Wake On Lan

Wake On Lan tutorial

Table of Content:

1. Wake On Lan Requirements 0:01
2. Enable wake on lan on your system 0:16
3. Config your network card 0:54
4. Demo WakeMeOnLan software 1:33


1. What is Wake On Lan:

Wake-on-LAN (WoL) is an Ethernet or Token ring computer networking standard that allows a computer to be turned on or awakened by a network message.
The message is usually sent by a program executed on another computer on the same local area network. It is also possible to initiate the message from another

network by using subnet directed broadcasts or a WOL gateway service. Equivalent terms include wake on WAN, remote wake-up,power on by LAN, power up by LAN,

resume by LAN, resume on LAN and wake up on LAN. In case the computer being awakened is communicating via Wi-Fi, a supplementary standard called Wake on

Wireless LAN (WoWLAN) must be employed

2. The MagicPacket: How WoL Works:

WoL-enabled computers essentially wait for a “magic packet” to arrive that includes the NIC’s MAC address in it. These magic packets are sent out by

professional software made for any platform, but can also be sent by routers and internet-based websites. The typical ports used for WoL magic packets are UDP 7

and 9. Because your computer is actively listening for a packet, some power is feeding your network card which will result in your laptop’s battery draining

faster, so road warriors should take care to turn this off when you need to eke out some extra juice.

Magic packets are usually sent over the entirety of a network and contain the subnet information, network broadcast address, and the MAC address of the target

computer’s network card, whether Ethernet or wireless. The above image shows the results of a packet sniffer tool used on magic packet, which brings into

question exactly how secure they are when used in unsafe networks and over the internet. On a secure network, or for basic home use, there shouldn’t be any

practical reason to worry. Many motherboard manufacturers often implement software along with WoL capabilities to offer hassle-free or largely configuration-

free usage scenarios.

3. Enabling WoL on Your System:

Most older computers and many modern ones have their WoL settings buried in the BIOS. Depending on your system, you need to hit Escape, F2, or Delete to get

into the BIOS, but if you’re not sure then you should check your system’s documentation. Once you’re in, check under Power Management or Advanced Options or something of that sort.

On this HP computer’s BIOS, the setting is found near the “resume after power failure” option.
Many computer, however, do not have a BIOS option. Fortunately, this doesn’t mean that the capability isn’t there, it just means we need to go through the operating system to enable WoL