Wake on Lan
Posted by Hirx8791@reddit | sysadmin | View on Reddit | 21 comments
Hi everyone, So I have a customer who doesn't have a Server, he only uses Google Workspace. Everyday at the end of the day his workers need to turn off their PCs and turn them on , on the next day. Now because some of his workers work from home they dont always have the option to turn on their computers and they need to wait for their co-workers to turn their computers for them. I know that there is the term of "Wake On Lan" , but I never used, never had to, never occurred to me that someone will be asking me that. Is there a solution to remotely "Turn On" computers via Lan? Or any other solution that you might think of? I am talking about, maybe 5-8 computers a day, so I need to be certain that there is or there isn't a solution before I give an answer to my client. Thanks in advance for you help!
xendr0me@reddit
Just set the BIOS to wake the system at X time every day.
Majonez_@reddit
Most modern computers have scheduled launch feature in BIOS, maybe this would help you.
cryolyte@reddit
Keep in mind that the magic packet sent by WOL can't be routed.
zakabog@reddit
Wake on LAN is a thing, but if everything is on Google workplace why don't they use their home computer instead of remotely connecting to the office computer?
Hirx8791@reddit (OP)
Because they use Autodesk programs and the license is only valid with the office Ip
zakabog@reddit
The office IP, or the office PC?
If it's the IP address, VPN.
SixToesLeftFoot@reddit
Super curious why you don’t just recommend to the client to just simply leave the computers on at night? Once the monitor shuts off, the power draw is near zero.
Hirx8791@reddit (OP)
If only that was so simple... I recommend him to not turn off their computers at the end of the day, but he insists that he "Knows" whats the best for them. I tried many times and right now I have given up. He is the client, it's his office, his computers, I just do whatever he wants if it is possible and that's it, I am done with arguing with him every time about things
Apart_Zebra_655@reddit
Google workspace is entirely cloud based, so these employees who are working from home are remoting into a pc within the customers building? Why don't they just access their Google workspace from whatever client they are using to remote in with? There is no inherent security built-in to the remote solution here, they have all the same access from home, as you stated there is no server, so there's no need for them to access the internal network from home.
Wake On Lan (WOL) is an option, providing the client PC has it built in, which most prosumer and business level PCs do have, but given the other information presented, I can assume nothing about the equipment in the office being even remotely professional, so this is a 50/50 chance. You will have to refer to the oem documentation for each of the client PCs to determine its viability and setup (if alowable).
If they must continue with this requirement to remote into a machine to access a cloud service, and WOL is not available on these machines, the simple solution would be, don't turn of the PCs every day, there is no seemingly good reason for this practice, maybe a restart every now and then, but that can be initiated remotely.
Bulky-Nose-734@reddit
This sounds like a job for dons cape PiKVM, if I’m not mistaken.
Robeleader@reddit
In my experience, WoL is a BIOS configuration, as the Motherboard needs to be able to receive the Magic packet through the network interface which usually would require an OS to interpret.
The other option you could look into is scheduled boots, but again, there has to be power to the OS for it to know that the CMOS clock has a time when it's supposed to boot up, so I'm not sure that that would work without BIOS interaction.
It sounds to me like you'll need to get hands-on with these devices.
systemadvisory@reddit
If the bios supports wake on lan, you can use wake on lan to start a computer. You need it's Mac address, and find a cli tool to send the WOL packet to the Mac address. You put this script on a Linux computer (such as a raspberry pi) and run the command from a cron job set to run daily, and bam, mission accomplished.
Lonetrek@reddit
If they want to use wake on LAN they'd need a mechanism to initiate the wake signal to the machine. If this is a low scale solution and you know when the devices need to be online I'd just check in the BIOS options if you have the options to set scheduled wake/power on times there.
If they're using Dell devices you can create an EXE to change the BIOS from within the OS using the Command Configure utility. The specific name of the setting is AutoOnHr
You may want to also consider enabling the AcPwrRcvry setting as well which would have the device turn itself back on automatically in the event of a power loss.
Kompost88@reddit
My experience with wale on LAN is that it's very unreliable. Maybe something changed or there is a way to set it up in a robust way though.
