This is the proprietary HDMI adapter for sharing photos, video, and presentations on larger screens. The adapter is designed for the Surface tablets line-up but can be used with any laptop featuring the Mini DisplayPort port. The wire is long enough and robust.
Contents
Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter and Surface Adapter
Specifications of the Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter
- Compatibility: Surface 3, Surface Pro 3, Surface Pro 4, Surface Book, any Microsoft Windows laptop.
- Dimensions: 9.06 x 0.87 x 0.44 inch.
- Weight: 0.06 lbs.
- Connector type: Mini-DisplayPort Male (input), HDMI Female (output).
- Warranty: 1 year limited.
- Price: $39.99.
Miscellanea
Users report say, this adapter won’t support anything higher than 1080p and won’t work with Surface Dock. Besides the HDMI connector is of very poor quality and lags on the screen. It leads to intermittent disconnection. So, it will be hard to follow the point 1 of our Troubleshooting guide you can find below.
How to connect a Surface tablet or Surface book to an external display. It takes very simple steps:
- Locate the Mini DisplayPort on the righthand side of your Surface Book (it’s tiny. Much smaller than a USB port).
- Plug in an HDMI cable with a Mini DisplayPort end into your Surface Book (more on cable options below). Plug the other end into your external display.
- Go to Start -> Settings -> PC Settings -> PC and Devices -> Display -> Find Display
- The second display found, switch to it.
Now you’ll see the pictogram featuring two displays. Pay attention, that the quadrangles sizes have nothing to do with those of the display. The resolution is the key: the display with the higher resolution of the two will always be larger in the pictogram. The tablet’s screen will always be number 1 and the external display will have number two. You can change their place in the pictogram (in a row, or in a column) or resolution of the external display, but never the number.
To change the resolution of the external display, tap or click its pictogram on your tablet or laptop and the resolution slider will appear. Choose the resolution you like.
While working with two displays you can send the window from one screen to another with a drag-and-drop either on desktop display or on the tablet. All you have to do is to drag the window to the screen’s edge. But here’s the trick what edge to choose.
For instance, you placed Screen 1 on the top and Screen 2 in the bottom. Then you are to drag the windows in the desktop display to the upper edge for it to appear in the tablet. If you tablet is placed in the right of the external display, drag the window to the right to get it into tablet and in the tablet – back to the left for it to re-appear on the larger screen.
Troubleshooting
Now and then you may face troubles while connecting the tablet to the external display. Here are some troubleshooting tips for you.
- Make sure the adapter is plugged all the way into the socket.
- If the screen is not still found, reboot the tablet. Then re-connect the external display again.
- If the screen is found but there’s no picture or sound, disconnect the external display and re-connect it again.
- Swap your adapter for a spare one.
Surface Ethernet Adapter
This is the proprietary Ethernet adapter for connecting your Surface to the Web or local network. It can be connected to the device via the high-speed USB 3.0 port and features a minuscule LED light to indicate the traffic. The Surface device can be plugged into net printers and servers. In Windows 10, version 1511 and later the drivers for Microsoft Surface Ethernet Adapters are present by default.
Specification of the Surface Ethernet Adapter
- Compatibility: Surface 3, Surface Pro 3, Surface Pro 4, Surface Book, any Microsoft Windows laptop.
- Dimensions: 12.04 x 0.87 x 0.67 inch.
- Weight: 0.06 lbs.
- Connector type: USB 3.0, Ethernet socket.
- Warranty: 1 year limited.
- Model #: 3U4-00001 (discontinued), F5U-00021, MIF5U00021.
- Price: $39.99.
Miscellanea
The Surface Ethernet Adapter can be given an own MAC address in the network. Considering this, every Surface gadget should have an Ethernet adapter each. Sharing one adapter between several devices will lead to mass confusion in the network.
The proprietary Surface Ethernet adapters support booting from the network (known as PXE boot, read as ‘pixie’).
This is possible because they feature the internal chip compatible with the Surface firmware.
To boot from the network or a connected USB stick, instruct the Surface device to boot from an alternate boot device fist. Alter the boot order or set the bootable USB device by default.
Here’s the step-by-step guide (do not try it unless you’re 100% sure you understand what you’re doing):
- Check if the Surface device is off.
- Connect the Ethernet adapter and the keyboard (for navigating the deploying menus).
- Press and hold the Volume Down button.
- Press and release the Power button.
- Once the system starts booting from the USB stick or Ethernet adapter, release the Volume Down button.
Links
- Trade in your Microsfot Surface for top cash: Don’t waste your time, if you want to save cash for a new model, sell your old electronics to iGotOffer for the best price online: Sell Surface online now!