How to Set Up Wake On LAN

When information is received through the network card, the computer turns on.

Setting up wake on LAN saves money on electricity, but still allows you to remotely access your computer when you need to use it. If you only need to use a remote computer occasionally, it makes sense to only have it turned on while you are accessing it. This is possible using a feature in newer computers, which is set in the BIOS to enable the computer to be turned on over a network. Leaving a computer on all the time can be wasteful, so this is a good solution.

Instructions

1. Turn on your computer. Press the button indicated on the screen to access the BIOS.

2. Find the Power management settings in the BIOS. Enable the "Wake on lan," or "Power on by pci device" setting. Save the settings and exit.

3. Start the computer and right-click "Computer" or "My computer" from the Start menu. Select "Properties." Open "Device Manager." This link may be under the "Hardware" tab.

4. Click the arrow to the left of "Network adapters." Right-click the name of the network adapter that connects your computer to the Internet. Select "Properties."

5. Click on the "Advanced" tab and scroll down to find the "Wake from shutdown" setting in the list. Set the value to "On" using the pull-down menu on the right.

6. Set the value for the "Wake-Up capabilities" setting in the list on the left, this time to "Magic packet." Click "OK" to save the settings.

7. Download the program "Magic Packet Sender." (See Resources.) This program is used on a local computer to send packets to the remote computer that will turn it on.

8. Open the Start menu on the remote computer, expand "Accessories" and click "Command prompt." Enter the command "ipconfig /all." Enter the listed MAC address of the remote computer in the "Magic packet sender" program.

9. Shut down the remote computer and open Magic packet sender on your local computer. Enter the required information and press "Send." The remote computer should turn on.

References

• Magic Packet Sender
• Lifehacker: Access Your Computer Anytime and Save Energy with Wake-on-LAN

Resources

• Magic Packet Sender