Waking up Network

[Don Phillipson]

If idle for 10 min. one of my desktops fails to show in the
wireless network when called up. (The other very nearly
always shows: and the two are supposed to be identical . . .)

Phoenix BIOS (for IBM 8113 M52) has no flag to "Wake on
LAN." I have the Solar Tools WakeOnLAN.EXE to send
wakeup calls on demand but it does not work all the time.

Is there a better way?

 

[Paul]

If idle for 10 min. one of my desktops fails to show in the
wireless network when called up. (The other very nearly
always shows: and the two are supposed to be identical . . .)

Phoenix BIOS (for IBM 8113 M52) has no flag to "Wake on
LAN." I have the Solar Tools WakeOnLAN.EXE to send
wakeup calls on demand but it does not work all the time.

Is there a better way?

Some wireless MAC chips, are "smarter" than others.

The more modern ones, have their own processor of sorts
in the MAC chip, and those, if the OS is asleep, can
continue to participate in wireless networks. And listen
for things like WOL.

*******

But in this case, maybe it's a matter of going to Device Manager
in Windows, and disable "Allow the computer to turn off this
device to save power", for the device that is disappearing.
In the item for the Wifi hardware device, see if the
Properties have a Power Management tab.

Paul

 

[Don Phillipson]

But in this case, maybe it's a matter of going to Device Manager
in Windows, and disable "Allow the computer to turn off this
device to save power", for the device that is disappearing.
In the item for the Wifi hardware device, see if the
Properties have a Power Management tab.

Standard config. in / Control Panel / Power Options / Power Schemes has
System Standby = Never (turning Monitor and HDD off after 20 minutes idle.)

 

[Paul]

Standard config. in / Control Panel / Power Options / Power Schemes has
System Standby = Never (turning Monitor and HDD off after 20 minutes idle.)

I think you want Device Manager (Start : Run : devmgmt.msc).

Find the Wifi entry.

Do "properties" on it.

Check for a power management tab.

Untick "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power".

That's what I check, if a device misbehaves, while the computer
is in an otherwise running state.

I have very little Wifi here, so I can't check and verify this for you.
Only my laptop, has a Wifi client, and the Wifi radio has been turned
off on it. No routers here have Wifi. I can't do Wifi testing.

*******

If a computer is asleep, then it's a different set of things to check.

In Device Manager, see if in the Properties, there is an actual
setting for WOL.

The BIOS has to be set for an appropriate "Wake" condition, such
as Wake on USB or Wake on PME, depending on what kind of interface
the Wifi uses. Even if a Wifi is on a PCI Express card, it can
actually be using the USB wires on the card, rather than the
PCI Express lanes. And then, the BIOS wake facility has to match.
If you're unsure, you can just turn them all on in the BIOS.

A Wifi could only wake the computer if:

1) It was "intelligent" and had its own MAC processor.
2) Chip is powered while the computer sleeps.
3) Chip was configured at shutdown, to be in a listening state.
The Device Manager interface is the key to that. If it's possible
to set up, the Device Manager is as good a place as any for the
tick box. But setting a tick box there, doesn't help if some
other part of the computer, denies a source of standby power to
the thing.

Example of a Wifi setting, here. Dialog boxes are in Device Manager.

http://www.intel.com/support/wireless/wlan/sb/CS-033394.htm

HTH,
Paul

 

[Don Phillipson]

I think you want Device Manager (Start : Run : devmgmt.msc).

Find the Wifi entry.

Do "properties" on it.

Check for a power management tab.

Untick "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power".

That's what I check, if a device misbehaves, while the computer
is in an otherwise running state.

I have very little Wifi here, so I can't check and verify this for you.

Syntax is not quite similar:
In / Device Manager, the WiFi card / Properties has settings inc.
/ Advanced / Power Save Mode formerly "normal" now reset OFF.
( Also has / Advanced / Radio On/Off remaining set ON as before.)
So we shall see what happens . . .

This is a Belkin wireless PCI card added to the downstairs PC
in order to reach Internet via the wireless router on the upstairs PC.