Waking Up A Dormant Ultra Vnc Server: Troubleshooting Guide

how to wake up a sleeping ultra vnc server

If you're having trouble waking up your Ultra VNC server from sleep mode, there are several methods you can try. One common suggestion is to enable Wake-On-Lan (WoL) on your Windows PC, which will allow it to wake up and accept connections when it receives a network connection request. However, it's important to note that WoL typically requires a wired connection and might not function wirelessly. Additionally, you can try running TightVNC on your Windows PC, as it acts as a Windows service that automatically wakes up a sleeping PC. Another potential solution is to ensure that your NIC/Wireless card is not turning off to save power, as this can prevent the server from waking up. Finally, some users have suggested modifying BIOS settings, such as turning on wake-on-lan support or specifying the appropriate hibernation level, although results may vary.

How to wake up a sleeping Ultra VNC server

Characteristics Values
Operating System Windows 7
VNC Type realVNC server, TightVNC server, UltraVNC
Solution Enable Wake-On-Lan (WoL)
Connection Type Wired connection
NIC/Wireless Card Ensure it is not turned off to "save power"
Jumper Wire Must be connected to the motherboard for WoL to work
Broadcast Address Default: 255.255.255.255; Subnet: 192.168.1.255
MAC Address Ensure correct MAC address of the machine
Subnets/VLANs Need to set up forwarding in layer 3 switch or router
Alternative Try mc-wol

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Ensure Wake-On-LAN is enabled

To ensure Wake-On-LAN is enabled, you must first check that your system supports it at the firmware level. If the option is unavailable in the motherboard's BIOS, UEFI, or network adapter, you won't be able to use Wake-On-LAN.

To enable Wake-On-LAN, you will need to access your computer's BIOS. Typically, you can do this by pressing a function key—such as Delete or F2—at the boot screen. Once in the BIOS menu, find the Wake-on-LAN option, which may be under the power management settings or sleep and wake settings. If you are using a USB to Ethernet adapter, you may need to disable fast startup for Wake-On-LAN to work.

After enabling Wake-On-LAN in the BIOS, you will also need to enable it in the Windows 10 network adapter. You can do this by opening the Start menu, typing "device manager", and opening the Device Manager console. Expand the Network adapter driver, right-click your network adapter, click Properties, and select the Advanced tab. Here, you should be able to find and enable Wake on Magic Packet and Wake on Pattern Match.

Additionally, to enable Wake-On-LAN on your devices, your computer should be connected to an ATX-compatible power supply with an extra +3.3V voltage rail. A voltage rail allows a device to switch between alternating current and direct current power.

Once you have enabled Wake-On-LAN, you can use third-party tools to send a "magic packet" over the network containing the MAC address of the remote computer to wake it up.

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Verify correct MAC address

Verifying the correct MAC address is a straightforward process and can be done in several ways. MAC addresses are unique identifiers assigned to network interface cards (NICs) or network adapters. They are used to differentiate devices on a local network and are essential for effective device management.

One way to verify the correct MAC address is to use a MAC address lookup tool. These tools allow you to enter a MAC address and find its vendor, or vice versa. You can use sites such as dnschecker.org, which provides a simple input box where you can enter the MAC address or the OUI number. The site will then provide you with the details of the MAC address, including the vendor's information and history data.

Another way to verify the MAC address is to manually check it on your computer. For Windows, you can go to the Control Panel, then Network and Internet, and finally, Network and Sharing Center. From there, you can click on "Change adapter settings" and right-click on the Local Area Connection icon. Selecting "Status" and then "Details" will display the physical address, which is the MAC address of your computer.

For MacBook users, you can click on the Apple icon and select System Preferences. Then, click on the Network icon, followed by Ethernet (for wired) or Wi-Fi (for wireless). Clicking on Advanced in the lower right corner will display the Wi-Fi MAC address at the bottom of the window as the "Wi-Fi Address".

Additionally, you can use programming languages or online tools to validate and decode MAC addresses. For instance, you can use Regular Expression to check if a given string is a valid MAC address. A valid MAC address must contain 12 hexadecimal digits, typically represented in pairs of characters separated by hyphens, colons, or dots. For example, "01-23-45-67-89-AB" is a valid MAC address, while "01-23-45-67-89-AH" is not, as it contains the invalid character 'H'.

