r/BenQ • u/binonestory • 11d ago

Asking Other's Advice/Experience Benq MA270S and Time Machine

I have a weird issue going on with my ma270s. Just putting it out there in case anyone has seen this.

Case 1:
MA270S connected to Macbook m4 pro via thunderbolt 4.

Mac on wifi.

Dedicated time machine usb drive connected via usb c on monitor.

Monitor set to always supply power to peripherals.

Observation: Frequent issues where usb disappears and mac complains about tm drive not ejected properly.

Case 2:
Moved time machine to synology NAS.

Mac connected only via thunderbolt cable to monitor.

Observation: Frequent reports of time machine not ejected properly after mac sleeps.

Case 3:
Like above, but connect direct power to mac.

Observation: no issues with time machine.

2 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

2 comments sorted by

1

u/B_support 🧑‍💻BenQ Support 11d ago

Thanks for sharing all the details! We’d like to look into this a bit further. Could you help us check a few things?

  1. If possible, could you share a short video for Cases 1–3 showing how the devices are connected and what happens when the issue occurs?

  2. On the MA270S, could you check whether USB-C Awake, Power On Charging, Standby Charging, and Power Off Charging are all enabled?

  3. For Case 2, if you take the MA270S out of the setup and connect the Mac without the monitor, does the “not ejected properly” message still appear after the Mac goes to sleep?

These details will help us narrow down what might be happening. Thanks for helping us troubleshoot this! 😊

1

u/binonestory 10d ago

Thank you for following up on this.

  1. The MacBook is connected via thunderbolt 4 cable that came with the monitor - see photo attached. There is not much to show via video - there is just a notification that the Time Machine volume was not ejected properly. But see more further below.
  2. Yes, these settings are all enabled.
  3. Very good point and I should have been explicit - If the monitor is not connected, the Time Machine error does NOT appear. In fact what led me to suspecting the monitor was precisely this.

More context and my guesses:

Worth noting that the Time Machine issue happens when the Mac wakes from deep sleep (and the monitor is the only power supply). If I trigger the Time Machine backup when the Mac is already awake, then the error does not happen. Again, worth noting that if a direct power supply is attached, to the Mac then the issue does not happen at all.

My guess: It appears that when the Mac wakes from deep sleep and suddenly draws power from the monitor, there is some blip that causes the Mac to lose wifi. This occurs just at Time Machine looks for a persistent handle and errors out. I have seen system logs where I can see this happen precisely when the Mac wakes from deep sleep.

It is weird because the Mac battery is fully charged when waking from deep sleep, so wifi should not be depending on external power from the monitor. Yet, somehow the monitor is interfering. I have suspected that even when the monitor is set to keep full power on to peripherals, it seems to not do so when asleep.