Can laptop be started up by remote ?

[Kris60]

Does anyone know if there exists a remote control for a HP laptop (Spectre) to get your laptop started on a distance (e.g. When your laptop is connected next to your television screen)?     In a local Belgium shop they told me that HP has small remote devices and an app to install on your smartphone to start up your HP device and referred me to HP Support, but HP Support does not know anything, never heard of it and sent me a general link of a webshop...

[Huffer]

By at a distance do you mean in the same room? There is a thing called Wake on LAN which allows you to remotely wake the computer from sleep with a "magic packet" command over the internet, but that is not exactly what you are asking about I don't think:

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Business-PCs-Workstations-and-Point-of-Sale-Systems/how-do-I-enable-Wa...

I am unaware of a remote control like for a TV for any laptop I have ever seen. Great idea, though. 

[Kris60]

Dear Huffer,

Thanks for your quick reply !

Yes, I mean in the same room.

I want to do the same set up as I did for 15 years now with my old Acer Vista laptop, meaning the laptop is closed laying under my HDMI connected television, being the brains of my TV screen, on which I can e-mail, look videos, save and edit movies on harddisk etc using my wireless keyboard and mouse.     With that antique Vista laptop a remote control hardware was delivered (looking as a remote of a television but having additional buttons like Windows mail and explorer).   So, was hoping HP had discovered something like that or even better having an app that I could use on my Android smartphone to control my HP laptop.

 May be there is another sollution with a docking station or other hardware I could connect with the HP Spectre Thunderbolt (USB C4) connection to put next to my seat with a turn on button (saw on the website a HP docking station with an on/off button but it doesn’t mention in the specs if it also turns your laptop on/off too).

Thanks in advance for your professional advice.

Kristiaan

[Huffer]

HP used to have laptops that had a remote control. It fit nicely in the old Express 54 slot but those have not existed for like 10+ years. All I can think to do is put the laptop to sleep and maybe wake it with a bluetooth device like a bluetooth keyboard. I am not aware of anything that will remotely turn it on from a fully powered down state. 

[Kris60]

Thanks again Huffer for your fast reply.

Probably that’s what I am going to do, put it into sleep modus and wakening up by moving my blue tooth mouse,  this is what I did in the beginning with my Vista, but to save electricity and avoid unasked awakening when someone touches my keyboard or mouse, later on I choose for shutdown and starting up with the remote hardware.

I also read your link solution, but am not going to change bios settings checking that out, as I am not a professional.

So you think the HP Spectre docking station (connecting with a long Thunderbolt wire next to my wall) will not do the thing, see the switch on/of button on board: https://www.coolblue.be/nl/share-product/879791?utm_medium=ios-app&utm_source=referral&utm_campaign=... ?

Was thinking on that, so next to my seat I could also put in USB sticks to download music files and other stuff with the additional ports such as a network cable connection (is next to my seat), powering and disconnecting my laptop easily to go to another room with it using as a tablet during the day not watching television.

May be I check out my new Panasonic Television settings and options, perhaps there is something that starts up my HP laptop.

Kind regards,

Kris.

[Huffer]

No the dock would work. It would have to be a much longer than normal Thunderbolt cable. I have a Zbook G3 with a Thunderbolt dock and can turn it on or off with the switch on the dock, but the dock is only about 18 inches from the laptop so it would not work if I wanted to sit in a chair 8 or 10 feet from the laptop. I would have to get up and walk across the room. 

[Kris60]

Thanks again for your quick reply Huffer.

Think it will be no issue to find a Thunderbolt cable for 5 meters, it should not loose much quality as on this type of cable the data runs fast.

Can I ask what kind of docking station you have or recommend ?

I also would like to put my network cable in it, because WiFi is not always stable, don’t know if something exists with a card reader for my ID card  ?

Have a nice day,

Kristiaan.

[Huffer · Accepted solution]

The one I have is specific to Zbooks. The plug is a weird combination of a USB-C and a barrel adapter. You would have to find a Thunderbolt dock with an on-off switch and I am not sure your laptop is compatible with any I know of offhand. Finding one with an ethernet port will not be a problem however. Most will have it.