Applies to: Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7
This guide was originally written for Windows 10 and Windows 8.1. The core Wake-on-LAN configuration is still relevant, but current Windows systems can also be affected by firmware settings, network adapter drivers, power states and Fast Startup behavior.
Wake-on-LAN (WOL) allows a computer to wake from a low-power state when its network adapter receives a specially formed Ethernet packet, commonly called a magic packet. WOL support depends on the system firmware, network adapter, driver and Windows power state.
Before You Start
Before configuring Windows, make sure the computer and wired network adapter support Wake-on-LAN. On systems with an onboard Ethernet adapter, WOL may also need to be enabled in BIOS or UEFI. The exact setting name varies by vendor and may appear as Wake on LAN, Power On By PCI-E/PCI, Resume By LAN or a similar option.
How to Configure Wake-on-LAN in Windows
1. Enable Wake-on-LAN in the computer BIOS or UEFI if required. On the ASUS motherboard used in this example, the setting is located under Advanced β APM β Power On By PCI-E/PCI. If you do not see a similar option, check the motherboard or system vendor documentation.
2. Open Device Manager, expand Network adapters, right-click the Ethernet adapter and select Properties.
3. Open the Advanced tab and look for an option such as Wake on Magic Packet. Set it to Enabled. Depending on the NIC vendor, you may also see settings such as Shutdown Wake-On-Lan or Wake on pattern match.
4. Open the Power Management tab. When supported by the adapter and driver, enable Allow this device to wake the computer and Only allow a magic packet to wake the computer.
Verify Wake-on-LAN from Windows
You can confirm whether Windows sees the adapter as wake-capable and whether it is currently armed to wake the system.
powercfg /devicequery wake_programmable
powercfg /devicequery wake_armed
powercfg /lastwakeIf the Ethernet adapter appears in wake_programmable but not in wake_armed, check its Power Management settings and driver configuration.
Fast Startup and Windows Power States
One common source of confusion is testing WOL after a normal Windows shutdown. Microsoft documents that Wake-on-LAN is supported from S3 sleep and normal S4 hibernate, but not from Fast Startup / hybrid shutdown or the normal S5 soft-off state.
Some firmware and network adapters can still wake a system from S4 or S5 independently of Windows, so behavior may vary by hardware. If WOL works from Sleep but not after Shut down, test the Windows power-state behavior before assuming that the NIC configuration is wrong.
Windows allows Fast Startup to be disabled, but Microsoft does not generally recommend disabling it as a default configuration. Treat it as a troubleshooting variable rather than the first fix.
Wake-on-LAN Troubleshooting Checklist
- Confirm WOL is enabled in BIOS or UEFI.
- Use a wired Ethernet adapter. WOL behavior over Wi-Fi is hardware-specific and should not be assumed.
- Update or test the NIC vendor driver if WOL stopped working after an OS or driver update.
- Check that the Ethernet link remains active when the computer enters the power state you are testing.
- Verify that the NIC appears in powercfg /devicequery wake_armed.
- Test from Sleep before testing from Shut down.
- Make sure the magic packet reaches the correct network segment. Routers normally do not forward Layer 2 broadcasts between subnets without specific configuration.
If Wake-on-LAN stopped working specifically after upgrading Windows and you use a Realtek adapter, see this related field case:
Wake on LAN does NOT Work in Windows 10 After Upgrade from Windows 8.1 or Windows 7
Microsoft References
Cloud and infrastructure professional with nearly two decades of experience in enterprise IT environments, spanning public cloud, private cloud, and hybrid architectures.
Thank you for sharing this info, but it still does not work for me. Hmm, is your ‘Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller’ on the motherboard? if you put your computer to sleep now are there any LEDs still active on the network adapter in the back? What software are you using to send the WOL packet?
I am using “wakeonlan” on Raspberry Pi and “Mocha WOL” on iPhone. You may also need to disable Windows 10/8.1 “Fast startup” feature and/or you may need to change your BIOS power settings.
Contrary to what you might expect, Wake On Lan doesn’ t work when your computer is in sleeping mode. Wake On Lan switches your computer ‘on’, therefore it needs to be fully switched ‘off’.
