How to wake a PC remotely with Wake-on-LAN
Let PCs sleep at night and still reach them when you need to. Set Wake-on-LAN up once, then wake any PC from your address book.
How it works
Wake-on-LAN is a small “magic packet” that tells a sleeping network card to switch the PC on. It only travels inside the local network, so something on that network has to send it. VVDesk sends it from your PC, the server and the other VVDesk PCs on the same network, so one PC that is awake is enough.
Prepare the PC once
- In the BIOS or UEFI, turn on Wake-on-LAN (sometimes called “Power on by PCI-E” or “Wake on LAN”)
- In Windows, open Device Manager › your network adapter › Power Management and tick “Allow this device to wake the computer” and “Only allow a magic packet to wake the computer”
- Use a cable: most PCs cannot be woken over Wi-Fi
- If a PC does not wake from shutdown, turn off Fast startup in Windows’ power options
Which plan you need
Wake-on-LAN is included from the Solo plan up.
Questions
Can I wake a PC over the internet?
Yes, through VVDesk: you press Wake from anywhere, and an online VVDesk PC on the sleeping PC’s network sends the packet locally.
Why does my PC not wake up?
Check that Wake-on-LAN is on in the BIOS and the network adapter, that the PC is on a cable and not Wi-Fi, and that Fast startup is off.
Does the PC need a fixed address?
No. VVDesk remembers the PC’s network card and sends the packet to the whole local network.
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