Moonlight Game Streaming: Can It Wake Sleeping Computers?

can moonlight game streaming wake a computer from sleep

Moonlight is a game streaming service that allows users to play games remotely. However, some users have reported issues with the service not working properly when their computer wakes up from sleep mode. This issue seems to be related to NVIDIA's software rather than Moonlight itself. In some cases, users have found workarounds, such as using Wake on LAN (WOL) to re-awaken their computers or streaming the full desktop and using the Quit app after quitting session option. It is important to note that WOL may not work if the computer is put to sleep for an extended period, and it depends on the user's router configuration.

Characteristics Values
Can Moonlight game streaming wake a computer from sleep? No, the computer is not recognised as being awake by Moonlight, so it cannot connect to it.
How to fix this issue? You can restart the host computer, or use wake on lan (WOL) to re-awake the computer.

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Moonlight/Nvidia remote play softlock

Moonlight game streaming cannot wake a computer from sleep. If the computer goes to sleep during a Moonlight session, the host is locked in Moonlight and the computer is not recognised as being awake. This results in a softlock, where the computer cannot connect to Moonlight. To resolve this issue, you need to restart the host computer.

One suggestion to prevent this issue is to stream the full desktop and use the "Quit app after quitting session" option to automatically quit your session after disconnecting. Another suggestion is to set up a power-efficient PC in your network that is always on and can wake your gaming PC from inside the network.

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Nvidia software bug

Moonlight game streaming can wake a computer from sleep, but it doesn't always work. One user reported that their computer was not recognised as being awake by Moonlight, so it couldn't connect to it. Another user suggested streaming the full desktop and using the "Quit app after quitting session" option to automatically quit the session after disconnecting. This works, but sometimes the user might not want to quit when closing, for example, to re-open after restarting the computer where Moonlight runs.

There is also a bug in NVIDIA's software, not Moonlight itself, which causes issues with the computer waking from sleep. One user reported that they had set a sleep timeout of 60 minutes on their host Windows server, which makes the computer go to sleep if the mouse is not moved. They then use Wake on LAN (WOL) to re-awake the computer, but this doesn't always work, especially if the router doesn't allow for WOL to work on the internet.

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Moonlight host lock

Moonlight is a game-streaming service that allows users to play games remotely on their computers. However, some users have reported issues with Moonlight not being able to wake their computers from sleep mode.

One issue is that if the computer goes to sleep while a Moonlight session is active, the user may not be able to reconnect to Moonlight after waking the computer. The host is locked in Moonlight, and the only solution is to force a restart of the computer. This can be avoided by knowing how to close a session from within the host and triggering that before the computer goes to sleep.

Another issue is that the computer is not recognised as being awake by Moonlight, so it cannot connect to it. This seems to be related to NVIDIA's software rather than Moonlight itself. A workaround for this issue is to use Wake on LAN (WOL) to wake the computer from sleep. However, WOL may not work if the PC is put to sleep manually and depends on the user's router configuration.

To avoid these issues, some users suggest streaming the full desktop and using the "Quit app after quitting session" option to automatically quit the session when disconnecting. This ensures that the Moonlight session is terminated properly and reduces the likelihood of encountering issues when waking the computer from sleep.

Overall, while Moonlight game streaming may not always be able to wake a computer from sleep, there are workarounds and best practices that users can follow to minimise disruptions and maintain a smooth streaming experience.

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WOL (Wake on LAN)

Moonlight game streaming cannot wake a computer from sleep. However, Wake on LAN (WOL) can be used to wake a computer from sleep. WOL is a feature that allows a computer to be turned on or woken up remotely. It is often used to wake computers that have gone to sleep or been shut down to save power.

To use WOL, the computer must be configured to accept wake-up packets while it is asleep. These packets are sent over the network to the computer's network interface card, which then triggers the computer to power on or wake up.

It is important to note that WOL may not work if the computer is put to sleep when the user is not at home. This is because most commercial routers do not allow WOL to be triggered directly from a remote device. Instead, WOL must be triggered from inside the local area network (LAN) or through a virtual private network (VPN).

One way to ensure that WOL works remotely is to have a power-efficient PC always on within the network that can wake the gaming PC from inside the network. Alternatively, the user can configure their router to allow WOL to be triggered from the internet, although this may require additional configuration.

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Moonlight session termination

Moonlight game streaming cannot wake a computer from sleep. If the computer goes to sleep while a game session is active, the host is locked in Moonlight and the user cannot connect to Moonlight again until the host computer is restarted.

To prevent this, you can set a sleep timeout on your host Windows server, which will put the computer to sleep if the mouse is not moved for a certain period of time. You can then use wake on LAN (WOL) to wake the computer up again. However, WOL will not work if your computer is put to sleep when you are outside your local network.

Another option is to stream the full desktop and use the "Quit app after quitting session" option to automatically quit your session after you disconnect.

Wake Up Early, But Keep Your Sleep

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Frequently asked questions

No, Moonlight cannot connect to a computer after it has been woken up from sleep.

If you try to use Moonlight to wake your computer from sleep, the computer will not be recognised as being awake by Moonlight and you will not be able to connect to it.

This is due to a bug in NVIDIA's software.

Yes, you can set a sleep timeout on your host Windows server so that the computer goes to sleep if the mouse is not moved. You can then use Wake on LAN (WOL) to re-awake the computer. However, WOL will not work if your PC is put to sleep when you are not at home.

Yes, an easy fix would be to know how to close a session from within the host and trigger that before the computer goes to sleep.

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