Setup guide
Wake-on-LAN setup guide for PacketWake
PacketWake can send the magic packet, but the sleeping device and network must be configured to receive it. Work through the setup in this order.
1. Enable Wake-on-LAN in BIOS or UEFI
Open the target device firmware settings and look for Wake-on-LAN, PCI-E wake, network wake, resume by LAN, power on by PCI-E, or a similar option. Enable it and save the firmware settings.
If the device is fully shut down, the adapter must still receive standby power. Some machines only support waking from sleep, not from a full shutdown.
2. Enable operating system adapter wake
In Windows, check the network adapter power management and advanced driver settings. Enable magic packet wake and allow the adapter to wake the computer. In macOS, check Energy Saver or Battery settings for network wake options where available.
Prefer wired Ethernet for the sleeping target. A phone on Wi-Fi is normal, but the target device often needs Ethernet to wake reliably.
3. Find the correct MAC address
Use the MAC address of the network adapter that remains active while the machine sleeps. Do not use a virtual adapter, Bluetooth adapter, VPN adapter, or Wi-Fi adapter if the target wakes only on Ethernet.
4. Create the PacketWake profile
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Name | A clear label such as Office PC, Home NAS, or Lab Server. |
| Target | The target IP address, hostname, or broadcast address your network expects. |
| MAC address | The physical adapter MAC address, for example AA:BB:CC:DD:EE:FF. |
| Port | UDP port 9 by default. Try port 7 only if your network expects it. |
| Broadcast override | Optional. Use it when your device address is not enough and your LAN needs a broadcast target such as 192.168.1.255. |
| SecureOn | Optional. Only enter it if the target firmware or network card requires a SecureOn password. |
5. Test on the same LAN first
Start with the phone and target on the same local network. Avoid guest Wi-Fi, client isolation, and complex VPN paths during the first test. Once local waking works, you can decide whether your own router or VPN setup should support remote use.
6. Use retries carefully
A small retry count can help on some networks, but unlimited retries are noisy and unnecessary. PacketWake uses bounded retry settings so a wake action stays intentional and finite.
If another known-good Wake-on-LAN tool cannot wake the target from the same network, fix the target device or network first. PacketWake cannot override firmware, adapter, router, or VLAN rules.