EMCO WakeOnLan Free — Complete Guide & Download

How to Use EMCO WakeOnLan Free: Setup & TipsEMCO WakeOnLan Free is a lightweight tool for waking up networked Windows computers using the Wake-on-LAN (WOL) protocol. This article walks through system requirements, installation, configuration, typical use cases, troubleshooting, and practical tips to make WOL reliable in home and small-office networks.

What Wake-on-LAN (WOL) does — brief overview

Wake-on-LAN lets you remotely power on computers by sending a specially formatted “magic packet” to a target machine’s network adapter. That adapter, when configured to listen while the host is powered off or sleeping, triggers the system to boot. EMCO WakeOnLan Free simply sends those magic packets from your PC to other devices on the same network (or routed through routers when configured correctly).

System requirements

• Windows 7 or newer (EMCO typically supports modern Windows versions).
• Administrative rights for installation and for certain network operations.
• Network adapters on the target machines that support WOL and have the feature enabled in BIOS/UEFI and in Windows device settings.
• For wake across different subnets or over the Internet: router support for directed broadcasts, port forwarding, or a VPN between networks.

Step 1 — Download and install

1. Download EMCO WakeOnLan Free from EMCO’s official website.
2. Run the installer and follow prompts. Choose default options unless you have specific installation paths or limited-user scenarios.
3. If prompted by Windows SmartScreen or UAC, grant permission to proceed.

Step 2 — Prepare target computers

1. Enable Wake-on-LAN in BIOS/UEFI:
   • Reboot the target machine, enter BIOS/UEFI setup (usually by pressing Del, F2, F10, or Esc during boot).
   • Look for settings like “Wake on LAN,” “Power on by PCI/PCIe,” or similar; set to Enabled.
2. Configure the network adapter in Windows:
   • Open Device Manager → Network adapters → right-click adapter → Properties.
   • On the Power Management tab, enable options like “Allow this device to wake the computer” and “Only allow a magic packet to wake the computer”.
   • On the Advanced tab, enable settings such as “Wake on Magic Packet,” “Wake on pattern match,” or vendor-specific WOL options.
3. Note the target machine’s MAC address (physical address) and IP address. You’ll need the MAC for EMCO WakeOnLan; an IP/hostname helps for network organization.

Step 3 — Configure EMCO WakeOnLan Free

1. Launch EMCO WakeOnLan Free.
2. Add target hosts:
   • Click Add (or New).
   • Enter a friendly name, the MAC address, and optionally the IP address or hostname. If the IP is dynamic, consider adding the device’s DNS name or using an IP reservation in DHCP.
3. Group hosts (optional): create groups for departments, rooms, or device types to manage multiple machines at once.
4. Configure network settings (if applicable):
   • If staying within a single LAN, the default broadcast address usually works (e.g., 192.168.1.255).
   • For directed broadcasts or wake across subnets, specify the correct subnet broadcast address or target router/Gateway address per EMCO settings.
5. Save your configuration.

Step 4 — Sending a Wake (basic)

1. Select one or more hosts in the EMCO WakeOnLan list.
2. Click Wake. The program sends the magic packet to the MAC address(es).
3. Wait and verify the target machine boots. You can confirm by pinging the host or using remote management tools (RDP, SSH, ping).

Advanced usage: Wake over routers / Internet

Waking across subnets or from the Internet requires additional network configuration because standard routers block broadcast traffic.

Options:

• Configure router to forward a UDP port (commonly UDP 9 or 7) to the broadcast address of the target subnet (directed broadcast). Some routers block directed broadcasts for security — check whether yours supports it (and consider security risks).
• Use a VPN between the networks: connect to the remote LAN via VPN, then run WOL as if you were local. This is the most secure method.
• Run a small WOL agent or script on the remote LAN (a tiny always-on device that receives authenticated requests and sends local magic packets).

When forwarding, point the external UDP port to the internal broadcast (e.g., 192.168.2.255) and ensure firewall rules allow the packet.

Troubleshooting checklist

• Target machine doesn’t wake:
  • Confirm BIOS/UEFI WOL is enabled.
  • Verify adapter power settings in Windows (allow wake and magic packet enabled).
  • Check that the MAC address is correct (use ipconfig /all or getmac).
  • Try using the subnet broadcast address rather than a single IP.
  • Verify the machine’s standby state supports WOL (S3 sleep and S5 soft-off usually do; some deep-sleep states may not).
• Works on LAN but not from Internet:
  • Ensure router allows directed broadcast or use VPN.
  • Confirm port forwarding and firewall rules.
• Intermittent success:
  • Check for driver updates for the NIC.
  • Reserve IP addresses in DHCP to keep host discovery consistent.
  • Some switches may block broadcast/magic packets — test using a different switch or enable broadcast forwarding if supported.

Practical tips and best practices

• Use static MAC-to-IP mappings (DHCP reservations) to simplify management.
• Label devices in EMCO with location and purpose for quick identification.
• Combine WOL with Remote Desktop or management tools to perform maintenance after waking machines.
• Limit exposure: avoid exposing WOL directly to the public Internet unless protected by VPN or other secure methods.
• Test WOL while onsite first before relying on cross-network setups.
• Keep NIC drivers and BIOS/UEFI firmware up to date.

Common WOL limitations to be aware of

• Not all wireless adapters support WOL from a powered-off state; wired Ethernet is more reliable.
• Some motherboards disable wake functions when using certain OS power schemes or fast-boot options.
• Network devices (managed switches, routers) may filter out broadcast or magic packets unless configured.

Example quick checklist to follow when adding a new computer

1. Enable WOL in BIOS/UEFI.
2. Enable “Allow this device to wake the computer” and “Only allow a magic packet…” in Device Manager.
3. Note MAC address; set DHCP reservation.
4. Add host to EMCO WakeOnLan Free with MAC and friendly name.
5. Test wake locally; then test remote/wide-area if needed.

Conclusion

EMCO WakeOnLan Free is a simple and effective tool for sending magic packets to wake machines on the same LAN and, with additional network configuration, across networks. Ensuring BIOS and NIC settings are correct, using DHCP reservations, and preferring VPNs for remote wakes will make WOL reliable and secure.