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U3818DW, KVM and USB storage devices
The manual says: "NOTE: To prevent data damage or loss, before changing USB upstream ports, make sure that NO USB storage devices are in use by the computer connected to the monitor’s USB upstream port."
What does this mean? It seems to say that the KVM is not compatible with external USB drives connected to the computer. Many people have external USB drives connected to their computer; probably most people use flash drives some. This does not say don't connect them to the monitor USB downstream ports; it seems to say don't connect them to the computer's USB ports! Or what? I bought this monitor several weeks ago, partly because of the KVM--but I have hesitated to connect the KVM because of this paragraph.
DELL-Chris M
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March 28th, 2020 21:00
Agreed that the wording is confusing. I think pages 53 and 53 explain it further. Lets say you have two PCs connected to the U3818DW.
PC#1 to U3818DW HDMI 3-1 and USB upstream 7-1
PC#2 to U3818DW DP and USB Type-C
So you are using PC#1 and you connect the USB storage device to a U3818DW USB downstream port. You then start to transfer data to and from the USB storage device to and from PC#1.
The message is saying that there might be data loss in that active data transfer if you then switch over to PC#2.
Velma K
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March 31st, 2020 06:00
Thank you, Chris M. That is what makes sense, of course, and I expect you must be correct--I'll go with that. But it sure isn't what the manual says. (I don't see anything clarifying on page 53.) You are saying this is about external storage devices connected to a "U3818DW USB downstream port". What the manual says is "in use by the computer"--it doesn't say anything about monitor USB downstream ports. How does one get the manual corrected?
DELL-Chris M
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March 31st, 2020 06:00
I have sent this thread to the Displays Team for review.