{"id":69876,"date":"2026-02-07T12:49:41","date_gmt":"2026-02-07T11:49:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/69876\/remotely-power-on-computers-set-up-wake-on-lan-troubleshoot-problems-linux-windows\/"},"modified":"2026-02-07T12:49:41","modified_gmt":"2026-02-07T11:49:41","slug":"remotely-power-on-computers-set-up-wake-on-lan-troubleshoot-problems-linux-windows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/en\/69876\/remotely-power-on-computers-set-up-wake-on-lan-troubleshoot-problems-linux-windows\/","title":{"rendered":"Remotely power on computers: Set up Wake on LAN, troubleshoot problems, Linux, Windows"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>How to turn on your computer while on the go. <!--more--> I travel from time to time, often by train. I take my Linux laptop with me. I can do most things with it, but not everything. My workhorse, a desktop computer, is at home. All my data and programmes are on it.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of content<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/en\/69876\/remotely-power-on-computers-set-up-wake-on-lan-troubleshoot-problems-linux-windows\/#Turning_on_your_computer_while_on_the_go\" >Turning on your computer while on the go<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/en\/69876\/remotely-power-on-computers-set-up-wake-on-lan-troubleshoot-problems-linux-windows\/#What_is_Wake-On-Lan\" >What is Wake-On-Lan<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/en\/69876\/remotely-power-on-computers-set-up-wake-on-lan-troubleshoot-problems-linux-windows\/#How_do_I_activate_Wake-On-Lan\" >How do I activate Wake-On-Lan?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/en\/69876\/remotely-power-on-computers-set-up-wake-on-lan-troubleshoot-problems-linux-windows\/#Turning_on_the_computer_via_Fritzbox\" >Turning on the computer via Fritzbox<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/en\/69876\/remotely-power-on-computers-set-up-wake-on-lan-troubleshoot-problems-linux-windows\/#Starting_with_Windows\" >Starting with Windows<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/en\/69876\/remotely-power-on-computers-set-up-wake-on-lan-troubleshoot-problems-linux-windows\/#Getting_started_with_Linux\" >Getting started with Linux<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/en\/69876\/remotely-power-on-computers-set-up-wake-on-lan-troubleshoot-problems-linux-windows\/#Mac_address_of_the_computer\" >Mac address of the computer<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/en\/69876\/remotely-power-on-computers-set-up-wake-on-lan-troubleshoot-problems-linux-windows\/#Problems_and_notes\" >Problems and notes<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/en\/69876\/remotely-power-on-computers-set-up-wake-on-lan-troubleshoot-problems-linux-windows\/#Conclusion\" >Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Turning_on_your_computer_while_on_the_go\"><\/span>Turning on your computer while on the go<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p> When I&#8217;m on the go, I can access it using Remote Desktop and <a href=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/58817\/fritzbox-wireguard-vpn-in-linux-einrichten\/\">VPN<\/a>. Now, I don&#8217;t want the thing running all the time and consuming electricity, so I&#8217;ve been using an automatic switch-on with a <a href=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/53250\/computer-von-unterwegs-automatisch-einschalten\/\">Wi-Fi socket<\/a>. As soon as the computer gets power, it switches on.<\/p>\n<p>It works, but a Wi-Fi socket with its own app and manufacturer cloud is a bit of a thing. With this kind of stuff, you never know exactly what security gaps and spying you&#8217;re letting into your network. That&#8217;s why I&#8217;ve now tried Wake-On-Lan. <\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_Wake-On-Lan\"><\/span>What is Wake-On-Lan<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Wake-on-LAN (WoL) is a function that allows you to turn on a computer that is switched off or in sleep mode via the network. This requires a wired connection with a network cable. A special &#8220;magic packet&#8221; is sent via the local network or the internet. <\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_I_activate_Wake-On-Lan\"><\/span>How do I activate Wake-On-Lan?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The function is activated in the BIOS\/UEFI. Here are two examples, one from Dell: <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/wol_1.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-69858\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/wol_1.webp 800w, https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/wol_1-300x225.webp 300w, https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/wol_1-768x576.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/> Or here on my desktop, where you can see that the function is sometimes called &#8220;Power On By PCI-E&#8221; rather than Wake-On-Lan.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/wol_2.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-69860\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/wol_2.webp 800w, https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/wol_2-300x225.webp 300w, https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/wol_2-768x576.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Once the function is activated, the computer should turn on. This does not always work and should be tested accordingly; more on this later in the article. <\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Turning_on_the_computer_via_Fritzbox\"><\/span>Turning on the computer via Fritzbox<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p> If you have a Fritzbox, you can use it to turn on your computer. To do this, go to the Network section. Here, we now search for the computer.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/wol_3.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"954\" height=\"536\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-69862\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/wol_3.webp 954w, https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/wol_3-300x169.webp 300w, https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/wol_3-768x431.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 954px) 100vw, 954px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>In the Details (Edit) and LAN sections, you will find a button to start the computer. As soon as you press this button, the FritzBox sends the magic packet and the computer should start up.