Getting started with Windows 10 wireless display mirroring in your classroom
Wireless screen mirroring is the final piece in the puzzle to untether the teacher from the desk at the front of the classroom. Much has been said about flipped learning and moving away from the factory model of teaching, but unless you can get the technology right, none of that will work.
This guide will walk you through everything you need and outline all the pitfalls to get wireless screen mirroring with Windows 10 in your classroom.
What is wireless screen mirroring?
Wireless screen mirroring is the ability to mirror the display from your laptop or tablet to an external screen or projector without cables. This allows the teacher to move around the classroom instead of being tethered to the front desk.
You might use camera to display a students work on the classroom screen, allow a student to edit a document from their desk, or connect their own device to the screen at the front of the room to share something they are working on.
Screen mirroring has been available on iPad for several years. It’s only recently that this has become a viable option on Windows 10 devices.
What do you need for screen mirroring in Windows 10?
There are two things you need to get Windows 10 screen mirroring up and running in your classroom?
- A computer running Windows 10 with Miracast support.
- A wireless display adapter which supports Miracast.
To use wireless screen mirroring your Windows 10 laptop or tablet needs to support Miracast, which is an industry standard wireless mirroring protocol. Most modern Windows 10 computers, including Microsoft Surface, support Miracast as standard, so if your computer is new, you’re good to go.
Wireless Display FAQ
How can I check that my computer supports Miracast?
Most modern Windows 10 laptops and tablets, including all models of Microsoft Surface, support Miracast as standard. But if you’re not sure you can check if your device supports it by doing the following:
Select the Windows Start button and open the Connect app.
The Connect app will confirm if your Windows 10 computer allows screen mirroring.
What is a wireless display adapter?
The wireless display adapter connects to the HDMI socket of your classroom screen or projector and receives the image from your Windows 10 computer.
Can I use screen mirroring if my computer doesn’t support Miracast?
Don’t worry, hope is not lost. If your Windows 10 computer doesn’t support Miracast you can buy a Miracast dongle to add the hardware required. It’s not as graceful a solution as having it built in but it will get you up and running without having to buy a new computer.
What if I don’t have Windows 10?
Screen mirroring is baked into Windows 10 and Window 8.1 as standard. So, you don’t need to install any additional apps or software as long as you have the hardware to support it.
If your computer is running Windows 7 or Windows 8, you can still use wireless screen mirroring but you may require additional software provided by your wireless display adapter manufacturer.
Can I use touch input or draw on my screen and send that back to my Windows 10 computer?
Yes. Windows 10 supports touch feedback during screen mirroring if your touchscreen and wireless display adapter also supports it.
We recommend using the ActionTec Screenbeam display adapter listed below for this.
How do I know if my screen supports touch?
In order to support wireless touch your screen needs to be able to recieve/send touch input via USB.
Can I wirelessly display my screen on another Windows 10 computer?
Yes, but that’s a post for another time!
How do I know if my screen or projector supports wireless screen mirroring?
You need a free HDMI socket, and that’s it:
Types of wireless screen mirroring
There are two types of screen mirroring that you’ll come across, each with their own pros and cons.
The first is direct or point-to-point screen mirroring, which is the cheapest and easiest to get started with.
The second is infrastructure screen mirroring, which is more complicated, and costly, but provides a more scalable and manageable solution.
I’ve outlined the difference between the two options below to help you choose the best solution for your situation and school.
Direct Wireless Screen Mirroring
Direct (or point-to-point) wireless screen mirroring creates a direct connection between your Windows 10 computer and a wireless display adapter plugged into the screen. This is the easiest and quickest way to get up and running with screen mirroring in your classroom but can provide a less consistent connection.
Pros
- Cheap to get started
- Easy to set up
- Can be easily moved between screens
- Can be used easily by students & guests
Cons
- Can be affected by high Wi-Fi use
- Difficult to manage multiple devices
- Limited range
- Difficult to secure
Infrastructure Wireless Screen Mirroring
Infrastructure wireless mirroring connects your Windows 10 computer to your screen via your school’s WiFi connection.
Pros
- Provides more reliable connection
- Allows you to connect over a greater distance
- Can be supported by your IT team
- Easy to manage multiple devices
- Multiple ways to secure
Cons
- Cannot be easily moved between screens
- Cannot be easily used by students or guests
- Higher cost
What hardware do you need?
