This story illustrates how to set up and use Wake on LAN (WoL) with AnyDesk to solve a common remote work problem. The "Oh No" Moment
Alex sat in a coffee shop three miles from his home office, ready to finalize a massive design presentation. He opened his laptop, launched AnyDesk, and saw the dreaded status: Offline. He had put his high-performance desktop to sleep to save energy, forgetting he hadn't yet configured it to wake up remotely. The Solution: Setting the "Magic" Trap
Alex knew he had to go back home one last time to set up Wake on LAN. Here is what he did to ensure this never happened again:
The BIOS Handshake: He restarted his PC and tapped Del to enter the BIOS. Under Power Management, he enabled Wake-On-LAN (sometimes called "Resume by PCI-E").
Windows Permissions: Inside Windows, he went to Device Manager, found his Network Adapter, and under Power Management, checked "Allow this device to wake the computer" and "Only allow a magic packet to wake the computer".
The AnyDesk "Helper": He ensured his AnyDesk settings had Wake-on-LAN enabled. Crucially, he left an old, low-power tablet running AnyDesk in the same house. AnyDesk needs at least one other active device on the same local network to act as a "helper" to send the "Magic Packet" to the sleeping PC. The Result: Remote Power
The next day, Alex was back at the coffee shop. His desktop was asleep again. He clicked the "Power On" button that now appeared in his AnyDesk client. Wake up a device remotely - AnyDesk Help Center
Setting up Wake-on-LAN (WoL) with AnyDesk allows you to power on a remote computer from a "sleep" or "off" state, provided at least one other AnyDesk-enabled device is active on the same local network. 1. Enable Hardware Support (BIOS/UEFI)
Before software can trigger a wake-up, the hardware must be listening for the "Magic Packet." wake on lan anydesk hot
Enter BIOS: Restart your computer and tap F2, Del, or Esc during boot. Power Settings: Navigate to the "Power" or "Advanced" tab.
Enable WoL: Look for terms like "Wake on LAN," "Remote Wake Up," or "Power on by PCI-E" and set them to Enabled. 2. Configure Windows Settings
Your Network Interface Card (NIC) needs permission to wake the system.
Device Manager: Right-click the Start button, select Device Manager, and find your Network Adapter.
Power Management: Right-click your adapter → Properties → Power Management. Check "Allow this device to wake the computer" and "Only allow a magic packet to wake the computer."
Disable Fast Startup: Go to Control Panel → Power Options → Choose what the power buttons do. Click "Change settings that are currently unavailable" and uncheck Turn on fast startup. (Fast startup can sometimes prevent WoL from working after a full shutdown). 3. AnyDesk Configuration
AnyDesk uses a "peer-to-peer" wake system, meaning it asks another active AnyDesk client on the same network to send the wake signal.
Enable in AnyDesk: Open AnyDesk on the machine you want to wake. Go to Settings → Wake-on-LAN and select Enabled. This story illustrates how to set up and
Unattended Access: Ensure you have Unattended Access configured with a password so you can log in immediately after the machine wakes up. 4. Triggering the Wake To wake the remote machine from your local device: Open AnyDesk on your local computer or phone. Go to your Recent Sessions or Address Book.
The offline machine will have a greyed-out icon. Right-click (or long-press) the device and select Power On (or Wake Up).
Requirement: At least one other device (PC, tablet, or server) must be running AnyDesk on the same remote network to relay the signal. Wake-on-LAN Explained - AnyDesk
Wake Up Your Remote Office: A Guide to AnyDesk Wake-on-LAN Imagine you're halfway across the world, and you suddenly realize the critical file you need is sitting on your office computer—which is currently powered down to save energy. With AnyDesk’s Wake-on-LAN (WoL)
feature, you don’t need to call a colleague to hit the power button. You can "wake" your computer from sleep or hibernation directly through the AnyDesk application How AnyDesk Wakes Your PC AnyDesk uses a "Magic Packet" system. When you click "Power On"
on a remote device, AnyDesk looks for another active device (a "helper") on the same local network as your sleeping PC. That helper device sends the signal to wake your target machine. AnyDesk Help Center Step-by-Step Setup Guide
To get this "hot" feature running, you must enable it in three specific places: 1. The BIOS/UEFI (The Foundation)
Before your operating system even loads, your hardware needs to know it’s allowed to wake up. Access BIOS : Restart your PC and tap during startup. Enable WoL Magic packet is a broadcast to the subnet
: Look for a "Power Management" or "Advanced" menu. Enable settings like Wake-on-LAN Power On by PCI-E PME Event Wake Up Save & Exit to save your changes. AnyDesk Help Center 2. Windows Network Settings
Your network card needs permission to receive that "Magic Packet" even when the PC is asleep. AnyDesk Help Center Device Manager : Right-click your network adapter and select Properties Advanced Tab : Find and enable "Wake on Magic Packet" Power Management Tab "Allow this device to wake the computer" "Only allow a magic packet to wake the computer" Disable Fast Startup : This is crucial. Go to Power Options Choose what the power buttons do and uncheck "Turn on fast startup" AnyDesk Help Center 3. AnyDesk Client Configuration Finally, tell AnyDesk to listen for the wake-up request. Open AnyDesk and go to Wake-on-LAN
Ensure at least one other AnyDesk-enabled device (like a small server or another PC) stays online on that same network to act as the "helper". AnyDesk Help Center Troubleshooting Tips Wake up a device remotely - AnyDesk Help Center
Let’s get your PC ready to go from "cold" to "hot" with AnyDesk.
Yes, but with important conditions.
AnyDesk includes a feature called "Wake-on-LAN" (sometimes labeled Wake-on-LAN / WOL) in its settings. However, it is not a simple "magic packet over the internet" solution.
import socket
mac = '00:11:22:33:44:55'.replace(':','').replace('-','')
data = bytes.fromhex('FF'*6 + mac*16)
s = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_DGRAM)
s.setsockopt(socket.SOL_SOCKET, socket.SO_BROADCAST, 1)
s.sendto(data, ('<broadcast>', 9))
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