be perfect if they only put 2.5 or 10g port on instead for this kind of money in 2021!
Sadly I've also had the same issue with the Thunderbolt 3 dock since I purchased it back in 2017. Over this time I've had different HD and 4k monitors (x3), MacBooks Pro (2x Intel and 1x M1 Max) and many different operating system versions (including several new builds). I've logged several faults with OWC (back when it was under warranty), however never found anything to help.
The only thing that fixes it for me is un-plugging the OWC Thunderbolt 3 dock and plugging it back in, so I've setup a Smart Plug to run off the TB3 dock late at night, and to turn it back on just before my normal start time. Yes it's annoying to get the desktop prompts about removable media (I've setup a BetterTouchTool shortcut to move the mouse automatically over to the notification and press it a few times to speed up this process).
All that said, it appears that many people don't have this issue with older Intel MacBooks, however plenty of people are reporting issues with Thunderbolt docks from a few different vendors, so perhaps the issue here is something to do with M1 Max MacBooks OR something specific to TB3?
The only thing that fixes it for me is un-plugging the OWC Thunderbolt 3 dock and plugging it back in, so I've setup a Smart Plug to run off the TB3 dock late at night, and to turn it back on just before my normal start time. Yes it's annoying to get the desktop prompts about removable media (I've setup a BetterTouchTool shortcut to move the mouse automatically over to the notification and press it a few times to speed up this process).
All that said, it appears that many people don't have this issue with older Intel MacBooks, however plenty of people are reporting issues with Thunderbolt docks from a few different vendors, so perhaps the issue here is something to do with M1 Max MacBooks OR something specific to TB3?
Same issue started happening to me as well. Curiosly it got worse after I changed my monitors. I used to have a 4K 60Hz LG Monitor and a 1080p 144Hz LG Monitor connected to an OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock. This setup used to work pretty good without many wake up issues. One month ago I sold both my monitors and got 2x 1440p 144Hz LG Monitors. And since 2-3 weeks ago I started having issues:
[Macbook Pro 14", OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock. 2x 1440p 144hz monitors(both connected to dock, one by a displayport-displayport cable other usb c-HDMI)]
1) Macbook and monitors are sleeping. Macbook in clamshell until step 7.
2) I wake up the macbook with external keyboard and mouse.
3) Macbook and OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock wakes up (I can see this because my Elgato Streamdeck connected to OWC Thunderbolt 3 also wakes up, which requires me to sign in first, so the macbook recognizes the touchid on the magic keyboard and unlocks)
4) Still no picture on the monitors. I wake up the monitors by pressing their buttons and they both warn me that there is no signal. (On both monitors correct input is selected)
5) I plug out and back in most of the cables, here one of two things happen:
6a) Picture comes up on the screens and I can start using my macbook as before.
6b) Even after unplugging the power to the OWC dock, display cables and thunderbolt cable there is still no picture on the monitors. Even worse, after doing this, the connection between macbook and thunderbolt 3 dock also gets broken despite having all cables connected. The macbook isn't charging anymore and my keyboard inputs/touchID doesn't work.
7) I open the lid and login. Confirm the macbook doesn't see the OWC TB3 Dock anymore(despite being connected still) and it is also not getting any power from it. Screens are also still not getting any signal.
8) Only thing left to do is restarting macbook otherwise it won't recognize or get any power from the OWC dock.
9) After the restart; screens wake up themselves, the dock works and everything is fine.
Contacted OWC support last year about another issue and they weren't helpful at all. I assume they will be of no help again if I contact them and just tell me it isn't an issue with their dock as they did to another user on this topic.
So the one cable seamless user experience is still a dream and in fact it got worse after upgrading my setup from m1+one monitor to m1 pro + 2monitors.
[Macbook Pro 14", OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock. 2x 1440p 144hz monitors(both connected to dock, one by a displayport-displayport cable other usb c-HDMI)]
1) Macbook and monitors are sleeping. Macbook in clamshell until step 7.
2) I wake up the macbook with external keyboard and mouse.
3) Macbook and OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock wakes up (I can see this because my Elgato Streamdeck connected to OWC Thunderbolt 3 also wakes up, which requires me to sign in first, so the macbook recognizes the touchid on the magic keyboard and unlocks)
4) Still no picture on the monitors. I wake up the monitors by pressing their buttons and they both warn me that there is no signal. (On both monitors correct input is selected)
5) I plug out and back in most of the cables, here one of two things happen:
6a) Picture comes up on the screens and I can start using my macbook as before.
6b) Even after unplugging the power to the OWC dock, display cables and thunderbolt cable there is still no picture on the monitors. Even worse, after doing this, the connection between macbook and thunderbolt 3 dock also gets broken despite having all cables connected. The macbook isn't charging anymore and my keyboard inputs/touchID doesn't work.
7) I open the lid and login. Confirm the macbook doesn't see the OWC TB3 Dock anymore(despite being connected still) and it is also not getting any power from it. Screens are also still not getting any signal.
8) Only thing left to do is restarting macbook otherwise it won't recognize or get any power from the OWC dock.
9) After the restart; screens wake up themselves, the dock works and everything is fine.
Contacted OWC support last year about another issue and they weren't helpful at all. I assume they will be of no help again if I contact them and just tell me it isn't an issue with their dock as they did to another user on this topic.
So the one cable seamless user experience is still a dream and in fact it got worse after upgrading my setup from m1+one monitor to m1 pro + 2monitors.
FWIW I have a similar issue with Mac OS Ventura on my 14" MBP with M1 Pro and a Lenovo TB4 dock. Previously it was working fine at waking up but not sure why since upgrading, I can't wake my monitors/etc and resort to opening the laptop lid to wake the Macbook. Bit annoying since I usually have it in clamshell in a vertical stand behind my monitors on my desk.
Same here, but I'm on Mac OS Monterrey `12.5.1`, it was working fine before that version. Not sure what happened (M1 Max 16").
I’ve found the only way which works to wake my MacBook Pro in clamshell and sleeping is using the Magic Mouse.
Same problem that used to be fixed with a reboot, but as of Ventura 13.0 just doesn't work without a unplug and replug. M1 Macbook Pro Max. Lots of thunderbolt issues with this device sadly!
Anybody know a solution or a thunderbolt dock that doesn't have this issue. Have this issue on my current dock, just bought the Caldigit TS4 so fingers crossed it's not happening there.
Also have an Intel MacBook for work and it does not ever experience this problem, definitely just an issue with the M1/Pro/Max chips.
Also have an Intel MacBook for work and it does not ever experience this problem, definitely just an issue with the M1/Pro/Max chips.
Same problem here: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/macos-ventura-m1-macs-external-displays.2371555/
We really should gather all these threads in one place ...
We really should gather all these threads in one place ...
Mac Studio M2 Ultra, two LG 4K monitors, no dock, Apple wireless keyboard, mouse and trackpad. One monitor will wake up, the other will not.
WORKAROUND: If I manually wake up the monitor that doesn't wake up, before waking the Mac, everything is fine. I just touch the one control button this LG monitor has in order to wake it.
We really shouldn't have to do this sort of thing, but it seems to suggest that Apple is making an incorrect assumption about how quickly they can poll a monitor for its information after resuming the video signal to it.
WORKAROUND: If I manually wake up the monitor that doesn't wake up, before waking the Mac, everything is fine. I just touch the one control button this LG monitor has in order to wake it.
We really shouldn't have to do this sort of thing, but it seems to suggest that Apple is making an incorrect assumption about how quickly they can poll a monitor for its information after resuming the video signal to it.