Wake-on-LAN (WoL) from the command line allows you to remotely power on a sleeping or completely shut-down computer by sending a specially structured network packet (called a “magic packet”) via a terminal or command prompt. This method is highly favored by system administrators and power users because it bypasses the need for heavy graphical applications and can easily be automated using custom scripts, task schedulers, or deployment tools. Pre-Requisites Before Running Commands
For any command line utility to successfully wake a remote device, you must ensure the target machine has the following configured:
BIOS/UEFI Enablement: Turn on options like Wake on LAN, Wake on Magic Packet, or Power on by PCIe inside your motherboard settings.
Operating System Verification: In Windows Device Manager, navigate to your network card properties and check Allow this device to wake the computer and Only allow a magic packet to wake the computer. You can verify compatible devices on Windows using the Microsoft Learn Support Guide command: powercfg -devicequery wake_from_any.
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