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/wol_4.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"593\" height=\"509\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-69864\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/wol_4.webp 593w, https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/wol_4-300x258.webp 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 593px) 100vw, 593px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Starting_with_Windows\"><\/span>Starting with Windows<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p> Under Windows, the free tool <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nirsoft.net\/utils\/wake_on_lan.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WakeMeOnLan from NirSoft<\/a> is very well suited for starting a computer via Wake-on-LAN.<\/p>\n<p>The programme can scan the network automatically (the computer must be running for this) or we can add the PC manually using its MAC address. Right-clicking on the desired computer and selecting &#8220;Wake Up Selected Computers&#8221; is then sufficient to send the magic packet. The tool is portable, requires no installation and does not need a cloud or additional services.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/wol_5.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"1308\" height=\"518\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-69866\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/wol_5.webp 1308w, https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/wol_5-300x119.webp 300w, https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/wol_5-1024x406.webp 1024w, https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/wol_5-768x304.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1308px) 100vw, 1308px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Getting_started_with_Linux\"><\/span>Getting started with Linux<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p> There is a package available for Linux. <\/p>\n<pre> sudo apt install wakeonlan wakeonlan B8:CA:3A:77:B7:61 <\/pre>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/wol_6.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"629\" height=\"116\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-69868\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/wol_6.webp 629w, https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/wol_6-300x55.webp 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 629px) 100vw, 629px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Mac_address_of_the_computer\"><\/span>Mac address of the computer<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p> The Mac address can be found in the detailed view of the Fritzbox for the device or in Windows. Here, we enter <code>ipconfig \/all<\/code> in the command prompt:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/wol_7.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"794\" height=\"259\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-69870\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/wol_7.webp 794w, https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/wol_7-300x98.webp 300w, https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/wol_7-768x251.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 794px) 100vw, 794px\" \/> <\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Problems_and_notes\"><\/span>Problems and notes<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>How well it works in practice depends a little on the type of computer and how it shuts down. My Dell desktop switches off completely when it shuts down; you can see that the power supply LED is no longer lit, and no LEDs are lit on the LAN either. Switching it on does not work this way. Here, Wake-On-Lan only works when the computer is in standby or hibernation mode. In short, check whether the network LEDs are still lit or flashing when the computer is switched off. <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/wol_8.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-69872\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/wol_8.webp 800w, https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/wol_8-300x225.webp 300w, https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/wol_8-768x576.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/> It works without any problems on my other desktop computer. Something lights up inside when it is switched off. Wake-on-LAN works without any problems here.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/wol_9.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-69874\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/wol_9.webp 800w, https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/wol_9-300x225.webp 300w, https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/wol_9-768x576.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span>Conclusion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p> Wake-on-LAN is a practical solution for only turning on your home computer when you really need it. When it comes to power consumption, let&#8217;s be honest: the PC draws a little power in standby mode, and a Wi-Fi socket does the same \u2013 so at the end of the day, there shouldn&#8217;t be much difference. <\/p>\n<p>The real advantage of WoL is that no additional hardware, no app and no manufacturer cloud are required. The disadvantage is that not all hardware works properly with it and some computers can only be woken up from standby or hibernation mode. But when it works, Wake-on-LAN is an elegant and pleasantly unobtrusive solution.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How to turn on your computer while on the go.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14676,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1555],"tags":[3230,3817,1598],"class_list":["post-69876","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-software-en","tag-instructions-en","tag-lan-en","tag-network"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69876","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=69876"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69876\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14676"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=69876"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=69876"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ekiwi-blog.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=69876"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}