Remote switch-on over LAN

Is there a SIMPLE way to turn on any of my other two PCs over my wired
network ?
I have 3/4 units all with XPpro SP3 on a 3com wired router.
I downloaded ThinClient 4.1 but cannot get my head around configuring it,
and have researched PXE online,
it all appears very complicated.
I have remote desktop on all units and can control them from one
PC....including shutting them down, so all I really
need to do is be able to power the remote units up from one of the others.
So can anyone help me out with the following.........
1) Is there any ( preferably free ) software which can install and configure
each unit without much input from me...except maybe
IP addresses ?

2) Would WOL be a better way to go, and if so, will it turn on the target PC
from off or does it have to be in sleep mode ? ( All units have built-in
network port with WOL available )

3) Is there any software which will install the nesessary files and
configure WOL ? ( or how do I do it ? )

The aim is to control a PCwhich runs a projector for my big screen, and
another in the outside workshop for radio signals decoding.
The controlling PC would be in my lounge with the projector PC in the next
room.
At present all the remote desktops work fine, but of course cannot power on
the other units.

Mike, Lincoln UK

"MikeTheBrewer" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:hIGjp.126643$(E-Mail Removed)2...
> Is there a SIMPLE way to turn on any of my other two PCs over my wired
> network ?
> I have 3/4 units all with XPpro SP3 on a 3com wired router.
> I downloaded ThinClient 4.1 but cannot get my head around configuring it,
> and have researched PXE online,
> it all appears very complicated.
> I have remote desktop on all units and can control them from one
> PC....including shutting them down, so all I really
> need to do is be able to power the remote units up from one of the others.
> So can anyone help me out with the following.........
> 1) Is there any ( preferably free ) software which can install and
> configure each unit without much input from me...except maybe
> IP addresses ?
>
> 2) Would WOL be a better way to go, and if so, will it turn on the target
> PC from off or does it have to be in sleep mode ? ( All units have
> built-in network port with WOL available )
>
> 3) Is there any software which will install the nesessary files and
> configure WOL ? ( or how do I do it ? )
>
> The aim is to control a PCwhich runs a projector for my big screen, and
> another in the outside workshop for radio signals decoding.
> The controlling PC would be in my lounge with the projector PC in the next
> room.
> At present all the remote desktops work fine, but of course cannot power
> on the other units.
>
> Mike, Lincoln UK
>
Wake on Lan works ok as long as PC BIOS supports it and and have suitable
NIC cable installed.
If you know fixed time when you need to power the PC, you can set that in
BIOS and use WOL to shut down the Pc when required.
or you can try Remote Shut down from here: www.matcode.com

On Sun, 27 Mar 2011 14:11:03 +0100
"MikeTheBrewer" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> 2) Would WOL be a better way to go, and if so, will it turn on the
> target PC from off or does it have to be in sleep mode ? ( All units
> have built-in network port with WOL available )

It's the only sensible way to do it without specialist hardware. Most
ATX PCs with the right network card and BIOS should be able to do it,
although ISTR that various BIOS/OS types/combinations may only provide
WOL from certain states, e.g. WOL works when they're powered down but
not when they're hibernated, etc.
>
> 3) Is there any software which will install the nesessary files and
> configure WOL ? ( or how do I do it ? )

It's ages since I played with it, but as I recall: connect the WOL cable
(like a CD audio cable) for separate NIC or move the WOL jumper (if
present) for onboard NIC, enable WOL in BIOS. To use WOL you'll need to
know the MAC address (hardware Ethernet ID) of the NIC - IP address
doesn't necessarily work because the network stack is an OS feature so
not loaded when the PC is powered down, although if your network switch
has the MAC-to-IP-address mapping in its ARP cache then it should work
if your software can use it. Then on another PC run one of the WOL
programs that sends a "magic packet" to the relevant PC to wake it -
this basically has the same effect as pushing the power button on an ATX
machine, which doesn't actually switch power but toggles a logical
state on the motherboard which causes it to start/resume/whatever.

