My work computer setup was recently upgraded with a Thunder Bolt 3 docking station. I'm running Ubuntu 18.04. It connects via a USB-C port on my computer. When I plug it in, the external keyboard and mouse always works, but 80% of the time the external monitors do not work. My computer detects them via the TB3 but the monitors just say no signal detected. At the moment, to get it working I spend 5 minutes turning the monitors on and off and re plugging in the USB-C cable from the TB3. It eventually works but I'm wasting a lot of time every day because I have to repeat it every time I return to my office. Any ideas?
The graphics card is an Intel UHD Graphics. My xrandr input is the same whether the monitors detect my computer or not and is here
eDP-1 connected primary 1920x1080+3968+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 309mm x 174mm
1920x1080 59.99*+ 59.97 59.96 48.01 59.93
1680x1050 59.95 59.88
1600x1024 60.17
1400x1050 59.98
1600x900 59.99 59.94 59.95 59.82
1280x1024 60.02
1440x900 59.89
1400x900 59.96 59.88
1280x960 60.00
1440x810 60.00 59.97
1368x768 59.88 59.85
1360x768 59.80 59.96
1280x800 59.99 59.97 59.81 59.91
1152x864 60.00
1280x720 60.00 59.99 59.86 59.74
1024x768 60.04 60.00
960x720 60.00
928x696 60.05
896x672 60.01
1024x576 59.95 59.96 59.90 59.82
960x600 59.93 60.00
960x540 59.96 59.99 59.63 59.82
800x600 60.00 60.32 56.25
840x525 60.01 59.88
864x486 59.92 59.57
800x512 60.17
700x525 59.98
800x450 59.95 59.82
640x512 60.02
720x450 59.89
700x450 59.96 59.88
640x480 60.00 59.94
720x405 59.51 58.99
684x384 59.88 59.85
680x384 59.80 59.96
640x400 59.88 59.98
576x432 60.06
640x360 59.86 59.83 59.84 59.32
512x384 60.00
512x288 60.00 59.92
480x270 59.63 59.82
400x300 60.32 56.34
432x243 59.92 59.57
320x240 60.05
360x202 59.51 59.13
320x180 59.84 59.32
HDMI-1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
DP-1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
HDMI-2 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
DP-1-1 connected 1920x1080+2048+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 598mm x 336mm
1920x1080 60.00*+
1600x900 60.00
1280x1024 75.02 60.02
1152x864 75.00
1024x768 75.03 60.00
800x600 75.00 60.32
640x480 75.00 59.94
720x400 70.08
DP-1-2 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
DP-1-3 connected 2048x1152+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 255mm x 255mm
2048x1152 60.00*+
3840x2160 29.56
2560x1440 59.95
2048x1280 59.92
1920x1200 59.88
1920x1080 60.00 60.00 50.00 59.94 24.00 23.98
1600x1200 60.00
1680x1050 59.95
1280x1024 75.02 60.02
1280x800 59.81
1152x864 75.00
1280x720 60.00 50.00 59.94
1024x768 75.03 60.00
800x600 75.00 60.32
720x576 50.00
720x480 60.00 59.94
640x480 75.00 60.00 59.94
720x400 70.08
Any ideas? Thank you for your time. Since it works occasionally it seems like there must be something I can do
EDIT
The docking is a TB19WD. It does have it's own power supply. To address the comments thus far (first off thanks for the replies!!), I am completely ignorant of that concern of having too many things plugged in. I have 2 external monitors. However, again, after plugging in over and over again, it will work, and it continues working until I disconnect it. I assume with the issue you are describing, it would just never work if that was the problem here? Or stop working at some point? Or is there a reason to suspect that is not the case?
Also, I had 2 external monitors with the same laptop with no issue before my work changed the docking station that was a dedicated USB-C connection rather than the new one that is a Thunder Bolt connection that supposedly can be treated like a USB-C, and there were no issues....
Lastly, there seems to be no issue if I boot into Windows on the laptop.
