Work from home setup with 2 monitors and 2 PCs
October 10, 2020 10:13 AM Subscribe
Working from home like a lot of folks, and would like to connect a dual-monitor setup to two different machines (one work-owned, one mine), and easily switch between them. What's the best way to do this?
I have a work laptop with a VPN that I am supposed to use for work-related activities. But I've been lazy, so have been doing most of my work using my personal ASUS desktop with my very comfortable dual-monitor setup. But I really should be using the work laptop/VPN. I've tried a physical KVM switch, but it was slow and only supported one monitor at a time. (It was also old, and some off-brand, so maybe a newer one would be a better option?)
Crawling around under my desk with monitor cables and experimenting is so not my idea of a good time, so please tell me what I need to buy or rig up to make this work? I'm ok with spending some of my own money on a good solution (hardware and/or software), as long as it is easy. I have no problem-solving brain cells still functioning right now...
Current setup:
ASUS desktop (Windows 10) - 2 HDMI, 1 DVI, 1 VGA, multiple USBs
HP laptop (work-owned, Windows 10) - 1 VGA, 3 USBs
ASUS monitor - 1 VGA, 1 VDI, 1 HDMI, no USBs
HP monitor - 1 VGA, 1 VDI, 1 HDMI, no USBs
I have admin rights on the work laptop, so I can install whatever I want, but I obviously want to be careful and not install anything sketchy.
Any ideas? I'd appreciate recommendations for specific items if you have any. Is a docking station my best option?
Extra credit for a recommendation on how to split my ethernet connection to both machines, so the laptop doesn't have to use wi-fi. Ethernet currently plugs directly into ASUS.
I have a work laptop with a VPN that I am supposed to use for work-related activities. But I've been lazy, so have been doing most of my work using my personal ASUS desktop with my very comfortable dual-monitor setup. But I really should be using the work laptop/VPN. I've tried a physical KVM switch, but it was slow and only supported one monitor at a time. (It was also old, and some off-brand, so maybe a newer one would be a better option?)
Crawling around under my desk with monitor cables and experimenting is so not my idea of a good time, so please tell me what I need to buy or rig up to make this work? I'm ok with spending some of my own money on a good solution (hardware and/or software), as long as it is easy. I have no problem-solving brain cells still functioning right now...
Current setup:
ASUS desktop (Windows 10) - 2 HDMI, 1 DVI, 1 VGA, multiple USBs
HP laptop (work-owned, Windows 10) - 1 VGA, 3 USBs
ASUS monitor - 1 VGA, 1 VDI, 1 HDMI, no USBs
HP monitor - 1 VGA, 1 VDI, 1 HDMI, no USBs
I have admin rights on the work laptop, so I can install whatever I want, but I obviously want to be careful and not install anything sketchy.
Any ideas? I'd appreciate recommendations for specific items if you have any. Is a docking station my best option?
Extra credit for a recommendation on how to split my ethernet connection to both machines, so the laptop doesn't have to use wi-fi. Ethernet currently plugs directly into ASUS.
If your laptop has 1 VGA port and no other video outputs, then you're not going to be able to use it on a dual-monitor setup. Are you sure the laptop doesn't have other video outputs? I'd only expect to see VGA on a very ancient laptop.
If you're using HDMI from the desktop to the two monitors, you could just connect the VGA from the laptop to either one of them and then just switch the source on the monitor, surely?
These days, I tend to just use Splashtop or some other remote desktop software for the other machines I own. It's not responsive enough for gaming, but fine for most work.
posted by pipeski at 10:43 AM on October 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
If you're using HDMI from the desktop to the two monitors, you could just connect the VGA from the laptop to either one of them and then just switch the source on the monitor, surely?
These days, I tend to just use Splashtop or some other remote desktop software for the other machines I own. It's not responsive enough for gaming, but fine for most work.
posted by pipeski at 10:43 AM on October 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
On preview, I'm an example of what pipeski suggests. I also believe your laptop will be incapable of driving both monitors with just one VGA.
My version of this setup is to dedicate one monitor to just my PC on the left, use the laptop's screen on the right, and plug in both to my best screen in the middle.
I use Barrier, software like Synergy. My PC is the host, so I just use my same, main keyboard and mouse. I don't touch the laptop directly, even for logging in.
That way, the only thing you have to toggle is the middle screen. Which you can do with software (Win+P to "extend" one machine or the other) or the physical buttons on that monitor.
posted by Snijglau at 10:53 AM on October 10, 2020
My version of this setup is to dedicate one monitor to just my PC on the left, use the laptop's screen on the right, and plug in both to my best screen in the middle.
I use Barrier, software like Synergy. My PC is the host, so I just use my same, main keyboard and mouse. I don't touch the laptop directly, even for logging in.
That way, the only thing you have to toggle is the middle screen. Which you can do with software (Win+P to "extend" one machine or the other) or the physical buttons on that monitor.
posted by Snijglau at 10:53 AM on October 10, 2020
From my previously, I purchased this. It works perfectly with a similar setup - dual monitors, my work laptop, and my home desktop.
