Plex's Ability To Wake Up Sleeping Computers Remotely

Plex is smart software that makes playing movies, TV shows, and other media on your computer simple. However, it can be frustrating when your PC goes to sleep while you're in the middle of a movie or show. While Plex does not have a function to wake up a sleeping PC, there are ways to remotely wake up a sleeping computer when using Plex. One way is to set up Wake-on-LAN on your server, but this requires correctly configuring your BIOS, Windows settings, and modem/router. Another way is to use Bonjour Sleep Proxy, which allows a supported device on your network that operates in low-power mode, like an Apple TV, to advertise your server to the network even when it's asleep.

Wake-on-LAN

Plex Media Server is software that makes playing movies, TV shows, and other media on a computer simple. While Plex does not have a function to wake up a server when a client needs it, it can be set up to allow Wake-on-LAN (WoL) to remotely wake a PC and then put it to sleep. Wake-on-LAN is an Ethernet or Token Ring computer networking standard that allows a computer to be turned on or awakened from sleep mode by a network message. The network message is usually sent to the target computer by a program executed on a device connected to the same local area network (LAN).

Plex remote access

Plex does not have a function to wake up a sleeping PC when a client is connecting. However, there are some ways to set up remote access to wake up a sleeping computer.

One way is to use Wake-on-LAN (WoL), which requires setting up the correct settings in the BIOS, Windows, and your modem/router. WoL can be buggy, but it is possible to set up with the help of guides and community forums. Another device on your network can wake up your PC, it doesn't have to be the router. For example, you can use an Android app to send a WoL/magic packet to wake up your PC.

Another method is to use Bonjour Sleep Proxy, which allows a supported device on your network that operates in low-power mode, like an Apple TV, to act as a "proxy" and advertise your server to the network even when your server is asleep. When your Plex client connects to the server, the proxy sends a "wake up" packet. For best results, your server will need to connect to your router via Ethernet, and you should give your server a static IP address entered in your Plex client settings.

Additionally, there is a Windows setting that will suspend your PC and wake it up when you open Plex. This can be found in the power settings.

It's important to note that some of these methods may not work for everyone, and there may be some trial and error involved in finding the best solution for your specific setup.

Bonjour Sleep Proxy

Apple's Bonjour Sleep Proxy service is an open-source component of zero-configuration networking designed to reduce the power consumption of networked electronic devices. It allows a device providing services, such as file sharing, printer sharing, or remote log-in, to enter a low-power mode while its services remain available. This is achieved by registering with a sleep proxy server on the local network.

The sleep proxy server continues to advertise the services on the local network and listen for incoming connections, even when the host device is sleeping. When any device attempts to use a proxied service, the proxy server wakes the sleeping device, and the service works as if it had remained fully powered.

To implement Bonjour Sleep Proxy, computers running Mac OS X Snow Leopard can act as sleep proxy servers when Internet sharing is enabled. Additionally, Plex Media Server users have discussed setting up Wake-on-LAN to remotely wake their PCs, but it requires a different application to send the necessary packet to the server.

Preventing sleep mode

Plex Media Server is software that allows users to play movies, TV shows, and other media on their computers. While Plex does not have a function to wake up a sleeping computer, there are several methods and tools that can be used to prevent a computer from going into sleep mode.

One way to prevent a computer from going into sleep mode is to adjust the power and sleep settings in the Windows operating system. In Windows 11, users can go to Settings > System > Power & Battery > Screen, Sleep, & Hibernate Timeouts to customize how long the device waits before turning off the screen or going to sleep. Similarly, in Windows 10, users can go to Settings > System > Power & Sleep to adjust these settings.

Another method to prevent sleep mode is to use a Wake-on-LAN (WoL) feature, which allows a computer to be remotely woken up from sleep. This can be set up on a server and used in conjunction with Plex to wake up a sleeping PC. However, it may require additional applications or workarounds, such as using a different app to send a "magic packet" to the server.

To enhance the reliability of WoL, users can consider using a cheap Arduino device for remote computer power management. This involves a small investment and provides a way to power on/off the computer remotely. Additionally, ensuring that the CPU is not running at maximum speed all the time can help reduce power consumption and prevent the computer from sleeping.

For Mac users, there is the Sleep Proxy Service, which can be used to manage sleep behavior. Additionally, there are extensions available for both Mac and Windows, such as the "Turn off sleep mode" extension in the Chrome Web Store, which allows users to disable sleep mode and keep their devices awake.

Remote shutdown/sleep command

Plex Media Server is software that makes playing movies, TV shows, and other media on your computer simple. While Plex does not have a function to wake up a server when a client needs it, it can be set up to allow Wake On Lan (WoL) to remotely wake a PC, and then sleep. However, WoL has been described as buggy and unreliable.

If you are looking for a remote shutdown/sleep command, there are a few options available. For Windows 10/11, you can create a keyboard shortcut to trigger sleep mode. You can also use the Windows power button to put your computer to sleep, instead of shutting it down.

To put a computer into sleep mode remotely or from the command line, you can use Microsoft's Sysinternals and NirSoft utilities. The PsShutdown utility supports hibernation mode ("-h"), shutdown ("-s"), and restart ("-r"). You can also use the shutdown.exe utility with the "/h" switch to put the computer into hibernation mode. Another option is to use the command:

> rundll32.exe powrprof.dll,SetSuspendState 0,1,0

This command will hibernate if hibernation is enabled, or it will let the machine sleep.

Frequently asked questions