WOL with no PC on in a Windows 2008 Domain

This has been asked a few times in the past but I cant find a reason why its that way or why it hasnt been soreted by now.

I do support for a guy with 2 offices with a 2008 DC in each (networks not connected).

I do maintenance on the PCs at the weekend and have to remote to the Server (its on all the time) and then WOL the desktops with a utility.

If a workstation is on I can do that from Logmein.

But if only the 2008 server is on I cant wake them up from Logmein.

Why doesnt this work via the 2008 server or can something be done to enable it.

Confused and Frustrated...

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Log-meinRocks

Hi @consultant64

I checked the server setup.

The Gateway is set to the Router.

DNS 1 is set to the server itself (not 127.0.0.1)

DNS 2 is set to 8.8.8.8

But still WOL doesnt work when only the server is powered on.

I need to power up a workstation to have the Wake Up option for other PCs.

Any thing else Im missing ???/

Log-meinRocks

@Consultant64,

Are these comments for me ?

Are you saying that the server should be able to act as a WOL machine for other workstations on the network ?

If yes are you saying that a possible incorrect DNS setup is stopping the server from being able to wake up PCs if its the only device on the Network...

Can you confirm that Windows 2008 Server with Logmein can work to startup other WOL Logmein PCs (Windows 7 PCs) if its the only machine on in the network ?

Consultant64

You may test a few things in your ip configuration. Since it's a domain most setups will have DNS1 to be their server ip which is also what they will also use as their gateway, then either their router or an alternative 8.8.8.8 or opendns.

I prefer having the gateway ip being my router, then DNS1 as server ip, then DNS2 as 8.8.8.8

This should not effect your ability to add workstations to AD since the DNS1 is pointing to your server.

If it should drop out of the network browser then do a nbstat -RR from power shell running as admin and it will put it back in.

Change one using static and see if it works, then make the others through DHCP if you use it (i use my router DHCP instead of server, I found it better if they can still function if the server goes down).

The server ip setup will vary a bit. I use router ip as gateway, DNS1 as 127.0.0.1 and DNS2 as 8.8.8.8

Log-meinRocks

Let me explain.

I have 1 Windows 2008 Server and 10 Windows 7 PCs in a domain which I support on Logmein.

I have them all set to Wake ON LAN.

If I have only the server powered on all I see in Logmein on my PC at home is that the Server is ONLINE but all the Windows 7 workstations are Greyed Out.

If one Windows 7 PC is ONLINE then I have a SWITCH ON option for each of the other PCs.

Its like the Windows 7 PC thats on is used to Wake Up the other PCs but that the Windows 2008 server cannot fulfill this function.

The same issue is described here with Windows 2003 server but no answer is provided even though this post is 5 years old.

/t5/Pro/Wake-on-LAN-and-Windows-Server-2003/td-p/51738

Is there a setting or something that can allow the server to work as a relay to WOL the other windows 7 pcs..

Consultant64

"But if only the 2008 server is on I cant wake them up from Logmein."

Are you saying if you are remoted into the 2008 Server via LMI and trying to WOL from the LMI control Panel it will not work?

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