Wake-on-LAN Magic Packet broadcast

jano_labs · ‎12-15-2009

I would like to use Wake-On-Lan to send a Magic Packet to my PC to power it up - from a distant location over QuickVPN. WOL is working locally, and I can see running devices from a remote location with the QuickVPN client. But I can not broadcast my magic packet from the remote location. Is this because the known NetBIOS problem? How could I make the broadcast work?

wichilds · ‎12-16-2009

This is not going to work with Quick VPN Client and a Linksys branded device. The reason is the software creates what is called a split tunnel instead of a full tunnel.

In a full tunnel setup, there is a pool of addresses to have assigned to vpn clients. When you are assigned an ip address from this pool you essentially become part of the local network (meaning all broadcasts and unicasts go thru the tunnel), where as with a split tunnel setup you only send traffic to the tunnel that is destined for the remote subnet VIA UNICAST.

If you try this with a Small Business Pro device it may work, because you have the ability to do a full tunnel. The broadcast of the WOL will go out of your internet connection, not your virtual tunnel connection.

Hope this helps.

Bill