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). Every client except the Linux app also takes 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).
The packet isn't authenticated. A wrong address only makes the wake fail; the host's certificate still guards the connection (Security).
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…, re-sends every 6 seconds and checks every second.
- Connects when the host answers, for up to 90 seconds. The Apple and Android apps and Punktfunk Console then wait with Try Again; the Linux and Windows apps say the host didn't come online.
A host that wakes on a new address is updated in the saved record (Linux, Windows and Android apps). Turn auto-wake off for hosts behind a VPN, which look asleep when they aren't.
A saved host's menu also has an explicit wake while it is offline and its MAC is known:
| Client | Explicit wake | Type a MAC by hand |
|---|---|---|
| Linux | Wake Host sends the packet | Wake-on-LAN MAC addresses on the host page (ⓘ) |
| Windows | Wake host sends the packet | MAC (Wake-on-LAN) under Edit… |
| macOS · iOS · iPadOS · tvOS | Wake Host waits on the Waking… screen | MAC address in Edit Host |
| Android · Android TV | Wake host waits on the Waking… screen | Wake-on-LAN MAC in Edit host |
| Punktfunk Console | Wake host in the host's options; the confirm button 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
punktfunk, the client command, ships with the Linux punktfunk-client packages and the Windows
client. In the Flatpak it is flatpak run --command=punktfunk io.unom.Punktfunk.
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. See Host CLI
for the other commands.
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
on the console's Troubleshooting page 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.