[just4747]

Hey all, bare with my long post. I just registered because I cannot for the life of me figure out this issue. I have tried every method, every tip from forums, nothing works. Normally I have no problem troubleshooting an IT problem but this one has gotten the better of me and I had to turn to a forum.

So I have a bit of an older machine, a Dell Dimension 2350 with Windows XP Pro w/ Svc. Pack 3. The PC is upgraded as much as possible within Dell's criteria..1 GB of RAM, all peripherals, video card, etc.. enough for me at this point. It has the retail motherboard (HERE) and retail integrated 10/100 Ethernet adapter.
I have been trying to get the Wake-On-Lan feature to work from either within my own network or from over the internet from any network (ideal).

Network-wise, I have Comcast Cable internet which is used through a Linksys wireless router (a Wireless-G, WR-series) (my laptop uses the wireless but the desktop PC in question is obviously wired LAN). After reading several tutorials on Wake-On-Lan, I feel I've done everything needed but still am not getting it to work. I do know a few areas that the problem might be contatined in though, maybe one of you will see it.

First of all, I've rebooted and gone into Bios settings, into the Power Management tab, enabled the "Allow to Wake from PCI devices" option (the only WOL-related option in there; not sure how a PCI option would help me though if the network card isn't PCI. But there are no other Bios options for WOL, any ideas?). Then I've gone into Device Mgr and into my Network card settings, made sure that the power management settings has the "Allow this device to bring the computer out of standby" option turned on. Also, in the advanced tab, there is a category called Wake Up Capabilities (the only one in there that pertains to WOL). In there it gives options of 'Wake Up Frame' (default), 'None,' or 'Magic Packet.' I changed it to Magic Packet even though I read that it could be on Wake Up Frame and still work.

So, that takes care of network and Bios settings. From seeing these, I assume I do not need to connect any 3-pin wires from the network card to the system board to make this work since it apparently is in fact an integrated card.
I then tried to wake the PC from my laptop (on the same network but wireless). I tried a few of the WOL apps to wake it from within the network but no go. I had to enter MAC address (found in ipconfig/all on the PC) and usually the IP as well (the one found on whatsmyip.net). Nothing worked.

I had also been trying to do WOL from a few WOL websites that allow you to wake from any network over internet. I had opened up a port in my router firewall to forward the packets to the PCs IP Address (I forwarded my computers IP- the one found on whatsmyip.net to port 9.) I also have been messing with static IP addresses, in which I made a static server name for my machines IP address using DynDNS.com.

No settings or IP/MAC combinations make my computer wake from within the network or from the internet on one of those sites. It either just doesn't work, says the network is private, or it says you cannot wake because you are on the computer you are trying to wake. I guess that means that the laptop I'm on wireless with has the same IP address as the PC? Not sure why.

There's a ton more info I could mention from my venture but this is already too long of a post. If you need any more info from me, please just ask and I will reply immediately (Blackberry). Please help me if possible, thanks!


Sidenotes:
-I chatted with Dell and they "confirmed" that this PC/mobo has WOL capabilities.
-Possibly the static server name I made is messing this up? I'm convinced that something with the IP address/static name/port forwarding/broadcast ip/subnet/router settings is causing this.
-I used my router's DDNS feature and plugged in the server/ip name to keep it static (new to this).
-I've read a few sites saying that when trying to use WOL with a Linksys router that you should try changing the subnet to 225.225.225.128 (instead of the default 225.225.225.0) and forward the Broadcast IP (for me then would be 192.168.1.127 to port 9 (or whichever port) (read this HERE). I'm wary of this stuff as I'm a little inexperienced with the IP stuff, but I did my best with the forwarding settings.

[Yek]

It's most likley your router.
Most dont like stuff going out to come in again.
I.e trying to access a webserver hosted with public IP 183.365.86.71:7600 from "inside" the lan will throw up a 404 no matter how you have things configured.
Accessing from outside the LAN however will get things working fine.

