Wake on LAN – how to get my backup server to wake up for backups

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Hi there

In these times of expensive electricity, shortages and the green drive, I want to have my home backup server switch off most of time, however I don’t want to have to go switch it on before doing automatic backups. Here is my scenario:

– My backup machine runs Vista 64 Ultimate, and has 4 HDDs – one for the OS, and the others for various backups, using shared folders across the network.
– I have three laptops (on Win7 Pro) and one desktop (on Vista Home Premium) in the house that are backing up automatically to this machine using a programme called GoodSynch. It works like a charm, because GoodSynch is always running on the laptops and simply becomes aware that the backup folder is available when I connect to the network at home, and does the backup automatically.

The backup server can be set to turn itself off automatically after no activity for an hour (my current settings). This works perfectly.

I just have the problem now of getting the machine to turn on when I connect to the network with the laptop. I have enabled the Wake-on-LAN function in the BIOS, but don’t know how to get it to work. Can someone give me some help please?

Thanks in advance
Alain

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See if this Lifehacker articlehelps.

Jerry

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The important point to note is that WOL works only on a wired network (no great surprise there, since it makes use of the ethernet NIC on the target machine, your server). This has to be enabled for WOL (see under the Power Management tab, probably), as well as the BIOS.

Maybe have a read through the writeup of one of Nir Sofer’s useful utilities Wake Me On LAN ?

Me? For years I’ve used BATch files and the WOLcmd utility from Depicus. Simplistic, but excellent.

BATcher

Plethora means a lot to me.

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With Windows 7 wireless WOL is supported. See Power Management for Network Devices in Windows 7.

Joe

--Joe

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It seems like Batcher has the solution – Nir Soft’s Wake Me on Lan solution does allow for a command line wake up….. I will give that a try and see if I can create a batch file to wake the server up….

Thanks!

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With Windows 7 wireless WOL is supported. See Power Management for Network Devices in Windows 7.

Thanks very much, Joe! News to me… Authors will have to dust off their old WOL programs, written maybe ten years ago, and update them for wireless.

BATcher

Plethora means a lot to me.

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Thanks very much, Joe! News to me… Authors will have to dust off their old WOL programs, written maybe ten years ago, and update them for wireless.

I’m sure there is at least one caveat. :^_^:

Joe

--Joe

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Thanks for the tips….

I had a good look through the links that you posted – The implementation up to the point of sending the magic packet is in place on my network – BIOS set, as well as the settings under the Device Manager for the NIC.

What I am looking for is perhaps the command to wake the machine up, so that I can put it into a batch file. When the synch runs, it provides for you to specify a programme (or batch file) to run before the synch begins – I think that would work! The use of a desktop programme that requires you to run it and then click a button won’t work because the other users are not really that technically savvy.

The Server is connected by LAN Cable, but the laptops are connected wirelessly to the router/DSL modem. It runs Vista, so I don’t need to worry about the wireless network protocol to wake it up. Thanks for hte tip, though!

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Does anyone have the text reqired for the Magic Packet? How do you create it without a programme?

Thanks

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You don’t need “the text” for a Magic Packet – the WOL programs do it all for you. See the syntax for WOLcmd (for example)…

Wake On Lan Command Line…
Usage: wolcmd [mac address] [ipaddress] [subnet mask] [port number]
e.g. wolcmd 009027a322fc 195.188.159.20 255.255.255.0 7

(If you really need to know the format of a Magic Packet, then Wikipedia gives as good an account as any.)

BATcher

Plethora means a lot to me.

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Batcher to the rescue again….!

Thanks – I will do a bit more research.

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