Wake-on-LAN (WOL) is an excellent feature of your personal computer that allows you to wake them up from sleep or shut down your computer over your local network or the Internet. It’s like the remote button on the button. If your hardware supports WOL, you can remotely turn on the computer using any of the dozens of freeware tools available on the web to initiate the wake-up event. In this article, I will cover the necessary steps required to configure WOL in Windows 10.
What are the requirements?
Your computer may not have all of the requirements for this feature, including:
- Ethernet connection.
- A peer to peer network between two or more computers.
- The computer must be in Sleep or Soak sleep mode to work.
Enable Wake on LAN in Windows 10
Press Windows Key + X to open the quick access hidden menu, and select Device Manager.
Turn on Network adapters in Device Manager, select your Ethernet adapter, right-click on it and then choose Properties.
Then select the Power Management tab and check all three boxes below.
Next, select the Advanced tab, scroll down in the Property box and choose Wake on Magic Packet and make sure it’s enabled in the Value list box, then click OK.
How to configure Wake on LAN
I found this easy-to-use utility for ease – called Wake-on-LAN, 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 you want to wake up from. To find the MAC address, make sure the computer is connected to your router via a wired Ethernet connection. Disconnect any wireless connections you may be using.
Open the Network and Sharing Center from the Settings menu. In the right pane, click Ethernet connection. In the Ethernet Status window, click Details, then you will see the “ Physical address” MAC address.
After downloading and installing Wake On LAN, launch the utility and choose File> New Host.
In the Display Properties tab, enter the machine’s name and the group name if you want.
Select the Wake-Up tab and enter the following information:
- The remote machine’s MAC address
- Select broadcast IP
- As for broadcast, leave the default.
- Enter the hostname for FQDN / IP – you can find this information for the remote machine under Windows key + X> System> Computer name:
- Click the IPv4 list box and choose your physical Ethernet adapter.
- Click OK
How to wake up a computer:
In the Wake on LAN utility, right-click on the computer and choose Wake Up.
That’s it! If you’re having trouble booting up, check out some of the troubleshooting tips below.
Fix Wake-on-LAN error
If the computer doesn’t wake up, there can be a couple of reasons.
Wake-On-LAN needs to be enabled in the BIOS or computer software. To do that, you need to consult your computer’s manual.
Fast Startup is a hybrid state first introduced in Windows 8 that can interfere with Wake On LAN. To turn it off, press Windows key + X and select Power Options.
Click on Choose what the power buttons do, then click on Change settings that are currently unavailable.
Scroll down to Shutdown settings and uncheck Turn on fast startup (recommended) and click Save changes.
If you enjoy using this feature and have anything to add or speak your mind about on the Wake-on-LAN widget, leave a comment below.
