Wake-on-LAN (WOL) is a networking standard that allows a computer to be turned on by sending a network packet. It is typically found in a computer’s BIOS or UEFI settings and can be enabled in the PC’s settings. A magic packet, which contains the network card’s MAC address, is sent to all computers in a network, including Windows 10 and 11. To enable Wake-on-LAN, you must first set up the setting in your computer’s BIOS or UEFI settings.
WOL uses the command line to power up the computer using the MAC address, IP. The magic packet that turns on the computer is usually sent as a UDP datagram over port 7 or 9. To enable Wake-on-LAN on your computer and send a magic packet over the network to turn on the device remotely, follow these steps:
- Open Device Manager.
- Locate the Ethernet Adapter.
- Enable Wake on Magic Packet.
- Allow a Magic Packet to Wake the PC.
WoL works by sending a special packet called a Magic Packet™ to a target machine. When the packet is received, the target machine’s network is woken up. To enable Wake-on-LAN, create a static ARP entry in the router for the host that needs to be woken up and port forward the WoL packets from one of the computers in the LAN.
A WOL packet sent over the Internet will hit your router first. Your router will take the packet, strip the WAN IP, and send it to the Layer 2 MAC. The Magic Packet must reach your computer, containing the MAC address of your computer. If your network card is not set up correctly, you need to add an entry to the ARP table on your router to recognize the incoming WOL request.
📹 This is how I can remotely power on my computer (Wake on LAN)
Disclaimer: 1-Please do not make any changes to your network or Internet connection based on the information in this video.
Does Wolow work over the Internet?
WOL (Wake Up) is a method of triggering an Ethernet card to power up a PC using a special datagram called a “magic packet”. The packet is sent over the Internet to the router first, which then strips the WAN IP and sends it to the Layer 2 MAC address on the LAN. WOL doesn’t work over wireless networks due to the format of wireless frames, which interferes with the magic packet frame. WOL works best at Layer 3, where it is directed at a broadcast address, typically ending in. 255. This guide assumes your LAN uses a private IP address space and a gateway router providing NAT (Network Address Translation) through the public IP address provided by your ISP.
Can you send Wake-on-LAN over VPN?
In order for the remote machine’s WOL application to send a WOL packet to the destination machine on UDP 9, it is necessary to create rules for the forwarding of VPN port traffic to internal ports. This is the most straightforward method of achieving the desired outcome.
Can Wake-on-LAN be done remotely?
Wake-on-LAN (WoL) is a protocol used by the computer industry to remotely reactivate a computer from a low-power or powered-down mode. It allows users to wake the computer from another device if it meets certain configuration requirements. Different motherboard manufacturers use different language to enable WoL in the BIOS. To check if WoL is enabled on a network adapter, install ethtool and determine the network interface name. The wake-on values define the activities that trigger wake up, with g being required for WoL to work. If not, enable the feature in the driver.
Can you send Wake-on-LAN over internet?
Wake-on-LAN is a network communication protocol that uses a magic packet to broadcast to all devices on a network using the network broadcast address, without using the IP address. It is typically used within a subnet but can operate across any network with the right configuration and hardware. To work, the network interface needs to stay on, consuming a small amount of standby power. To reduce power consumption, link speeds are typically reduced to the lowest possible speed.
Disabling Wake-on-LAN can slightly reduce power consumption on switched off computers, but it can deplete battery capacity on battery-powered devices. The magic packet is a frame that contains 6 bytes of all 255 and sixteen repetitions of the target computer’s 48-bit MAC address, totaling 102 bytes.
How packets are sent across a LAN?
The router’s LAN switch connects any PCs connected to it, possibly through an intermediate switch. The switch knows the MAC addresses connected to it and can ask for the IP address of the packet’s destination via an ARP request. The process depends on the type of network, topology, and equipment. MAC addresses are static and don’t change as you move, while IP addresses change over long distances. TCP packets and IP datagrams contain data with TCP port information, while Ethernet frames contain data with MAC information. IP addresses are divided into network and node parts, and the subnet configured on your computer or router determines the network an IP address is on.
Can Wake-on-LAN work remotely?
Wake-on-LAN (WoL) is a feature that enables remote device management by powering computers from anywhere. It is hardwired into TeamViewer Remote, and different motherboard manufacturers use different language to enable it in the BIOS. To check if WoL is enabled on the network adapter, install ethtool and determine the network interface name. The wake-on values define what triggers wake up, with g being required for WoL to work. If not, enable the feature in the driver using the following command.
Is wake on LAN a security risk?
The Wake on LAN tool transmits wake-on-LAN Magic packets to target devices, which can be manipulated by attackers or rogue devices in the same network without proper security measures. If the target computer launches from a Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) server, it can start up from an attacker’s boot image, bypassing security and granting unauthorized access to local disks over the network, making deploying wake-on-LAN in an organizational network susceptible to security threats.
Does WOL work over wifi?
In order to utilise the WoL functionality, a computer must be connected to the internet and have a stable power supply. Wake-on-LAN can be configured using either Ethernet or wireless technology; however, not all devices are compatible with this feature, as it is only capable of waking devices from system sleep states S3 or S4.
Does WOL work on Ethernet?
