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Wake a PC Remotely With Wake-on-LAN

A sleeping machine that will not answer is not broken - it is asleep. One BIOS setting, one driver checkbox and a magic packet bring it back.

by@guidox updated:10/31/26 time:25 min level:Intermediate tested on:Windows 11 24H2 works on:Windows 10, Windows 11 tools:Wired network
TL;DR

Enable **Wake on LAN** in the **BIOS**, allow the network card to wake the PC, and send a **magic packet** to the MAC address from another device on the same network.

Before you start

Requirements

  • A wired network connection
  • BIOS access
  • Another device on the LAN
Step by step

Instructions

01

Enable it in the firmware

Look for Wake on LAN, PME or ErP settings in the power management section. Many boards ship with the feature disabled because it keeps the network card powered in standby.

⚠ warningWake-on-LAN over Wi-Fi rarely works. Use the Ethernet port; a USB adapter usually cannot wake the machine at all.
02

Allow the adapter to wake the PC

In the adapter properties, enable the wake options and disable the setting that lets Windows turn the device off to save power.

devmgmt.msc > Network adapters > Power Management
03

Note the MAC address

The magic packet targets the hardware address, not the IP. Take it from the adapter details where it is listed as the physical address.

ipconfig /all
04

Turn off Fast Startup

Fast Startup keeps the machine in a hybrid state where the network card is not listening. Disable it for a PC that must wake from a full shutdown.

Control Panel > Power Options > Choose what the power buttons do
⚠ warningSleep works with Fast Startup on. Full shutdown does not, and that is the difference people trip over.
05

Send the packet

From a NAS, a router or a second PC, send the magic packet to the MAC address. Many routers have the function built in; on a PC the wake command takes the address directly.

wakeonlan aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff
06

Make it testable

Put the machine to sleep, wait a minute and send the packet. A PC that wakes after ten seconds but not after ten minutes has a power setting problem, usually the deep sleep state.

tipCheck the router's ARP table. A stale entry for the old address is the second most common reason a wake fails.
Troubleshooting

Common issues

It wakes from sleep but not from shutdown

Fast Startup or the ErP setting. Disable Fast Startup and allow the network card to stay powered in the BIOS.

The packet arrives but nothing happens

Wrong MAC address, or the PC is on a different subnet. Magic packets do not cross routers by default.

It works for a week, then stops

The router changed the machine's address record. Reserve the address and retry.

The network card disappears in sleep

Power saving on the PCIe link. Disable the deep power state in the adapter's advanced properties.

FAQ

Frequently asked

Does the PC need a static IP?

No, the packet uses the MAC address. A DHCP reservation helps with the router's ARP entry.

Can I wake it over the internet?

Only with port forwarding or a router feature for it, and that exposes the network. A VPN into the house is safer.

How to undo this

Disable the wake options on the adapter and the firmware setting. Nothing else on the machine changes.

Changelog · 1 entry
  1. 2026-10-31
    First version
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