Recommend a way to wol Z620

[dima999]

Hi,

I am using a mobile all to setup WOL connection to a z620 workstation - cannot make it work - enabled the S5 WAKE ON LAN setting and it does nto work....got the mac address via the IPCONFIG/ALL command...

I have 3 workstations on one router (tenda) - 2 z420 workstations and one z620

I wonder if having them all on one router can stand in the way of wol working?.

Thanks a lot!

Dave

[Brian1965]

Hi Dima999,

If you have an android phone I would recommend you try Wake On Lan by Mike Webb.

On the Z620, under device options in the BIOS,  I have the S5 Wake On LAN set to enable. Under the Power-On Options in the BIOS, I have the Remote Wakeup Boot Source set to Remote Server.

This works without any issues on my Z620.

[SDH]

Dave, it is fine to have those three workstations on one router on your LAN.  That is not the issue.

WOL is actually quite complicated, and there are interactions between the BIOS, the power settings, the type of network you are trying to succeed with WOL over, etc.  The document below is somewhat of a rough draft, and note that the HP network adapter settings for WOL are not addressed in it, but I added that lower down.  Those adapter settings are pretty much default, however.  Also, some of the later workstations have access to some of the WOL settings in a few odd places.  This should help, and the Solar Winds WOL utility referred to is a gem for working on this issue:

Wake on LAN is Complicated

SDH 6/10/19

The various HP workstations have slightly different settings to get WOL to work properly.  There are specific BIOS settings related to power that need to be set correctly, and also an advanced BIOS device setting to turn on WOL (assuming the power settings in BIOS have been changed from default to allow WOL).  Finally specific network adapter settings (for your NIC or your on-board network chipset) need to be set correctly.  To succeed with WOL over a LAN is relatively easy when compared to WOL over a WAN.

A Tip:  If you want WOL to work when you shut down a HP workstation check to ensure that the network adapter’s LEDs are blinking on the backplane (assuming an active network cable is attached).  If not then some BIOS settings are incorrect for WOL.  If the network adapter is fully turned off you will see no blinking LEDs.  Instead, the adapter needs to stay in a powered-up “listening” state to receive the WOL “Magic Packet”.  This is somewhat energy inefficient, and more recent HP workstations have the BIOS energy settings required to keep the network adapter powered up when the workstation is shut down turned off by default.

To use the SolarWinds Wake-On-LAN utility you need to enter both the MAC and the static IP address of the target workstation.  When entering the MAC address do not use spaces or hyphens.  The alphanumerics for entering the MAC are not case sensitive.  You need to get WOL working on a Local Area Network before you even begin to think about using this advanced feature across a Wide Area Network, and this WOL utility is a great tool to have…. And it is free.

Clicking the WOL utility’s “Wake UP PC” button sends a "Magic Packet" to the target workstation across your LAN, or later across your WAN.  Solar Winds provides some help with the WAN issues…. read up on “enabling directed broadcasts on your network”.

We have shut off WOL in BIOS for our usual HP workstation BIOS settings as an added layer of security but are seeing a value in enabling WOL for remote maintenance.  Many do not know that there are specific BIOS settings related to energy management that must be set correctly for WOL to work.  WOL adds a bit of power inefficiency so if BIOS is set to the HP defaults for energy management  by definition WOL will not work.  There are multiple settings that all need to be correct for WOL to work properly, and firewall settings will play a significant role for use of WOL over a Wide Area Network.

The basic critical BIOS setting:

To enable WOL in a target HP workstation here is just one of the main settings needed:  F10 into BIOS, go to Advanced tab, down to Device Options, S5 Wake on LAN, Enable, F10 to save, Escape to move back to Save Changes and Exit, F10 to confirm saving the changes, reboot.  The energy-related BIOS settings are more complex, below.

Power Management BIOS settings:

Some HP workstations have “ERP compliance mode capability” but if ERP is enabled one of the effects is that “wake on LAN” functionality is disabled.  To have WOL enabled does waste some energy.  To disable ERP compliance mode so that WOL has a chance to work in a ERP enabled HP workstation:

1. Press F10 during startup to enter BIOS.
2. Using the arrow keys, select the Power tab> OS Power Management > Realtime Power Management Enabled/ Turbo Mode Enabled/ Idle Power Savings set to Extended/ PCIe PM Disabled/ USSBR Disabled> Hardware Power Management > S5 Maximum Power Savings Disabled.
3. Press F10 to accept the change.
4. Go over to the Advanced tab/ Device Options/ S5 WOL Enabled.
5. Select File > Save Changes and Exit, and then press Enter to accept the change.
6. If using Windows 8 or 10, boot to Windows and search from the Start page for the setting “Change what the power buttons do”. Check “Turn on fast startup (recommended)”. If the checkbox is not available, click Change settings that are currently unavailable at the top of the window.  I have not yet checked on W10, but this option of fast startup is not there in W7Pro64.

Added Tips:

If you shutdown the workstation and no NIC/LOM LED lights are active on the backplane (blinking) when a network cable is connected between the workstation and an active switch this usually means that some critical BIOS power setting to enable WOL is incorrect.  For example, under Hardware Power Management set SATA Power Management to Enable and S5 Max Power Savings set to Disable.  If maximum power savings is set to Enable the LOM LEDs will not be flashing when the computer is shut off (which is the S5 state).

