Vista Sleep Mode and My Wireless Network

K

karma

New Member
HI All,
I have a Vista 32 based Intel Duo Core (2.4 GHz) home made machine that is functioning as a printer server for my two laptops. I have three printers hooked up to the main machine.

I print from the networked laptops to my shared printers through my main machine. What I would like to do is to be able to print even if my main machine is in the sleep mode. IOW, I would like to issue a print job from the laptops, wake the main machine up, make the connection to the requested printer and print the job. Then, after a time delay, the main machine would go back to sleep. This is a setting I have already made. Coming out of sleep does not require a password.

Is this possible? So far, I have not found a setting either in the bios or the Control Panel that will allow a local network request wake the main machine up.

Thanks, Sparky
 
I believe that WOL or wake on lan will do this. you can use a piece of software such as http://www.matcode.com/wol.htm punch in the ip address and mac address of the machine and it will send a packet to wake the computer up. Then you can print from it and after it will just go back to sleep.
 
HI Brian,
Thanks. Now I know it can be done and that others are doing it. I read the linked site and determined that the process required is not very user friendly. See how picky we can become when convenience is at stake.

I have read my motherboard (Intel DG965WH) manual and determined that it does support "Wake On Lan". Since no mention is made of extra power supply connectors or BIOS settings, it may already be enabled. And maybe not. Need to do more research.

What I have in mind is some sort of script that is automatically output from the laptop on the network when the Print button is clicked. Alternately, a small Wake Up program that can be manually run, perhaps by a desktop shortcut, prior to clicking the Print command. It seems like this would be do-able. The program you linked me to requires that I get into the Command Line processor, enter options, then run the program. I'm way too lazy for this.

I Googled "Wake On LAN" and found quite a lot of information and programs. I will go through these but now I have to get to work. Tonight I'll take a look.

Thanks for the lead.

Sparky
 
HI,
Can I assume that, based on the lack of response, no one is actually using a Wake On LAN capability? I'm surprised.

Sparky
 
Update

HI All,
For those of you who are following this saga, not many I presume, here is an update.

To research this, Google "Wake On LAN". You will find many hits. The software necessary to implement this on your remote computer is available, often free. In some cases, the programs are compatable with the Windows GUI and can be run from the desktop. It is not necessary to install any software on the server end.

What I was trying to do is called Wake On LAN or WOL. The facilities for this operation is typically built into modern motherboards and the BIOS at the server end. I define server as the main computer where my DSL/wireless modem connects and where the printers connect.

Main Computer: To get this going I had to make a couple of adjustments on the main machine. First, I had to enable Wake on LAN in the BIOS Power options. Then, I went into the Device Manager > Network Adaptors. Right click on the adaptor. Select Properties > Power Management. Click "Wake On Magic Packet" then close out. Set the Wake mode to not require a password when the machine comes out of the Sleep mode. That's it, you are done with the main computer. Of couse, your motherboard and BIOS may be different from mine. But, you get the idea.

Remote Computer: A "Magic Packet" is sent wirelessly from the remote computer to wake up the main computer by the software you will install. I downloaded Depicus (Thank you, Brian Slack) because it offered compatability with XP's GUI. It installed with no problems. I placed it on my desktop. You have to provide some network information to the program. This info can be accessed if you run ipconfig/all from the Command Line processor. Once entered, select Local Subnet from the Send Options. You are now ready to wake your server by clicking the Wake Me Up button.

The operation works and is very easy to operate. The response on the main machine was different than I expected. It did wake up but the monitor displayed a blank, dark screen but with a cursor. I was able to print from my remote computer. That was the goal. The desktop can be displayed by hitting any key or operating the mouse.

In other words, my WOL project is a success.

Sparky
 
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