In this article, we cover the same steps for Windows 10 users.
Just to give you a quick overview why you would find this useful:
- On-demand access to files and resources on a network – you don’t have to keep a computer turned all the while.
- Energy efficiency, you will see a reduction in your utility bills since you don’t have to keep your system on all the time.
- Great for remotely managing a computer, so you can access a computer that might be across the room or upstairs.
How does it work?
With wake-on-LAN enabled, your computer will “listen” for a “magic packet” containing its MAC address while it is in sleep mode. The computer can be woken up by sending it a magic packet from another device on the network. Again, you can find out more about the feature here.
What are the requirements?
Your computer might not have all the requirements for this feature that will include the following:
- Ethernet connection.
- A peer to peer network between two or more computers.
- The computer must be in either Sleep or Hibernation mode for this to work.
Enabling Wake on LAN in Windows 10
Press Windows key + X to bring up the hidden quick access menu, and select Device Manager.
Expand Network adapters in the device tree, select your Ethernet adapter, right-click it and then select Properties.
Then select the Power Management tab and check off all three boxes shown below.
Next select the Advanced tab, scroll down in the Property box and select Wake on Magic Packet and ensure that it is enabled in the Value list box then click OK.
How to Configure Wake on LAN
To make things easy, I found this easy to use utility — simply called WakeonLAN which you can download here for free.
This handy utility requires minimal setup and is easy to configure.
Have the MAC address ready for the remote computer that you would like to wake up. To find the MAC address, make sure the PC is connected to your router via a wired Ethernet connection. Disconnect any wireless connections you may have been using.
Open the Network and Sharing Center from the Settings menu. In the upper-right pane, click on the Ethernet connection. In the Ethernet Status window, click Details, and then you’ll see the physical MAC address.
After downloading and installing WakeOnLAN, launch the utility and select File > New Host.
Under the Display Properties tab, enter the name of the machine and a group name if you wish.
Select Wake Up tab and enter the following information:
- MAC Address of the remote machine
- Select Broadcast IP
- For broadcast leave the default.
- Enter the machine host name for FQDN/IP – you can find this information for the remote machine under Windows key + X > System > Computer name:
- Click in the IPv4 list box and select your physical Ethernet adapter
- Click OK
How to wake up a computer:
In the Wake on LAN utility, right-click the computer and select Wake Up.
That’s it! If you’re having problems getting this to work, check out some of the troubleshooting tips below.
Troubleshooting Wake-on-LAN
If the computer is not waking up, there might be a couple of reasons.
WakeOnLAN needs to be enabled in the computer BIOS or Firmware. To do that, you will need to consult your computer’s documentation about how to load your BIOS.
Fast Startup which is a hybrid state first introduced in Windows 8 can interfere with Wake On LAN. To disable it, press Windows key + X then Power Options.
Click Choose what the power buttons do then click Change settings that are currently unavailable.
Scroll down to Shutdown settings and uncheck Turn on fast startup (recommended) then click Save changes.