Wake-on-LAN
Wake a sleeping host from a Punktfunk client — what has to happen first, the punktfunk wake command, and how to arm the host machine.
Punktfunk clients wake a sleeping host with a Wake-on-LAN magic packet. The clients do it out of the box; the host machine has to be armed to wake, and that is where Wake-on-LAN usually fails: see Arming the machine. To put the host to sleep, see Host power.
Before you rely on it
- The client has to see the host awake once. It learns the host's network card address (MAC)
from the host's local-network announcement and keeps it. Open the client on the same network
while the host is on (
punktfunk discoveron the command line). The Linux, Windows, Apple and Android apps also take a MAC typed in by hand. - Client and host share a network. Magic packets don't cross subnets, a VPN or a mesh network.
- Wired Ethernet is the sure thing. Wi-Fi works when the adapter supports Wake on Wireless LAN (WoWLAN).
Waking from a client
Auto-wake on connect is on by default (Client settings). Opening a saved host that doesn't answer then:
- Sends a magic packet and dials anyway: a host reached over a VPN never announces itself.
- If the dial fails, shows Waking ⟨host⟩…, re-sends every 6 seconds and checks every second.
- Connects when the host answers, for up to 90 seconds. After that the app says ⟨host⟩ didn't wake and offers Retry.
Turn auto-wake off for hosts behind a VPN, which look asleep when they aren't.
A saved host's menu also has Wake host while it is offline and its MAC is known:
| Client | Wake host | Wake-on-LAN MAC field |
|---|---|---|
| Linux | Sends the packet | On the host's page |
| Windows | Sends the packet | Under Edit… |
| macOS · iOS · iPadOS · tvOS | Waits on the waking screen | On the host's page |
| Android · Android TV | Waits on the waking screen | Under Edit… |
| Punktfunk Console | In the host's options; on an asleep host's card the hint bar reads Wake & connect | Not offered |
- The Apple apps add a Wake Host action to Shortcuts; on iPhone and iPad say "Wake ⟨host⟩ with Punktfunk".
- Android 17 and later asks for the local-network permission before the app can reach anything on your network, wake packets included.
- The Steam Deck plugin wakes through the client, following its auto-wake setting.
From the command line
With the punktfunk command:
punktfunk wake <host-ref> [--wait]<host-ref> is a saved host's id, name or address. Without --wait it sends the packet and
returns. With --wait it re-sends every 6 seconds and returns when the host answers, or after 90
seconds.
| Exit code | Meaning |
|---|---|
0 | Packet sent; with --wait, the host is up |
2 | With --wait, the host didn't answer within 90 seconds |
5 | No saved host matches, the name is ambiguous, or no MAC is known yet |
6 | That address isn't a saved host: pair it first |
punktfunk launch wakes the host by itself when auto-wake is on.
Arming the machine
Punktfunk never changes these settings:
- BIOS/UEFI: turn on Wake on LAN, Wake on PCIe, or your vendor's name for it.
- The network card: arm it to wake on a magic packet, below.
Check the host log first
A Linux host checks the card it announces and logs one line each time it starts announcing:
Wake-on-LAN armed (magic packet) on host NIC
Wake-on-LAN is NOT armed on this host's NIC — clients cannot wake it from sleep.
Wake-on-WLAN armed (magic packet) on host Wi-Fi NIC
Wake-on-WLAN is NOT armed on this host's Wi-Fi NIC — clients cannot wake it from sleep.The warning names the interface and the command that fixes it. No line means the host couldn't
tell (ethtool or iw missing, no answer from the driver) or local discovery is off. Read it
in the console under Diagnostics → Troubleshooting, or with
journalctl --user -u punktfunk-host. Windows hosts don't run this check.
Linux (wired)
Wake-on: g means armed for a magic packet; d means off.
ethtool enp5s0
sudo ethtool -s enp5s0 wol gOn many systems that resets at reboot. Check again after the next boot, and make it permanent in your distribution's network configuration.
Linux (Wi-Fi)
ethtool reports Wake-on: d for most Wi-Fi cards whatever their state. Ask iw, using the phy
behind the interface (cat /sys/class/net/wlan0/phy80211/name, usually phy0):
iw phy phy0 wowlan show
sudo iw phy phy0 wowlan enable magic-packetArmed shows * wake up on magic packet. NetworkManager resets it on every connection, so on a
NetworkManager system set it on the connection instead:
sudo nmcli connection modify <connection> 802-11-wireless.wake-on-wlan magiccommand failed: Operation not supported means the driver has no WoWLAN; that adapter can't wake
over Wi-Fi.
A wired host wakes and a Wi-Fi one never does? Turn off your access point's broadcast filtering ("multicast enhancement", IGMP snooping). Some laptops also cut the Wi-Fi card's power in deep sleep, which no setting fixes.
Windows
In Device Manager → Network adapters, open the adapter's properties. On Power
Management, allow the device to wake the computer. On Advanced, enable Wake on Magic
Packet (sometimes Wake on Wireless LAN) if it's listed. powercfg /devicequery wake_armed
lists every device allowed to wake the machine: if the adapter isn't there, nothing on the network
can wake this host.