How to Use Wake-on-LAN from Your iPhone

What Is Wake-on-LAN?

Wake-on-LAN (WoL) is a networking standard that lets you power on a computer remotely by sending a special network packet — called a "magic packet" — to the machine's network interface card.

Instead of leaving your home server, NAS, or workstation running around the clock, you can put it to sleep and wake it up only when you need it. This saves energy, reduces wear, and keeps things quiet.

How Magic Packets Work

A magic packet is a specially crafted network frame containing:

1. 6 bytes of 0xFF (the sync stream)
2. The target MAC address repeated 16 times

When a network card in standby mode detects this pattern, it signals the motherboard to power on. The packet is sent as a UDP broadcast, typically on port 9.

FF FF FF FF FF FF        ← Sync stream
AA BB CC DD EE FF × 16   ← Target MAC address repeated

It's elegantly simple — and it works across almost all modern hardware.

Prerequisites

Before you can use Wake-on-LAN, your target machine needs some setup:

1. Enable WoL in BIOS/UEFI

Boot into your BIOS settings and look for:

• "Wake on LAN"
• "Wake on PCI/PCIe"
• "Power On By PCI-E"

The exact wording varies by manufacturer. Enable it and save.

2. Enable WoL in Your Operating System

Windows: 1. Open Device Manager 2. Find your network adapter under "Network adapters" 3. Right-click → Properties → Power Management 4. Check "Allow this device to wake the computer" 5. Under Advanced, enable "Wake on Magic Packet"

macOS: 1. Open System Settings → Battery (or Energy Saver) 2. Enable "Wake for network access"

Linux:

# Check current WoL status
sudo ethtool eth0 | grep Wake-on

# Enable WoL (g = magic packet)
sudo ethtool -s eth0 wol g

To make it persistent on Linux, add the ethtool command to your network configuration or create a systemd service.

3. Know Your MAC Address

You'll need the target machine's MAC address. Find it with:

• Windows: ipconfig /all → look for "Physical Address"
• macOS: System Settings → Network → Advanced → Hardware
• Linux: ip link show → look for link/ether

A MAC address looks like: AA:BB:CC:DD:EE:FF

Using Wake-on-LAN in NetKit Pro

The Wake-on-LAN tool in NetKit Pro makes sending magic packets simple:

1. Open NetKit Pro and tap Wake-on-LAN
2. Enter the MAC address of the target machine
3. Tap Send to broadcast the magic packet
4. Wait — most machines take 10–30 seconds to fully boot

Save MAC Addresses

Don't want to look up the MAC address every time? Save your devices for quick access. Give each one a descriptive name like "Home Server" or "Office Workstation" so you can wake them with a single tap.

Important Limitations

Same Network Required (Usually)

Magic packets are broadcast frames — they don't route across the internet by default. You need to be on the same local network as the target machine.

Workarounds for remote WoL:

• VPN: Connect to your home network via VPN first, then send the WoL packet
• Subnet-directed broadcast: Some routers support forwarding WoL packets from the WAN side
• Port forwarding: Forward UDP port 9 to the broadcast address (router-dependent)

Wired Connection Preferred

WoL is most reliable over Ethernet. Wi-Fi WoL support varies — some wireless adapters support it, many don't. If you need reliable remote wake, use a wired connection on the target machine.

Power Must Be Connected

The machine needs to be plugged in and receiving standby power. WoL won't work on a laptop running on battery with the lid closed (in most cases).

Pair It with Ping

After sending a WoL packet, use Ping to check when the machine comes online. The combination is a simple but effective way to remotely start and verify your machines.

Get NetKit Pro

Wake-on-LAN is included in NetKit Pro — grab it on the App Store. One-time purchase, no subscriptions.