"Rob Morley" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:20110327210103.5655ac59@bluemoon...
> On Sun, 27 Mar 2011 14:11:03 +0100
> "MikeTheBrewer" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> 2) Would WOL be a better way to go, and if so, will it turn on the
>> target PC from off or does it have to be in sleep mode ? ( All units
>> have built-in network port with WOL available )
>
> It's the only sensible way to do it without specialist hardware. Most
> ATX PCs with the right network card and BIOS should be able to do it,
> although ISTR that various BIOS/OS types/combinations may only provide
> WOL from certain states, e.g. WOL works when they're powered down but
> not when they're hibernated, etc.
>>
>> 3) Is there any software which will install the nesessary files and
>> configure WOL ? ( or how do I do it ? )
>
> It's ages since I played with it, but as I recall: connect the WOL cable
> (like a CD audio cable) for separate NIC or move the WOL jumper (if
> present) for onboard NIC, enable WOL in BIOS. To use WOL you'll need to
> know the MAC address (hardware Ethernet ID) of the NIC - IP address
> doesn't necessarily work because the network stack is an OS feature so
> not loaded when the PC is powered down, although if your network switch
> has the MAC-to-IP-address mapping in its ARP cache then it should work
> if your software can use it. Then on another PC run one of the WOL
> programs that sends a "magic packet" to the relevant PC to wake it -
> this basically has the same effect as pushing the power button on an ATX
> machine, which doesn't actually switch power but toggles a logical
> state on the motherboard which causes it to start/resume/whatever.
>
>
Thanks....I must check the jumper settings on my m/boards...
I have tried WOL software from here:
http://www.matcode.com/wol.htm

Very simple stuff but no matter how I tried it would'nt work..I'll try
again.
They also do a remote shutdown programme. ( Both freeware )

On 28/03/2011 10:44, MikeTheBrewer wrote:

> Thanks....I must check the jumper settings on my m/boards...
> I have tried WOL software from here:
> http://www.matcode.com/wol.htm
>
> Very simple stuff but no matter how I tried it would'nt work..I'll try
> again.
> They also do a remote shutdown programme. ( Both freeware )
>

Some wakeonlan enabled network chipsets need enabling in the BIOS _AND_
(this is the bit that may seem wierd for some) also enabling in an
operating system driver properties page.

I say weird, as normally it doesn't matter at all what OS is on the
system - WoL is a thing that is normally all network packets and BIOS
firmware, and switches the machine on from an almost dead state (save
for the ATX standby 5V supply) before the OS even loads, but still there
is a bit of silicon that needs to be initially told what to do.

I'm sure I've even come across a boot floppy to do this, think that was
for a National Semiconductor NIC.

--
Adrian C

On 28/03/2011 18:27, Adrian C wrote:
> On 28/03/2011 10:44, MikeTheBrewer wrote:
>
>> Thanks....I must check the jumper settings on my m/boards...
>> I have tried WOL software from here:
>> http://www.matcode.com/wol.htm
>>
>> Very simple stuff but no matter how I tried it would'nt work..I'll try
>> again.
>> They also do a remote shutdown programme. ( Both freeware )
>>
>
> Some wakeonlan enabled network chipsets need enabling in the BIOS _AND_
> (this is the bit that may seem wierd for some) also enabling in an
> operating system driver properties page.
>
> I say weird, as normally it doesn't matter at all what OS is on the
> system - WoL is a thing that is normally all network packets and BIOS
> firmware, and switches the machine on from an almost dead state (save
> for the ATX standby 5V supply) before the OS even loads, but still there
> is a bit of silicon that needs to be initially told what to do.
>
> I'm sure I've even come across a boot floppy to do this, think that was
> for a National Semiconductor NIC.
>
A quick check of my Intel Pro 100VE NIC under Properties - Advanced
-Wake up Settings gives several options including "Magic" and
"Directed" packets .

"Adrian C" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> On 28/03/2011 10:44, MikeTheBrewer wrote:
>
>> Thanks....I must check the jumper settings on my m/boards...
>> I have tried WOL software from here:
>> http://www.matcode.com/wol.htm
>>
>> Very simple stuff but no matter how I tried it would'nt work..I'll try
>> again.
>> They also do a remote shutdown programme. ( Both freeware )
>>
>
> Some wakeonlan enabled network chipsets need enabling in the BIOS _AND_
> (this is the bit that may seem wierd for some) also enabling in an
> operating system driver properties page.
>
> I say weird, as normally it doesn't matter at all what OS is on the
> system - WoL is a thing that is normally all network packets and BIOS
> firmware, and switches the machine on from an almost dead state (save for
> the ATX standby 5V supply) before the OS even loads, but still there is a
> bit of silicon that needs to be initially told what to do.
>
> I'm sure I've even come across a boot floppy to do this, think that was
> for a National Semiconductor NIC.
>
> --
> Adrian C
Yes, agree with all that. In some cases, the PC *must* be shutdown
from within Windows, too, or WOL won't wake it (eg shutting down by
pressing the power button fails.) Weird but true. I spent a *long*
time diagnosing that one on my remote observatory PC - shutting down
via Remote Desktop (Ctrl-Alt-End > task manager> Shutdown) was fine,
but power button = 100% failure to WOL!
This was the case for several ASUS mobo's I tried, including P5W,
P4P800 and P4C800, all with onboard ethernet - not tried with PCI
LAN cards - may or may not be an issue and probably chipset dependent.
HTH,
--
Rob