The typical ports used for WoL magic packets are UDP 7 and 9. These magic packets are sent out by professional software made for any platform, but can also be sent by routers and internet-based websites. Wake-on-LAN-enabled computers essentially wait for a “magic packet” to arrive that includes the network card’s MAC address in it. Do your research online before you buy, so you’re not disappointed later on down the line.

While most built-in cards on motherboards don’t need this step, discrete network cards often need a 3-pin cable attached to the motherboard to support Wake on LAN. Support for Wake-on-LAN is pretty universal nowadays, even when it’s not advertised as a feature, so if you have a computer built in the past decade or so, you’re covered.įor those of you who build your own rigs, take care when buying an Ethernet card. Because it is set either through the BIOS or through your network card’s firmware, you don’t need specific software to enable it. Your Ethernet or wireless card must also support this functionality. Your motherboard must be hooked up to an ATX-compatible power supply, as most computers in the past decade or so are. Wake-on-LAN is dependent on two things: your motherboard and your network card. Anyone who uses a program like VNC or TeamViewer, or keeps a file server or game server program available, should probably have the option enabled for the sake of convenience. This is useful if you plan to access your computer remotely for any reason: it allows you to retain access to your files and programs, while keeping the PC in a low-power state to save electricity (and of course, money). The protocol also allows for a supplementary Wake-on-Wireless-LAN ability as well. The definition of “low power mode” has changed a bit over time, but we can take it to meanwhile the computer is “off” and has access to a power source. Wake-on-LAN (sometimes abbreviated WoL) is an industry-standard protocol for waking computers up from a very low power mode remotely. RELATED: How to Enable Wake-on-LAN in Windows 10 and 11 What Is Wake-on-LAN? Here’s how to enable Wake-on-LAN in Windows 11 and 10. Update, 11/18/21: Wake-on-LAN might be an old-school trick for turning on computers remotely, but it still works. Wake-on-LAN (WoL) has been around for a while, so let’s see how it works and how we can enable it. Technology often yields ridiculous conveniences, like being able to turn on your computer from miles away without pushing the power button.

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