Wake-On-LAN With Windows 7 and Asus P6T Deluxe v2 Motherboard

Article Last Updated: 3/3/2010

These instructions describe the steps required to get wake-on-lan (WOL) working with an Asus P6T Deluxe v2 motherboard and Windows 7 RTM.  Even if you don't have this specific motherboard, the instructions should be sufficient for learning how to enable WOL on most Windows systems. Also, I'll assume that if you found these instructions you already know what WOL is so I'll skip the explanation.

NOTE: For Linux users, WOL isn't currently working with the NICs on this motherboard.  These NICs use the 'sky2' network driver which has apparently had a history of problems.  I've tested on Ubuntu 9.04 and 9.10 with both standard Ubuntu kernels and vanilla 2.6.31 kernels from kernel.org and WOL just doesn't work.  I've also found other issues with these 'sky2' driver on Linux and will make another blog post on that subject soon.

To get WOL working on the Asus P6T Deluxe v2 motherboard, you will need to perform the following steps:

1. Enable wake-on-lan in the systems BIOS setup utility
   
2. Install the most recent network driver available through Windows Update
3. Make sure the network driver in Windows 7 is configured properly for wake-on-lan

Each of these steps is shown in greater detail below.  Also, in case it isn't clear, since WOL needs to be enabled through the operating system as well as through the BIOS it will only work after you power down from the OS that you enabled the settings in.  For example, if you have a dual boot system with both Linux and Windows (and have only enabled WOL settings through Windows), WOL will only work after the computer has been shut down from Windows.

BIOS Setup

Enter the BIOS setup before the system boots and go to the Power tab --> APM Configuration screen and make sure that Power On By PCIE Devices is enabled.

The NICs in this motherboard are connected through the PCI-Express bus so Power on by PCIE Devices is the only option you need to enable (i.e. Power On by PCI Devices is not needed).  For other systems, you may need to consult your computer or motherboard documentation for information on what settings you need to enable for wake-on-lan support.

Install Most Recent Network Drivers from Asus

Update (3/3/2010) - It is no longer necessary to download the network driver from the Asus website. The Marvell driver that is available through Windows Update provides the desired functionality, so just make sure Windows is up-to-date.

On Windows 7 RTM (i.e. the final retail version), the network drivers that are automatically added by the OS during installation do not work with wake-on-lan.  I had to install the latest drivers from the Asus download site (http://support.asus.com/download) before WOL started working.  In the future, Microsoft may provide a more up-to-date driver for these network cards but as of right now (9/11/2009) it is necessary to download the more recent driver from Asus.

Enable Wake-On-LAN in the Network Driver Settings

Open the driver configuration window for the NIC by opening the system Control Panel --> opening the Device Manager --> expanding Network adapters, then right-clicking on the Marvell Yukon Gigabit Ethernet Controller and selecting properties.  This will bring up the driver configuration window seen below. Go to the Advanced tab and make sure that Wake From Shutdown is set to On.

Also, make sure that Wake-Up Capabilities is set to Magic Packet (you don't need Magic Packet and Pattern Match unless you know what it is).

Next, go to the Power Management tab and make sure your settings match the following (they should all be enabled by default):

That is it.  You should now be able to power off your machine and wake it with your preferred WOL utility/software.

Watts Up with My Cable Box

I was measuring the power consumption of several electronic devices I have with a Watts Up power meter and I came across something very interesting with my Motorola digital cable box. Take a look at the power consumption when the cable box is turned on:



Now take a look at the power consumption when it is "turned off":



And I thought I was saving energy by turning it off when I wasn't using it...