To use the WOL Utility you need to know the MAC of the target NIC (or LAN On Motherboard) the network cable is attached to.  For the current test Z420 on my .16 static IP it is, for example (not my real MAC) 6451063CC337 (enter the MAC with no hyphens in the WOL utility).  You also need to enter the target workstation’s static IP address, for example 192.168.15.16.  Then click on the “Wake Up PC” button in the WOL utility.  From my loft workstation I can then hear the target workstation’s fans start, and then the chime of Windows booting up, triggered over our LAN.  Nice way to test.....

I noted from the WOL utility a small window stating that the IP “is not powered up yet”, with seconds counting, but it was powered up.  This can be avoided if you disable “Auto-Monitor after sending Wake-On-LAN packets” in the utility preferences, via launching the WOL utility, go to File tab, down to Settings, over to the third tab there of “Auto-Monitor”  and uncheck the default-checked box “Enable Auto-Monitor…” :

SolarWinds has some free programs but most cost.  The SolarWinds WOL software is free for those who register.  However, you can spoof an eMail address in preparation to download the utility.

Links:

https://www.solarwinds.com/free-tools/wake-on-lan

(has free download link, which takes you to the next link below)

https://www.solarwinds.com/free-tools/wake-on-lan/registration

(you can use false info including stunt email address here.  Still works.  Takes you to a page offering free trial of Engineer's Toolset.  Click on "Continue Without Adding".  It states that they sent an email, but you still can click on "Download Now" to get the program despite using a spoofed email address.

10/18:  The version downloaded is 8.0.0.23, and it installs to C:\Program Files (x86)\ SolarWinds   and this is the same version as from 2017.

https://www.solarwinds.com/engineers-toolset/wake-on-lan

(WOL is free but included in Engineer's Toolset, but that costs $$$)

[SDH]

Since we're on the topic here is some added info for the HP business class desktop computers.  These same concepts will apply across many HP quality computers:

HP Compaq 8300 Elite/6300 Pro SFF WOL BIOS Settings

SDH 6/10/19

The latest BIOS is 3.08, released 4/26/19,  and access to the BIOS WOL settings is different from the other same era workstations (and hard to find).  Here is the solution:

F10 into BIOS and go over to the Advanced tab/ go down to highlight “Intel 82579LM Gigabit”/ Enter/ NIC Configuration/ Enter/ go to Wake on LAN/ Enable/ F10 = Accept (again) / Escape/ Save changes and exit/ Yes/ Enter.

There are the other power management settings that need to be set correctly as in the Z workstations because default HP settings are designed for high energy efficiency (and WOL is not to a degree).  Same concepts…..

[SDH]

Brian.... if you have any tips on getting WOL to work over WAN they'd be appreciated.  I've seen various opinions on whether setting Remote Wake Up Boot Source to Remote Server is necessary.

Here's my last for now, related to the NIC/LOM (LAN On Motherboard) adapter settings:

Go to the adapter's properties via Control Panel/ Network and Sharing Center/change adapter settings/ and up to the Configure button.... click on that.  Navigate over to the Power Management tab.  For a ZX20 go down to the Wake on LAN section, and check all 4 boxes, then click on OK to save on the way out.  For a ZX00 and the xw workstations there are far fewer items, and some you cannot change until the BIOS is set correctly.  All the ideas are similar for those too.

[Brian1965]

Hi SDH,

Just to make sure I'm understanding you clearly, when you say WOL over WAN do you mean;

1) The HP Z620 is connected via its ethernet port to a router/network (LAN), wake up request is from a device connected wirelessly to the same router/network (WLAN), or

2) HP Z620 connected to a router/network using a wireless adapter (WLAN) and the wake up request is sent from either a wired (LAN) or wireless device on the same network (WLAN)?

I'm not sure if there is any method for option 2) to work since the wireless USB adapter or PCI wireless adapter installed  in the HP Z620 would need to be powered on in order for it to recognize a wake up request. (If the Z620 is switched off then so are any PCI cards or USB ports). However, you may be able to use 'Powerline' adapters to wirelessly send the wake up request to the computers ethernet port since the Powerline adapters are powered from the mains supply and not the HP Z620.

My Z620 is set up as per option 1) above. I'm powering-on my HP Z620 using my android mobile phone which is connected to my wi-fi network.

P.S. My HP Z620 has a dynamic IP address and the app works without any issues.

[SDH]

Brian,

Thanks much.... I'm weak on networking terminology.  We mainly use wired connections, and for LAN I meant within my local network with all devices connected through network cables to a central switch.  The Z620 can be "fully" powered off because if set up properly the network adapter actually is still receiving a low level of power from the motherboard, listening for the magic packet to arrive.  When that does come in then the network adapter sends the signal to fully power up the workstation.  No wireless involved.

For WOL I was meaning sending the magic packet from a remote site miles away via the internet, say from our IT center, to cross through the firewalls and into my switch and across my LAN to that Z620 to fire it up for remote updates/service, etc.  We use Cisco hardware-based VPNs for secure access from/to the data centers.

Agree that the workstation (except the network adapter) is powered down if WOL has been set up properly but not yet activated via an incoming magic packet.

[Brian1965]

Likewise, after posting my last message I realised I confused myself with WAN and WLAN which are two completely different scenarios. I agree, if your not on the same network as the computer you want to wake up then things definitely start to get extremely tricky. I just found this interesting article article on the inter-web;

How To: Wake on LAN / Wake on WAN