Try accessing via its LAN IP (192.168.x.x)

If possiable remove your router from the network and use a proper switch.
Also if you've tried this just confirm for me, we can then move onto other options

Cheers,

~ Tkey

[just4747]

Thanks for the reply.
That depends on this question...when should I be using which IP in this whole process?:

-For making a static IP/server name I used my ISP-assigned PC IP address (76.xxx.xx...; e.g. seen at whatsmyip.net), which by the way, is the same on both my PC and laptop when on my same network.

-When I open ports in my router I use the address next to "IP Address" in ipconfig (e.g. 192.168.1.101, the router's current IP?, which changes..correct? Or is that the other one that gets me into router settings e.g. 192.168.1.1??)

-When I try to wake over internet using the WOL websites, it asks for MAC and IP, I use that ISP-assigned machine address again (76.xxx...).

Are these even being used at the correct times?

[Yek]

From what you have said yes.
If you can reserve LAN IP's for each box, post up which IP's you have reserved and it will make everything alot easier.

Once you've got em posted up ill talk you through what needs to be set as what

Cheers,

~ Tkey

[just4747]

Hmm not 100% sure about what you mean. What I have done is gone to Dyndns.org and made a name (just4747.dyndns.org) for my ISP IP address (76.xxx...; don't have the exact address here @ work) and then input that new static name into my Linksys router's DDNS section and enabled it. (I had done this to make my own home server using Serv-u).

[Yek]

Yeah but your router is acting as a DHCP server. It will be giving out a different address each time a machine time connects, correct?
If you have these reserved ( usually under LAN address reservation ) and post em up I can tell you the route and addresses you need.

Cheers,

~ Tkey

[just4747]

Hmm I know DHCP is enabled but as for those addreses, I'll have to post em up after work in the next 6 hrs (sorry not too savy on this stuff yet other than what I've said). But I do know that usually when I disconnect my machine and reconnect the ethernet or when I connect a new machine, the address similar to 192.168.1.101 changes to 102, or 103, etc each time. So then why would I have registered my public IP that never changes 76.xxx...) with dyndns if the other one I just mentioned is the one that changes? (Even though Serv-u has been working the way I did it)?

I'm so confused with the diff. IPs and everything...

Also, how would accessing the pc to wake from internet work when I just enter the router IP in these WOL sites? Or do u actually use the public one for that like I always thought? I mean considering the millions of ppl who have the same 192.168.1.101 type of number...

[Yek]

You need to reserve the LAN IP's so stuff dosn't start moving.
If a connection it coming through to the router on say port 10 and the router is configured to send all requests for port 10 to one address it will be fine.

If the IP then changes (DHCP) the routers still telling the connections to go to the old address which may longer be in use/or pointing at a different box.

Tkey

[just4747]

I thought that's what registering your IP with sites like Dyndns.com was for? Almost every WOL site says to register your IP (that's the public IP?) with a site like that first and then use that to keep your IP constantly updated behind that new hostname. Isn't that basically the same thing you're mentioning having to do? None of the other sites mentioned having to reserve LAN IPs in the router settings other than doing the hostname thing.

Basically from that Dyndns site, I have that my machine's IP: 76.23.227.252 is now also known as just4747.dyndns.org.

[Yek]

Sure thing, so i go ahead and request some data from your network.

My request goes off to my isp and resolves just4747.dyndns.org.
I get send to 76.23.227.252 and your router comes into action.

It firstly looks for where to send the data, if nothings configured it wil usually give up, either timing out or "not responding to ping".

Once you've got your rules setup (send all requests for port 10 to 192.168.0.2 for example) the router will do this. So requests for 76.23.227.252:10 will work (outside the LAN that is) and everythings fine.

You however switch some machines off, add new ones in etc and your DHCP server assigns 192.168.0.2 to your laptop for example.

Now requests for 76.23.227.252:10 are going to completly the wrong place and everythings mapped wrong.

If you post up your router model we can get LAN IP mapping sorted out and make sure everything is in place for running WOL.

Cheers,

~ Tkey