WOL is broken in Windows 7

[GoldenWonder]

I use Wake on Lan to remote power up our pcs - using a VB app and also Depicus WOL applications. This has worked fine for years across our subnetted network.

 

Running the same apps on a Windows 7 machine doesn't work, running a monitor on remote machine shows that it doesn't receive the WOL packet. I've disabled the Windows 7 firewall yet it makes no difference.

 

I know the routing is OK as it works 100% when run from XP or Server 2003.

 

Is this just something else to add to the list of broken things in Vista, sorry I mean Windows 7!

[gshaw]

Not an Intel NIC by any chance is it? If it's a new install with their drivers released anytime in the last year Intel in their infinite wisdom turned off WOL by default!

 

Worth a quick check...

[GoldenWonder]

WOL is defintely turned on on both of the test machines. In fact all of our PCs wake up fine when the packet is sent from the XP machine. Just not when sent from the W7 machine.

 

I think its Broadcom in the 'recipient' PC and Dlink in the 'sender'

[sted]

does it work with xp installed on the same pc?

and turned on in bios and in driver ettings (if the pcs actualy off i dont see how win7 can affect it)

[GoldenWonder]

I'm not explaining this very well! Its actually the machine that sends the WOL packets that is W7. If I send the WOL packets from my XP machine, all of our PCs wake up regardless of the OS they have installed. If I send the packets from the new test W7 PC, none of the PCs wake up!

[SYNACK]

WOL works fine for me on Windows 7 computers so it is probably some other software causing the issue. Do you have any virus scanners installed on the system that may be blocking it, also have you tried using a different application like PowerOff in case it is an issue with the apps that you are using requireing depreciated features that are no longer included. Are you using the 64 bit version of 7 or the 32 bit?

[GoldenWonder]

Theres next to nothing running on the W7 machine - its a new install. I've also tried using Debicus's WOL tools and a monitor on the remote machine to see if the packet is arriving.

 

We can remotely shutdown the PCs from the W7 (using the shutdown.exe command)

[DMcCoy]

Have you tried another WOL utility (also try run as administrator). It could be some of the networking changes in Vista/7 stop it from working.

[cookie_monster]

Theres next to nothing running on the W7 machine - its a new install. I've also tried using Debicus's WOL tools and a monitor on the remote machine to see if the packet is arriving.

 

We can remotely shutdown the PCs from the W7 (using the shutdown.exe command)

 

 

Are the packets arriving? Is it possible that the windows firewall on the sending box is filtering the outbound packets? The Vista/windows 7 firewall does outbound traffic as well?

[teejay]

Is it being blocked by Windows Firewall? Try turning the firewall off and see if it works.

[sted]

Is it being blocked by Windows Firewall? Try turning the firewall off and see if it works.

 

and remember windows 7 has 2 places to turn off the firewall

[GoldenWonder]

I've disabled the firewall on both PCs (the test recipient and the W7 sender) - using a monitor I can see the packets aren't arriving. When I send from the XP machine the packets do arrive!

[koryo]

In which case it sounds to me like the WOL packet isn't being sent from the sending W7 PC, could you check that with Wireshark on the WOL Sending W7 machiene and find out for sure? ^_^

[GoldenWonder]

I ran wireshark on the W7 PC whist it was generating the WOL packets, and I can see them being spat out. I notice the program that generates the packets runs massively slower on the W7 machine than on the XP. I.e on the XP machine it sends out packets for approx 700 machines in about 30 seconds.The W7 takes at least 5 minutes and hangs regularly.

 

Ironically this program worked 100% OK when tested in Vista.

[SYNACK]

I notice the program that generates the packets runs massively slower on the W7 machine than on the XP. I.e on the XP machine it sends out packets for approx 700 machines in about 30 seconds.The W7 takes at least 5 minutes and hangs regularly.

 

Sounds like it uses some API calls from long lost versions of Windows in the software itself, have you tried running it in compatibility mode, you can set it to always run as such along with running as administrator it may just speak the right king of ancient language to kick it into life again. If not there's always Windows XP mode.

[GoldenWonder]

The app itself (I wrote it a few years back!) simply uses the Winsock control to send the packets. Guess winsock is not supported in W7 as it must be mangling the packets in some way (as they're being sent, just not waking up the target PCs)

[adhutton]

The app itself (I wrote it a few years back!) simply uses the Winsock control to send the packets. Guess winsock is not supported in W7 as it must be mangling the packets in some way (as they're being sent, just not waking up the target PCs)

 

Did you find a solution to this issue?

 

We have the same problem.

 

Thanks - Andrew