Wake-on-LAN (WOL) is an Ethernet networking standard that enables a network computer to be turned on or awakened by a network message. It is an industry standard protocol for waking computers up from a low-power mode remotely, allowing remote access to files and programs while maintaining a low-power state. To use WOL, the computer must meet certain prerequisites, such as having access to a power source and having a properly configured network.
How do I send magic packets on LAN?
To send a WOL Magic Packet from the DHCP Leases view, navigate to Status > DHCP Leases and locate the desired system in the list. Click at the end of the lease row to send a WOL Magic Packet. The Wake on LAN (WOL) page at Services Wake on LAN can wake up computers from a powered-off state by sending special “Magic Packets”. The network interface card in the client computer must support WOL and be configured properly. WOL has many potential uses, such as conserving power by keeping workstations and servers in a sleep state, allowing system wake-ups when needed, or allowing remote access to a system if the user shuts it down before leaving the office.
Can routers send magic packets?
The router is capable of transmitting a special packet, known as a “magic packet,” which can be used to wake up a computer that is in either sleep or standby mode. In order to utilize the ASUSWRT WOL functionality, it is necessary to navigate to the Device Manager, select the appropriate network adapter, and then click the right button. In the Properties section, select the option to Allow this device to wake the computer, and then deselect the option to Allow other devices to wake the computer.
📹 Turn on your Server from anywhere!
In this video, I’ll show you how to configure Wake On LAN, a technology that uses a small packet sent over your network to power …
For anyone using msi motherboard and not able to get this to work Please follow the settings: 1. Set “EUP 2013” as Disabled in the BIOS Power Management menu. 2. Enable “Resume By PCI or PCI-E Device” in the Wake Up Event Setup. 3. In Windows device manager, go to “Network adapters” -> “Power Management” tab, and checked in the boxes (Allow this device to wake the computer).
Currently building a home server made out of spare PC parts and its running fine. This morning WoL came to my mind and i never actually used it. Found your article and also found something similar in my router when it came to WoL Entered the mac address and the server instantly booted. This will make things so much easier! Thank you good sir for this excellent article and the explanations 😀
Oh my god thank you for that Microsoft article, I have been fighting this for hours, first I didn’t have the option to enable wake on magic packet on my network adapter advanced tab, but turned out I just had to update the ethernet driver, and then it still did not work, so I updated bios, still dident work, so found your article, and therefore that article that said I could turn off hybrid shutdown (S4) “fast startup” and after that it worked like a charm
this tutorial is great not much blah blah blah. presentation with simple drawings does the trick and easier to understand for not so techy guys like me. this deserves million thousand likes.and subcription will watch more of your articles. i search you tube for this stuff since i have problem with my laptop at home that i can’t remotely access anymore using chrome remote access since its no longer online according to chrome. but i can clearly see via the ipcam from where i am that it is powered on. that laptop is connected to my internet router via wifi. that laptop is also connected to my smart tv using hdmi cable and sadly my chrome remote connection to the said laptop is no longer working, maybe i need to reset my laptop at home but i am a thousand miles away. my wifi and internet at home is working as well since i can still control my other smart devices at home. WOL and WOWLAN wireshark are my take aways on this tutorial which i will explore. Big thanks.
Hey Behfor – Great article – I’m running DD-WRT for years now and use WOL/WOW a lot – I use the DD-WRT app which allows you to have an icon on your home screen to wake a device up which is really nice as you don’t have to keep logging through the web interface – Now the dilemma I have – I want to upgrade the router with AI-mesh system with merlin installed – I’m wondering does the Asus app support WOL/WOL or do I have to login to the web interface every time I use WOL/WOW
Your articles are very didactic and have always helped me. They describe standard situations that we lay people need very much. I last met with a non-standard problem when waking the notebook remotely on a LAN but also over the Internet using the “Wake On LAN” function. The laptop wakes up, works, the fan spins, but the screen is black. When you turn on the Remote Desktop Access program the actual status is displayed on the screen but remains black when the program is switched off. The screen can only be woken (turned on) by physically pressing any key on the notebook. Can you help me? Thank you M.S.
I am having this issue right now I have Synology drive on my Mac and PC and I want them to do back ups at 3 AM in the morning on consecutive days. but I noticed that at 3 AM Synology does not wake up my PC or Mac what would be the best way for my scenario? I don’t wanna have to wake up at three in the morning to wake up my computer, I also noticed that while the back up is happening if it’s within the timeframe for the computer to go to sleep it just goes to sleep and pauses the back up what can I do?
Dont know why, but when i installed win 11 my wake on lan stopped to work after i shut down my PC, but it works when hybernate. I have win 10 on the same pc and it great works when i shut down computer so WTF? How it could be and why win 11 not allowing me to WOL when i shut down PC? Help, any ideas?
My pc won’t wake up on lan after i installed recovery software (reboot restore) previously it can WoL. The other pc also installed with recovery software but it can WoL, any idea what I should check? Both PCs are using Windows 10 Pro and the software is identical as I using the same Windows image..BTW I already subbed your website. Thank you in advance
In my case I am unable to wake up the PC when it’s completley turn off. However it does work when the PC is in sleep mode, from which I assume that the Network card isn’t powered. But that just doesent make sence to me, because i allowd it in the bios and did everything elese possible to run it. Any suggestions pls?