Waking Up A Dormant Computer On Your Network

how to wake up a sleeping computer on the network

Waking up a sleeping computer on your network can be done in several ways, from the convenience of your phone or laptop. This can be achieved using tools like Wake-on-LAN, which allows you to send a magic packet to your PC, turning it on from anywhere in the house. To enable this feature, you need to configure the network card and device settings to recognize specific packet headers and allow the device to wake up the computer. Alternatively, you can use remote support servers or a smart plug with an app to wake up your computer from outside your local network.

How to Wake Up a Sleeping Computer on the Network

Characteristics Values
Wake-on-LAN Designed to wake up another computer on the same network.
Wake-on-LAN App Required on another device such as a phone or laptop.
Network Card Must support the Wake-on-LAN feature.
Power Options May need to be tweaked in the BIOS or Windows' Control Panel.
Fast Startup Feature May need to be disabled.
Magic Packet Sent from a phone or laptop to wake up the computer.
Static IP Allows you to skip setting up an external IP DNS solution.
Dynamic DNS Client Required to set up an external IP DNS solution.
Keyboard or Mouse Can be used to wake the computer by enabling the 'Allow this device to wake the computer' option in Device Manager.
Power Button Holding it down for a few seconds can force a restart.
Sleep Mode Feature Disabling and re-enabling in power settings may rectify issues.
System Drivers Updating may help with recurring problems.

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Using a Wake-on-LAN app

Wake-on-LAN is a feature that allows you to turn on a computer using its network connection. This can be done from anywhere within your house with just the tap of a button. For example, if you use Chrome Remote Desktop to access a workstation in another room or upstairs, you can use Wake-on-LAN to wake up the sleeping computer without having to physically go to it and press the power button.

To use Wake-on-LAN, the network card of the computer being woken up needs to support the feature. Additionally, you will need to enable Wake-on-LAN at the hardware level in the computer's BIOS. To do this, reboot your PC and press a specific key (usually Delete, F2, or another function key) at the boot screen. Once you enter the BIOS menu, look for the Wake-on-LAN option, which may be found under sleep and wake settings or a similar heading.

For laptops, select the "Power Adapter" tab and check the "Wake for Wi-Fi network access" box (ensuring your Wi-Fi router supports this feature). For desktops, check the "Wake for Network access" box, which can be found under the Computer sleep and Display sleep sliders.

There are also Wake-on-LAN apps available for mobile devices, such as Mocha WOL for iOS and Wake On Lan for Android. These apps can be used to wake up a sleeping PC connected to your account. For Windows machines, NirSoft's WakeMeOnLan is recommended as it scans the network and provides a list of devices, so you don't need to remember the correct IP address each time. Simply click on the machine you want to wake up and hit "Wake Up".

Note that some computers may only support Wake-on-LAN from sleep, while others may allow it to wake up from a powered-off state. You may need to adjust power options in the BIOS or Windows' Control Panel to ensure compatibility. Additionally, some computers have a fast startup feature that may need to be disabled for Wake-on-LAN to function properly.

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Enabling Wake-on-LAN on the OS side

Wake-on-LAN (WoL) is a networking standard protocol that can turn on a computer from a low-power state using a unique signal over the local network, also called a "magic packet". This feature is handy for maintaining a connection to your computer to access files and apps while minimising power usage.

To enable Wake-on-LAN on the OS side, you need to first enable it in the Basic Input Output System (BIOS) or Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) on supported hardware. Then, follow these steps:

  • Click on the Start menu, then search for and open "Device Manager".
  • Find the "Network Adapters" section in the Device Manager and expand it to reveal your network interfaces.
  • Right-click on your Ethernet adapter and select "Properties".
  • Click on the "Advanced" tab, then scroll down to "Wake on Magic Packet" and ensure it's set to "Enabled" using the drop-down box on the right.
  • (Optional) Use the "Value" drop-down menu and select the "WoL & Shutdown Link Speed" option. Then, select the 10Mbps option.
  • Click on the "Power Management" tab.
  • Check the "Allow this device to wake the computer" option.
  • Check the "Only allow a magic packet to wake the computer" option.
  • Click "OK".

After completing these steps, you can send "magic packets" to wake up your device. If you want to use a third-party tool to send the "magic packet", you can use programs such as NirSoft's WakeMeOnLan, Depicus, Mocha WOL (iOS), or Wake On Lan (Android).

