Windows Surface Pro- dual external screen set up.

TimSynths

Update-

I ordered some leads to fit my monitors and this-



But I just couldn't get two screens to work so gave up. I went for a new role and got promoted to a new position in June and gave up on the idea of needing using two big monitors until a week or so ago, with so many different excel data sources I knew I had to get the screens going so I had another go at setting it all up and much to my delight/surprise it worked perfectly straight away.

My next dilemma was my Powerline adapter stopped working, I think its a socket issue rather than the hardware and I can get WiFi but I prefer a more reliable and stable hard wired connection, but WiFi it is at the moment. On a wired connection I get approx 110mbps and on the WiFi 30mbps but today I have raised the router up off the floor to about chest height and now get 100mbps- dead chuffed with this and not too bothered about the powerline adapters now. 

[Deleted User]

Good to hear you are all up an running on the dual screens, research has shown that productivity increases with a dual setup, it really is worth every penny.

TimSynths said:

I have raised the router up off the floor to about chest height and now get 100mbps- dead chuffed with this and not too bothered about the powerline adapters now. 

So glad to hear that.

Every time somebody comes on these forums with a Wi-Fi problem, the first thing I ask about is the router positioning. I go round to many friends houses and see the Wi-Fi box tucked away in a corner, behind a TV, in a cupboard, on the floor, right at the front of the house etc and then moan that their ISP provides rubbish Wi-Fi.

Wi-Fi doesn't like going through solid objects as you have now found out and by positioning above furniture it makes a massive difference. A radiator, sofa / cupboard / TV etc can half the strength of a Wi-Fi signal by the time it comes through the other side, and that's before it starts going through the walls of a house. Metallic and glass objects also cause reflections of the signal which can reduce the quality as well.

Many people assume glass doesn't affect Wi-Fi because it is transparent but it isn't to radio waves and also presents like a solid object.

Then you've got floors - quite often if you draw an imaginary line from an upstairs device to the Wi-Fi router you find that the path goes through the floor at an angle meaning it has a longer path through the floor than straight up and down and often passes through thick wooden joists.

This is why mesh Wi-Fi is becoming more popular as it avoids some of these issues but putting the main router in the centre of the house at head height is always my standard advice as a starting point should improve things in most cases.

Of course nothing beats an ethernet cable - cheap, fast and reliable. Quicker and easier to install than most people imagine, can be done discreetly with a bit of thought.

Anyway rant over, glad to hear you are all sorted, hopefully many will read your comment and re-consider the position of their router.