If you’ve checked that your Windows 10 device supports Miracast (see the FAQ above), the final thing you need is wireless display adapter. This is the hardware which plugs into the HDMI socket of your display screen or projector.
Depending on the option you’ve chosen, a range of different adapters are available.
Microsoft Wireless Display Adapter
Direct connection only
The official Microsoft Wireless Display Adapter is the easiest and cheapest way to get started with screen mirroring with Windows 10 in your classroom.
Pros
- Low cost
- Easy to setup and use
- USB powered or optional power from wall socket
- Easy to move between classrooms
- Official support from Microsoft
Cons
- Heavy Wifi use can cause interference
- Easily stolen
- Struggles with 4K
- Doesn’t support touch feedback
- Security cannot be centrally managed
Where can I buy?
Screenbeam 1000 Edu
Screenbeam with a third-party Miracast adapter. It’s designed to be installed in large numbers and has a range of management options.
Direct and infrastructure connections supported
Pros
- Consistent image, even with video
- Can be centrally managed
- Easy to setup and use
- Powered by wall socket
- Supports up to 4K
- Supports Android, iPad, Mac
- Uses industry standard Miracast
- Self manages wireless frequencies
Cons
- Expensive
- Complicated configuration
- Not easy to take with you
Where can I buy?
ScreenBeam Transmitter
If your laptop doesn’t have the hardware to support wireless screen mirroring, rather than buy a new laptop, you can purchase a Miracast transmitter.
Pros
- Enables wireless mirroring on devices without the hardware to support it
Cons
- Additional cost
- Requires additional software
Where can I buy?
How to connect to your wireless display adapter
Once you’ve got all your hardware in place, how do you connect to your screen from Windows 10?
- Open the Windows 10 Action Center, by either swiping in from the right of the screen or clicking the Action Center button at the bottom right of the screen.
- Click Connect.
- Your wireless display adapter will appear in the list. Click it to connect.
Allow mouse, keyboard, touch and pen input from your screen
If you’re connecting to an interactive touchscreen or projector, you can enable the touch input and pen from the screen to be sent back to your Windows 10 computer by following these steps:
- Open the Windows 10 Action Center, by either swiping in from the right of the screen or clicking the Action Center button at the bottom right of the screen.
- Click Connect.
- Tick the Allow mouse, keyboard, touch and pen input from this device box.
Duplicate or Extend?
Using the
- Open the Windows 10 Action Center, by either swiping in from the right of the screen or clicking the Action Center button at the bottom right of the screen.
- Click Project.
- Choose the display option you need:
PC screen only
Only show the display on your Windows 10 device.
Duplicate
Show the same display on both your Windows 10 device and the wireless screen.
Extend
Show a different but connected desktops on your Windows 10 device and the wireless screen.
Second screen only
Turn off the display on your Windows 10 device but show the display on your wireless screen.
How to disconnect from your wireless screen
To disconnect from your wireless display:
- Open the Windows 10 Action Center, by either swiping in from the right of the screen or clicking the Action Center button at the bottom right of the screen.
- Click Connect.
- Click Disconnect.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Miracast?
Miracast is an industry standard wireless display technology that creates a point-to-point connection between the source device and the display.
Why use Miracast?
Miracast has broad adoption across most device manufacturers and operating systems. This means that when you change your device, you’ll still be able to use the same wireless display adapter.
Can I connect to two displays at once?
No. Currently Miracast only allows for connection to a single screen.
Can my students connect to my display?
Yes. If your wireless display adapter’s security is appropriately configured your students will also be able to wirelessly connect to your screen.
Can I connect iPads to my Miracast wireless display?
No. iPhoneOS and iPadOS devices (including iPads and iPhones) do not support Miracast.
Can I connect Macbook or iMac to my Miracast wireless display?
Yes. MacOS X supports Miracast.
How far away from the screen can you get?
Point-to-point Miracast connections are limited to approximately 10m, depending on the structure of your classroom.
Infrastructure connections are only limited by the range of your schools wireless network.
Battery life when wireless screen mirroring
Screen mirroring can have a significant impact on battery life.
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Did I miss anything?
If you have a question about wireless display mirroring which you didn’t find an answer for here, let me know in the comments so I can update the article!
