Troubleshooting Wake On LAN on a Windows PC
Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot issues when trying to wake a PC.
Before you begin:
Hardware Requirements
To ensure best results, make sure the following items are using up-to-date drivers or firmware:
- Motherboard Chipset
- Network Adapter (if you have recently updated to Windows 10, make sure the Network Adapter drivers are updated)
- BIOS
Tip: In the BIOS under Power Management, Deep Sleep must be turned off.
Consult your computer or hardware manufacturer for assistance in downloading and installing drivers and firmware.
Tip: When Wake On LAN is possible, the LED light of both your network adapter and ethernet port should be lit up or blinking. These are commonly located on the back of your computer. If these lights are not lit up or blinking, the issue is with your network adapter or ethernet port hardware and you may want to contact the manufacturer.
Enabling Wake On LAN on Windows 10 and Windows 11
What to do next:
To see a full list of available states on your host machine, in
command line type
powercfg -a and verify that states S3, S4, and S5 are available.
Tip: To open a command line, press the Windows key and R at the same time on your keyboard to open a Run box, then type in cmd and select OK.
ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface) standards:
- S0 – System is fully powered on
- S1 – Power on Suspend(POS): Power to the CPU and RAM is maintained.
- S2 – CPU powered off.
- S3 – Standby, Sleep or Suspend: RAM still has power
- S4 – Hibernation: Memory is saved to the hard drive and the system is powered down.
- S5 – Shut Down: The power supply still supplies power to the power button.
For additional information, visit the Microsoft support site.