Kompost88@reddit
My experience with wale on LAN is that it's very unreliable. Maybe something changed or there is a way to set it up in a robust way though.
anonymousITCoward@reddit
Wake on LAN is the term you're looking for, but if all the machines at the location are powered off it won't work. Some manufacturers have a "power on at" option in the BIOS that will power on a machine at a specific time, I don't know how reliable that is as I've never used it.
fanofreddit-@reddit
I’m so confused to what we are trying to accomplish here. Are they all sharing files with each other locally? Wake on LAN is used for stuff like, you want to access a computer remotely on a private network, as a tech, but it’s off, so you send a wake on lan packet. Or like using it to wake all computers up on a private network overnight to deploy software. This is usually as an enterprise type solution, albeit a bit dated at this point.
But you’re saying these are work from home users, so I’m not seeing where remotely turning their computer on that’s sitting in their house is something of value. If this is just a handful of computers, sitting at people houses, and you really want them up and running all the time for some reason, I would probably just turn off standby/sleep and setup a “turn on computer” schedule in the bios for like the middle of the night/early morning in case the computer was off.
Jellovator@reddit
The computers need to have the wake on lam option enabled in the bios. You also probably need to disable any type of "deep sleep" or other options in the bios that disable power to the nic. Then you just need some software that will send the magic packet at a specific time every day to wake them up. It's really fairly simple if all of the computers are connected to the same switch and same subnet.
Ragepower529@reddit
Here’s your starting place
Wake-on-LAN (WoL) is indeed a viable solution for your customer’s needs. It allows computers to be turned on remotely over a network connection, which is perfect for the scenario you’ve described. Here’s a detailed explanation of how it works and how to implement it:
How Wake-on-LAN Works
Wake-on-LAN is a networking standard that allows a computer to be turned on or awakened from sleep mode by a network message[1]. This message, called a “magic packet,” is sent to the target computer’s MAC address[1]. When received, it signals the computer’s network interface card to initiate system wake-up, similar to pressing the power button[1].
Implementation
To set up Wake-on-LAN for your customer, you’ll need to follow these steps:
Enable Wake-on-LAN in BIOS: On each target computer, enter the BIOS settings and enable the Wake-on-LAN feature[4].
Configure Windows Settings: Ensure that the network adapter settings in Windows allow the device to be woken up[4].
Use a Wake-on-LAN Tool: There are various software options available for sending wake-up packets:
EMCO WakeOnLan: A free tool that can wake up multiple PCs simultaneously and works well in large networks[5].
WakeOnLAN by Aquila Technology: A Windows application with both GUI and command-line interfaces[2].
Set Up Remote Access: For workers to wake their PCs from outside the office network, you’ll need to configure port forwarding on the office router[4].
Considerations
Alternative Solutions
If Wake-on-LAN proves challenging to implement, consider these alternatives:
Remote Desktop Software: Use solutions like TeamViewer or Chrome Remote Desktop, which often have built-in Wake-on-LAN features[4].
Cloud-Based Solutions: Since the customer uses Google Workspace, explore Google’s remote access options or third-party cloud solutions compatible with their setup.
Smart Plugs: For a hardware-based solution, consider using smart plugs that can be controlled remotely to power on the PCs.
Conclusion
Wake-on-LAN is a practical and cost-effective solution for your customer’s needs. It allows remote workers to turn on their office computers without relying on on-site colleagues. With proper setup and management, it can significantly improve the flexibility and efficiency of their work processes.
Before implementing, it’s advisable to test the solution on a few computers to ensure compatibility and effectiveness in their specific network environment. Also, provide clear instructions to employees on how to use the Wake-on-LAN feature to ensure smooth adoption.
Sources [1] Program to remotely Power On a PC over the internet using the Wake-on-LAN protocol. - GeeksforGeeks https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/program-remotely-power-pc-internet-using-wake-lan-protocol/ [2] WakeOnLAN - WakeOnLAN https://wol.aquilatech.com [3] Wake-on-LAN Tool | WOL Software - ManageEngine OpUtils https://www.manageengine.com/products/oputils/wake-on-lan.html [4] How to Turn on Your Computer From Across the House With Wake ... https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/turn-on-computer-from-across-the-house-with-wake-on-lan [5] Free Wake-on-LAN (WOL) Tool for Powering Up PCs Remotely https://emcosoftware.com/wake-on-lan [6] How to use Wake-On-LAN (WOL)? - ManageEngine OpUtils https://www.manageengine.com/products/oputils/tech-topics/what-is-wake-on-lan.html
VA_Network_Nerd@reddit
Stop buying desktops, and start issuing laptops.
But, for desktops you might try using the BIOS scheduled power-on for M-F @ 07:30am or something.
juciydriver@reddit
Depends on the bios but, you could setup a wake timer.