By following these steps, you can easily verify the correct MAC address and ensure effective device management on your network.

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Check broadcast address

To check the broadcast address of your VNC server, you need to identify the target computer's IP address. The process may vary depending on whether you are connecting within the same network or over the internet.

If you are connecting within the same network, such as between devices at home or in an office (over a wired or wireless LAN or VPN), you must identify the target computer's private IP address. To do this, you can either open the VNC Server on the target computer and examine the status dialog, or open a Command or Terminal window and run the command "ipconfig" (or "ifconfig" on Linux or Mac). This will allow you to find the private IP address of the target computer running the VNC Server.

On the other hand, if you are connecting over the internet, you need to identify the target computer's public IP address. One quick way to find your public IP address is by visiting websites such as https://www.whatismyip.com/. However, please note that this IP address may change when you reset your router or lose your internet connection.

Alternatively, you can use a Python program (e.g., getmyip.py) to obtain your public IP address without the need for sudo privileges. You can then pipe the output of this program into an email command to have your public IP address emailed to you.

Additionally, if you are using a RealVNC Server, you can download and use the RealVNC Server application to look up the private (internal) IP address of the computer you want to control. This information can then be used to establish a direct connection through the RealVNC Viewer application.

It is important to note that VNC typically uses port 5900 as the default, so you should ensure that this port is forwarded on your router to your device. However, for security reasons, it may be advisable to use a different port on your router and forward it to port 5900 on your device.

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Check NIC settings

To wake up an Ultra VNC server, you need to enable Wake on LAN (WoL). However, WoL only works with wired connections, so you must ensure that your NIC/wireless card is not turning off to "save power".

To check your NIC settings, follow these steps:

  • Open your device manager.
  • Locate your NIC/wireless card in the list of devices.
  • Check the power management settings for the NIC. Ensure that the setting "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power" is disabled. This setting may cause the NIC to stop responding to WoL requests after a certain period.
  • Verify that your NIC supports WoL. Some older or basic NICs may not have this capability.
  • Check the advanced settings for your NIC. Ensure that "Shutdown Wake Up" is enabled, and "Wake Up Capabilities" is set to "Magic Packet".

By following these steps, you can ensure that your NIC is configured correctly to support the Wake on LAN feature, which is essential for waking up a sleeping Ultra VNC server.

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Try mc-wol

If you're having trouble waking up your Ultra VNC server, you can try using Wake-on-LAN (WoL) functionality. WoL allows you to turn on a computer remotely through a LAN connection. To do this, you'll need to ensure that WoL is enabled on the machine you want to wake up.

One tool you can use to implement WoL is mc-wol, which is a small program that can send "magic packets" to wake up hardware. Here are some steps you can try with mc-wol:

  • Check that the machine you want to wake up is on the same IP subnet as your local machine.
  • Ping the remote machine using its IP address.
  • Use the arp -a command to list its MAC address.
  • Turn off the remote machine.
  • Send the wake-up packet to the machine using the captured MAC address.
  • If it doesn't work, try sending the packet from a different machine, and ensure that no firewall is blocking the magic packet on the source machine.

It's important to note that WoL typically requires a wired connection and might not work over a wireless network. Additionally, make sure that your NIC/Wireless card is not turning off to "save power" in the device manager settings.

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Frequently asked questions

You can wake up a sleeping Ultra VNC server by enabling the Wake-On-Lan (WoL) feature.

Wake-On-Lan is a feature that allows a computer to be turned on or woken up from sleep mode by a network connection request from another device.

To enable Wake-On-Lan, you need to access the BIOS settings of your computer and turn on the WoL option. You may also need to ensure that your NIC/Wireless card is not turning off to "save power".

It's important to note that Wake-On-Lan may not work if your computer is connected wirelessly; it requires a wired connection. Additionally, make sure you have the correct MAC address of the machine you are trying to wake.

Yes, one alternative is to use TightVNC, which acts as a Windows service and should automatically wake up your PC when it is asleep.

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