MacBook Air M2 2022 w/ Dell Docking Station D3100 & Phillips 221V8 Monitors, Monitors Not Recognized

Is this the dock that you are talking about?

https://www.amazon.com/D3100-Dock-blk/dp/B00XN16C7I/ref=sr_1_6?th=1

From the description on the Amazon site, it doesn't connect to USB-C (DisplayPort) or to Thunderbolt at all! The thing has three video ports (1 x DisplayPort, 2 x HDMI), but connects to a computer via USB-A (USB 3.0). So the only monitor support would be of the "workaround" kind that requires special software on the computer.

And, sure enough, it uses DisplayLink.

https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/000144509/driver-installation-guide-for-dell-usb-dock-d3100?lang=en

"For the Dell USB Dock D3100 to work with your Dell laptop, DisplayLink driver must be installed and updated to the latest version."

Dell's site only has Windows drivers for that dock. So you would get drivers from the Synaptics site (to which there is a link near the bottom of that Dell support page). I could be mistaken, but I believe the current Mac "drivers" run as an application (not as drivers) and that you need to have that application open whenever using the monitors.

It may also be necessary to give the DisplayLink software permissions such as Screen Recording Permission.

https://support.displaylink.com/knowledgebase/topics/80209-troubleshooting-macos

The M2 MacBook Air only supports one external monitor.

Unless this dock is using some sort of "workaround" technology (like DisplayLink) to create second-class display outputs, you're not going to get two independent external screens.

If the dock is using something like DisplayLink, then you'll need to install matching software on your MacBook Air. Those type of workarounds depend on active cooperation between software running on a computer (that creates virtual displays) and "magic decoder" chipsets in specially-equipped adapters or docks.

Are you on the latest version of Sonoma, 14.4.1? In 14.4 there were some known issues with dock connectivity

Your M2 MacBook Air only supports one external monitor. It can be a very high-resolution monitor (even a 6K Apple Pro Display XDR), but the limit is one.

MacBook Air (M2, 2022) - Technical Specifications - Apple Support

MacBook Air (15-inch, M2, 2023) - Technical Specifications - Apple Support

You could certainly replace the docking station with a better one, but there's no docking station which can add extra hardware-supported video outputs to a M2 MacBook Air. Even a high-end Thunderbolt dock that would have the ability to drive two monitors (when attached to a more capable Mac) would be limited to one monitor when connected to your Mac. (It would only be getting one video signal to redistribute.)

So to connect both of those monitors to a M2 MacBook Air, you're looking at some workaround. Whether that's the one you're using, or another one. Then you weigh that against "is it better to connect two small monitors via this workaround, or one larger one in a supported way?"

The Philips 221V8 monitors appear to be 21.5", 1920x1080 monitors.

https://www.displayspecifications.com/en/model/51871bdb

https://www.philips.com.ph/c-p/221V8_71/lcd-monitor

I don't know what budget you're working with – but I'd be tempted to replace both of them with a single 27" to 32" UHD 4K (3840x2160 pixel) monitor that your MacBook Air could drive in a hardware-accelerated way using one of the following types of connections:

USB-C to USB-C (could carry video, hook up monitor hub ports, and deliver power to the laptop)

USB-C to DisplayPort

USB-C to Mini DisplayPort

USB-C to HDMI

A 4K monitor running in Retina "UI looks like 2560x1440" mode would have about 1.8x as much "workspace" as a single 1920x1080 monitor – so you wouldn't lose all that much "workspace", but the display would be sharper and you would have a higher-quality connection to the monitor with no need for software workarounds.