RoutingStep 4 of 7
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RoutingStep 4

Configure Wake-on-LAN (WoL)

Wake your PC remotely before starting a session.

The Magic Packet

Now that your subnet node is securely bridging your remote devices to your local home network, you can wake your asleep or powered-off PC remotely. We do this by sending a “Magic Packet” over the network.

Because WoL relies on your motherboard’s hardware, it generally requires your PC to be connected to your router via an Ethernet cable, not Wi-Fi.

Step 1: Enable WoL in your BIOS/UEFI

First, we need to tell your motherboard to listen for wake commands even when the PC is off.

  1. Restart your PC and rapidly press DEL or F2 (depending on your motherboard) to enter the BIOS.
  2. Navigate to the Power Management or Advanced settings tab.
  3. Look for a setting named Wake on LAN, Power On By PCI-E, or Resume By MAC/LAN.
  4. Set this to Enabled.
  5. Save your changes and boot into Windows.

Step 2: Configure Windows Network Adapter

Next, Windows needs to be configured to allow the network adapter to wake the system.

  1. Right-click the Windows Start button and select Device Manager.
  2. Expand the Network adapters section and double-click your primary Ethernet controller (e.g., Realtek, Intel, or Killer).
  3. Go to the Advanced tab. Scroll down to find Wake on Magic Packet and set its value to Enabled.
  4. Switch to the Power Management tab.
  5. Check the boxes for both Allow this device to wake the computer and Only allow a magic packet to wake the computer.
  6. Click OK.

Step 3: Waking the PC Remotely

Because your mobile device is connected to your home network via your Tailscale Subnet Node, sending a WoL packet works exactly as if you were sitting on your couch on your home Wi-Fi.

  1. On your smartphone, download a standard Wake-on-LAN app (like Wake On Lan for Android or Mocha WOL for iOS).
  2. Ensure you are connected to your Tailscale VPN on your phone.
  3. Open the WoL app and add a new device.
  4. Enter your Host PC’s Local IP address (e.g., 192.168.1.6) and its MAC address.
  5. Tap the device in the app to send the wake command.

Within a few seconds, you should hear your PC boot up!

Hardware Fallback: Wake-on-LAN is great, but Windows updates or power outages can occasionally break it. If you want a 100% reliable, hardware-level backup to physically press your PC’s power button over the network, proceed to the optional ESP32 SwitchBot section.