WakeOnLan

Wake-on-LAN (WoL) is a networking protocol that allows you to turn on a computer remotely from a powered-down state. It works by sending a specific network packet to the target computer’s network interface card (NIC). How It Works

The Magic Packet: The remote trigger is a broadcast frame called a “Magic Packet.”

Packet Contents: It contains 6 bytes of ones (FF FF FF FF FF FF) followed by 16 repetitions of the target computer’s 48-bit MAC address.

Low-Power Monitoring: Even when a computer is turned off, its motherboard and network card maintain a trickle of power to listen for this specific packet.

The Wake Trigger: The network card recognizes its own MAC address in the packet and signals the motherboard to boot up. Hardware and Software Requirements

Wired Ethernet: WoL natively requires a physical Ethernet cable connection. Wireless versions (Wake-on-Wireless-LAN or WoWLAN) exist but are less reliable and require specific hardware support.

ATX Power Supply: The system must use a modern ATX power supply that maintains standby power (+5VSB).

BIOS/UEFI Support: The computer’s motherboard firmware must have WoL enabled.

OS Configuration: The operating system network adapter drivers must be configured to allow the device to wake the computer. Step-by-Step Setup 1. Enable WoL in BIOS/UEFI

Restart your computer and press the setup key (usually F2, F10, or Del). Navigate to Power Management or Advanced settings.

Enable settings like Wake on LAN, Power On By PCIE, or Resume by PME. Save and exit. 2. Configure Windows Device Manager Right-click the Start button and select Device Manager.

Expand Network adapters and double-click your Ethernet controller. Go to the Power Management tab.

Check Allow this device to wake the computer and Only allow a magic packet to wake the computer.

Go to the Advanced tab, find Wake on Magic Packet, and set it to Enabled. 3. Find Your Network Details

You need two pieces of information from the target computer to wake it: MAC Address: The physical address of the network card.

IP Address: The local network address (or external IP if waking over the internet).

Note: You can find these by opening Command Prompt and typing ipconfig /all. Practical Limitations

Subnet Restrictions: Magic Packets are generally broadcast packets, which routers do not forward by default. This means WoL easily works on your local home network, but waking a computer over the internet (Wake-on-WAN) requires complex router configurations like port forwarding or a VPN.

No Power Outage Recovery: If the computer loses physical wall power completely and then gets plugged back in, WoL usually will not work until the computer is turned on manually at least once. To help you get this running, let me know:

What operating system (Windows, Mac, Linux) does the target computer use?