This KVM is nice because it has DDC, which means when you switch, each side thinks the monitors and peripherals are still attached, which prevents your laptop in particular from relocating all your windows onto the laptop screen, at which point you have to rearrange them all onto your monitors when you switch back to it. With DDC (EDID emulation) the laptop thinks nothing has changed and doesn't mess with your window placement. This was a HUGE plus for me.
I can switch between the two machines with a push of a button. It is supposed to he hot-key switchable, meaning all you need to do is press a hotkey combo (configurable, but ctrl-(number) out of the box). But I have a fancy USB 3.0 LED Gaming keyboard for my desktop, and something about that combo prevents this one piece from working, but I have it located where it's no big deal to just push the button. Just be aware of that limitation.
This KVM model has DVI inputs, so you would just need whatever adapters to convert your non-HDMI outputs to HDMI inputs. At the time they did not offer a HDMI model, they may have one now.
For Ethernet you just need a simple unmanaged ethernet switch. You can pick up a 4-port for around 40 bucks on Amazon, but recommended you make sure it is IPv6 compatible since a lot of corporate VPN networks operate as IPv6 noawdays. Wall plug goes into the switch and one cable to each of your machines. This may be a reason you might need a docking station if your laptop doesn't have an ethernet port. Docking stations also make things clean - I only have a USB cable and the power cord running from my laptop to the dock under the desk, where all the cables live.
posted by SquidLips at 12:05 PM on October 10, 2020 [2 favorites]
This KVM is nice because it has DDC, which means when you switch, each side thinks the monitors and peripherals are still attached, which prevents your laptop in particular from relocating all your windows onto the laptop screen, at which point you have to rearrange them all onto your monitors when you switch back to it. With DDC (EDID emulation) the laptop thinks nothing has changed and doesn't mess with your window placement. This was a HUGE plus for me.
I can switch between the two machines with a push of a button. It is supposed to he hot-key switchable, meaning all you need to do is press a hotkey combo (configurable, but ctrl-(number) out of the box). But I have a fancy USB 3.0 LED Gaming keyboard for my desktop, and something about that combo prevents this one piece from working, but I have it located where it's no big deal to just push the button. Just be aware of that limitation.
This KVM model has DVI inputs, so you would just need whatever adapters to convert your non-HDMI outputs to HDMI inputs. At the time they did not offer a HDMI model, they may have one now.
For Ethernet you just need a simple unmanaged ethernet switch. You can pick up a 4-port for around 40 bucks on Amazon, but recommended you make sure it is IPv6 compatible since a lot of corporate VPN networks operate as IPv6 noawdays. Wall plug goes into the switch and one cable to each of your machines. This may be a reason you might need a docking station if your laptop doesn't have an ethernet port. Docking stations also make things clean - I only have a USB cable and the power cord running from my laptop to the dock under the desk, where all the cables live.
posted by SquidLips at 12:05 PM on October 10, 2020 [2 favorites]
Since you can install software on the laptop, one option to get a second video output on it is using a USB display adapter - something like this StarTech one. That has a DisplayLink chip in it that is basically a video card that hooks up via USB, so you may need to install the drivers for it; Windows ought to figure it out once you plug it in. They work pretty well nowadays. If you don't get that specific one, you do need to be a bit careful to read the specs on the adapter you get - it specifically needs to include a DisplayLink chip, as that's literally a video card for USB, and there are adapters that don't have that in them and thus likely won't work with your machine. (These would likely also have a USB-C connector on them, but there's all sorts of weird stuff out there.)
You could use said adapter to do the switching without a dedicated KVM, though it would be clunky. Both video outputs on the laptop would be VGA, and the desktop would then hook in with the not-VGA ports. Then, you'd just need to swap inputs on the monitior, and the keyboard and mouse between the two (either by using a hub, or just swapping cables/dongles, though you could get fancy with a Logitech keyboard and mouse that can swap between Bluetooth devices, if they both also have Bluetooth), to use either machine. (Or even just do one monitor on the laptop and use its internal display alongside one of your external ones.)
posted by mrg at 1:12 PM on October 10, 2020
You could use said adapter to do the switching without a dedicated KVM, though it would be clunky. Both video outputs on the laptop would be VGA, and the desktop would then hook in with the not-VGA ports. Then, you'd just need to swap inputs on the monitior, and the keyboard and mouse between the two (either by using a hub, or just swapping cables/dongles, though you could get fancy with a Logitech keyboard and mouse that can swap between Bluetooth devices, if they both also have Bluetooth), to use either machine. (Or even just do one monitor on the laptop and use its internal display alongside one of your external ones.)
posted by mrg at 1:12 PM on October 10, 2020
You may also want to look into mouse without borders. http://aka.ms/mm
posted by bzn at 5:36 AM on October 13, 2020
posted by bzn at 5:36 AM on October 13, 2020
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"Splitting" your ethernet connection should be as easy as plugging them both into a network switch.. like this one.
posted by jozxyqk at 10:36 AM on October 10, 2020 [2 favorites]