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Using a 'magic packet'

Wake-on-LAN (WoL) is a networking standard protocol that can turn on a computer from a low-power state using a unique signal over the local network, also called a "magic packet". This feature is like a remote power button on your device. It is useful when you want to access files and apps on your computer while minimising power usage.

To use the Wake-on-LAN feature, you must first enable it on the motherboard firmware or on the network adapter. To do this, reboot your PC and press a specific key (usually Delete, F2, or another function key) at the boot screen. Once you enter the BIOS menu, find the Wake-on-LAN option, which may be in the sleep and wake settings. Then, on the OS side, launch the Device Manager and find the Network Adapters section. Right-click on the Ethernet adapter, select Properties, and click on the Advanced tab. Scroll down to "Wake on Magic Packet" and ensure it is set to "Enabled".

You can then use third-party tools to send a magic packet over the network containing the MAC address of the remote computer to wake it up. For example, the "WakeMeOnLan" tool from NirSoft can be used to wake a device remotely. However, as this is a third-party tool, it should be used at your own risk.

It is important to note that Wake-on-LAN is designed to wake up another computer on your network, so it won't work for computers on another network. Additionally, while most modern Ethernet adapters support Wake-on-LAN, wireless adapters rarely do. If you are using a wireless adapter, you will be able to send the magic packet over Wi-Fi, but the receiving computer will likely need to be plugged in via Ethernet.

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Disabling the 'Only allow management stations' option

Disabling the "Only allow management stations to bring the computer out of standby" option can be done through the "Power Management" tab in the properties of your network adapter. This option is usually found under the "Allow this device to bring the computer out of standby" option.

To disable this option, follow these steps:

  • Open the Start menu and search for "Device Manager."
  • Find your network adapter in the list of devices. It is usually listed under "Network Adapters."
  • Right-click on the network adapter and select "Properties."
  • Navigate to the "Power Management" tab in the properties window.
  • Locate the "Only allow management stations to bring the computer out of standby" option.
  • Uncheck or disable this option.
  • Click "OK" or "Apply" to save the changes.

Disabling this option will allow your computer to be woken up by specific packet headers such as ARP queries or TCP SYN handshake packets, known as "Wake on pattern" functionality. However, it may also cause your computer to wake up on any connection attempts, not just RDP.

It's important to note that this option may be labelled differently depending on your hardware and software configurations. Additionally, the exact steps to access the "Power Management" settings may vary slightly between different versions of Windows.

If you're having trouble finding the correct settings, you can try using the powercfg.exe tool in Windows to manage power plans and analyze your system for power-related issues. This tool can be used to enable or disable devices from waking up your computer.

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Using a smart plug

Firstly, ensure that your computer supports Wake-on-LAN (WoL). Most new NICs support WoL, which enables the NIC to wake up the computer when it receives a special Ethernet packet, known as a "magic packet". To check if your computer supports WoL, refer to its documentation or BIOS settings.

Once you've confirmed WoL support, follow these steps:

  • Configure your NIC to handle WoL: In the Network Connections window, right-click the connection using the NIC, then click Properties.
  • Enable WoL: In the Properties dialog box, display the Advanced tab and look for Wake Up Capabilities. Click this property and select ''On' in the Value list.
  • Set your BIOS: Power on the PC after power is resumed by adjusting the settings in your BIOS.
  • Use the smart plug app: When you're away from your computer, use the app to toggle the plug. Wait a minute, and your PC should connect to the network.
  • Shut down: When you're done, shut down your computer and switch off the smart plug.

It is important to note that you should not directly power off the smart plug as it may lead to corrupted files or issues with your operating system. Always follow the normal shutdown procedure for your computer.

Frequently asked questions

You can use Wake-on-LAN to wake up a computer on the same network. First, enable Wake-on-LAN in the BIOS settings of the computer. Then, use a Wake-on-LAN app on another device to send a "magic packet" to the sleeping computer's IP address.

To wake up a computer on a different network, you can try using a smart plug that can be controlled via an app. Alternatively, you can set up an external IP DNS solution that regularly updates your external IP address, allowing you to send "magic packets" to the correct address.

To wake up a computer with RDP access, you can enable the "Allow this device to wake up the PC from sleep" option in the device manager. Additionally, you can disable the "Allow wake-up only by magic packet" setting.

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