Projectors have made the entertainment aspect of our lives so great. Watching your favorite movie on a screen with a projector can give you a great feeling. Similarly, it has made making presentations and projecting something to a large group of people much easier.
Despite this, it could be tricky sometimes when you connect your projector to your laptop, smartphone, or TV. This is normal, especially if you have never used a projector before. It is not surprising that not everyone knows how to do it.
You can connect your Dell Laptop to your BenQ projector by using a VGA or HDMI cable, an HDMI-to-VGA adapter, or a USB-C to HDMI/ VGA adapter and wirelessly when your projector and laptop are on the same Wi-Fi network.
Connecting a Dell Laptop to a BenQ projector can be very hectic because modern Dell laptops do not have VGA ports. Old models, for instance, had a VGA port that made connection easier. All you had to do was attach your VGA cable to both ends of the devices and push the F5 function key on your laptop. Today, I will talk to you about how you can connect your Dell Laptop to your BenQ projector without difficulty.
Ways to Connect My Dell Laptop to a BenQ Projector
As stated earlier, I will show you four ways in which you can connect your laptop to the projector. If one of them does not work for you, try another:
- HDMI or VGA
- HDMI-to-VGA adapter
- USB-C to HDMI/VGA adapter
- Wireless connection
Using an HDMI or VGA cable
If your Dell laptop has a VGA port or an HDMI cable, the connection becomes easy. In old models of Dell laptops, you will realize that they have a VGA port. However, most newer models do not have a VGA port but rather an HDMI port. Depending on the type of port your laptop has, and the type of port your projector has, follow these steps:
Connecting Dell Laptop to BenQ projector with an HDMI/VGA cable
- Connect one end of the cable (HDMI/VGA) to the port on your laptop.
- Connect the other end of the cable to the port of the projector.
Once you have correctly plugged the cable into the respective ports, the image on your projector should appear. If the image does not appear on the screen, change the input source to the type of connection you are using (HDMI or VGA).
Also Read:
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Using HDMI-to-VGA Adapter
If your projector only has a VGA port and your Dell laptop uses an HDMI port, you must acquire an HDMI-to-VGA adapter to aid in connection. The adapter allows you to connect your HDMI cable from your laptop to it while also allowing you to connect the HDMI cable from your projector to it. To connect your Dell laptop to your BenQ projector using an HDMI-to-VGA adapter, do this:
- Connect one end of the HDMI cable to your laptop and connect the other end to the HDMI port of the adapter.
- Connect one end of the VGA cable to your projector and connect the other end to the VGA port of the adapter.
If the connection is made correctly, your laptop’s image should be projected onto the projector screen. In this case, the input source you have to choose is VGA.
What if my projector has only a VGA port and my projector has only an HDMI port?
In this case, you have to connect the VGA cable to your laptop, connect the HDMI cable to your projector, and join them with the HDMI-to-VGA port.
Connecting with a USB-C to HDMI/VGA Adapter
If you are using a Dell model like the Latitude 3379 or the Vostro 3500, you will need to purchase a USB-C HDMI/VGA adapter. With such models, a connection is only possible with USB-C cables or adapters.
If your projector has both VGA and HDMI ports, you can opt for a USB-C to HDMI adapter because a connection with HDMI gives the best results, especially if you will project a video. Nevertheless, the type of adapter you would like to purchase will depend on your projector’s port.
This is how to connect your Dell laptop to a BenQ projector using a USB-C to HDMI/VGA port:
- Connect the USB-C end of the adapter to your laptop.
- Connect either the VGA or HDMI (depending on the type the adapter has) end of the adapter to your cable.
- Connect the HDMI or VGA cable to your projector.
The source to choose will be depending on the port you are using on your projector.
Using the Wireless Connection
Connecting your Dell laptop to your BenQ projector is possible if both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. Connecting your laptop to your projector is very convenient because of the reduction in wiring.
Connecting your Dell laptop to a Wi-Fi network
- Turn on your laptop and Wi-Fi router.
- Go to the taskbar of your laptop and locate the globe icon. It is usually on the right-hand side of the taskbar.
- From the pop-up menu, look for the name of your Wi-Fi network and connect to it.
- Input the password if you are prompted to do so.
Connecting Your BenQ projector to a Wi-Fi Network
- Access your projector’s Wi-Fi settings.
- To switch on the wireless network settings, select the toggle.
- Wait for your projector to search for available Wi-Fi networks.
- If you do not see your device’s name, scroll down and select “Add New Network.”
- Your device will search for nearby wireless networks.
- Search for your network’s name and select it.
- Input the password if you are prompted to do so.
- You will get a confirmation message if the connection is successful.
This is How to Connect Your Dell laptop to Your BenQ Projector:
- Make sure both devices are on the same Wi-Fi network.
- Go to your projector’s “Wireless Projection” option with the remote or keypads on the projector.
- Search and select the operating system of your device. In this case, you will select “Windows.”
- Follow the on-screen instructions.
- Once you are done, open the Google chrome browser on your laptop.
- Click on “More options” in your browser. This is usually the three horizontal dots at the top right corner of the page.
- Click on “Cast” and wait a while. Your image will be projected after a few seconds.
How Do I Access the Projection Mode on My Laptop?
On your laptop, press the Windows key simultaneously with the P button. You will see a list of four projection methods to choose from:
With a PC screen only, the projection on the projector screen will be disabled, leaving that on your laptop’s screen.
The duplicate will project on both your projector screen and laptop screen at the same time.
With the extended mode, both screens will act as one. You will be able to drag items from one screen to the other. One will become a primary screen, while the other becomes a secondary one.
The second screen-only option will disable the image on your laptop’s screen and maintain the one on the projector screen.
Final Thoughts
There are multiple ways to connect your Dell laptop to your BenQ projector. You just have to choose the one that is convenient and easy for you depending on what ports your laptop and your projector have.
By following the instructions I have provided, you should be able to connect your laptop to your projector. If they fail, you may have a broken cable or adapter or either your projector or laptop’s port is faulty.
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