This is an issue with Windows 10, where ‘shutting down’ your computer doesn’t switch the machine off but leaves quite a few functionalities working in order to reduce the startup time. This is called ‘fast startup’ and you need to untick that option in the system settings:
Power & Sleep => Additional power settings => Choose what the power buttons do => Change settings that are currently unavailable => and scroll down to uncheck the box before ‘Turn on fast startup (recommended)’
I have the ASUS Maximus Hero VII. If you want to Wake On Lan from Power Off like I want you have to go into the BIOS and go under Advanced then to APM Configuration and turn on ErP Ready Enabled S5 and Power On By PCI-E Enabled. Those seem to be the only two options you need. Normally you just have to turn on support like Power On by PCI-E, but this new board it has to have the ErP on as well it seems. See if you have that option.
I have ASUS Maximus VIII Ranger (the new one, 8, not 7) with updated BIOS and in this one you can’t enable both options: “ErP Ready” and “Power On By PCI-E”. If you enable the first one, the second one is automatically disabled.
In order to have working WOL in this motherboard, you simply need to enable “Power On By PCI-E”, and I’m not sure if “Network Stack”… I have to test it with “Network Stack” disabled.
Thank you for informative feedback about BIOS Settings for setting up WOL.
You’re welcome! And now I can confirm that there’s no need to enable “Network Stack” π
From what I read ErP is supposed to lower the power your PC uses in off state to under 1 watt and I think shuts off wake on lan, etc. So it should be off from what I read. But on my board Asus Maximus Hero VII I had to have it enabled for S5 so I could do wake on lan. So I’m not real clear on it here as Asus seems to be backwards from everything I found on the web. But having it enable and of course having Power On by PCI-E which also is for the NIC as well.
Thanks for these 2 awesome comments include great information.
So how do you wake the pc up after making the above settings?
I second that. Would be nice to also know how to actually wake the pc up remotely π
I use raspberry pi to wake up remotely. I also use mWOL which is iPhone application for remote wake up.
I use Wake On Lan, an app on my Android phone. Or there are various extensions for your browser that will do the same, also for Chromebooks.
Just an add on about WoL, I use the Fing app on Android to wake mine up, or if you have DD-WRT on your router, you can do it through it’s web page, Administration –> WOL
Depending on people’s setup, your last recommendation (with regard to the network adapter properties) may cause issues.
Ticking the option “Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power” instructs Windows 10 to cut the power of the network adapter and therefore there will be zero power on the ethernet port. If your computer is connected to the internet through a so-called ‘home plug’ (aka as IP over Power), zero power on the ethernet port may activate the internal power saving protocol of the Home Plug and switch it off. From then on it will be impossible for the magic packet to reach the system and have the network adapter starting it up.
Therefore I’ d recommend to always untick that option. After shutting down the power to the ethernet port is very weak, so the saving resulting from turning off the network adapter will be minute.
On the Gigabyte motherboard help 2 things:
1. Return Lan driver to original from the manufacturer.
2. Power option > change power button option > Advanced > turn of Fast boot option
this function cut power to the lan card.
Generally on Windows 10 return to manufacturer driver solve many problems.
I can’t find Wake on Magic Package under the advance setting of the Ethernet Connection screen. Also it’s the only one that shows up.
spent weeks working on wol. have an asus prime z270-ar, contacted asus tier 1 support and they were no help. finally got it to work. in the nic go to the Power Management tab, and check the settings, DO NOT CHECK MARK ANY OF THE FOLLOWING BELOW. NADA, ZILCH, IGNORE THE PIC ABOVE, ‘Allow this device to wake the computer’ or ‘Only allow a magic packet to wake the computer’ or ‘Allow this computer to turn off device to save power’. and then BAAM!!! got it to work…. hope this saves someone out there from pulling there hair out… I’m bald now…
Yep, you saved me from going bald π I have an ASUS Maximus VIII Hero and all I had to do to get it working was disable the check boxes as you described. Thank you Patrick.
Thank you from saving my hair! After disabling ‘Allow this computer to turn off device to save power’, which disables the other two as well, I used Mocha WOL (for ios), my IP, my PC’s Physical MAC address, port 9 (forwarded in router to my PC’s internal IP, all protocol boxes), no Broadcast, no ping, ran from my phone’s 3G connection and my PC started!
any one know how to do this with a msi x99a?
What if I don’t have the power management tab? Running latest Win 10 as of 9 July 2017
Then you need to update your NIC driver!
I know it’s old but I suggest to update drivers for NIC card first,then manipulate BIOS (Power on by PCI-E and be shure network stack is activated.The latest LAN_V20.1.2019.0_WHQL driver is already set-up by default to enable WOL,just reset BIOS and do the settings posted in article.regards,pierre