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How to Wake Your PC or Server Remotely from iPhone (Wake-on-LAN)

A machine that is powered off costs nothing to run, but it is also unreachable. Wake-on-LAN fixes that: a special network packet, the magic packet, tells the network card to power the machine on. WebSSH can send it from your iPhone, so the workflow becomes: wake the server, wait a minute, SSH in, do the work, shut it down again.

This guide covers preparing the machine, configuring WebSSH, and the one thing everyone gets stuck on: waking a machine when you are not at home.

How Wake-on-LAN Works

The magic packet is broadcast on the local network and contains the target's MAC address repeated sixteen times. The network card listens for it even while the computer is off, as long as it still has standby power, which is why it works over wired Ethernet and almost never over Wi-Fi.

Step 1: Enable Wake-on-LAN on the Machine

In the BIOS or UEFI: look for Wake on LAN, Power On by PCI-E or Resume by LAN, usually under Power Management, and enable it. On some boards you also need to disable ErP or Deep Sleep modes.

Linux:

sudo ethtool eth0 | grep Wake-on      # "g" means magic packet is supported
sudo ethtool -s eth0 wol g            # enable it

Make it persistent with a systemd unit or your network manager's wake-on-lan setting, otherwise it resets at boot.

Windows: Device Manager → your network adapter → Power Management → Allow this device to wake the computer and Only allow a magic packet. Also turn off Fast Startup in Power Options, which otherwise puts the card in a state that ignores packets.

macOS: System Settings → Energy → Wake for network access.

Synology, QNAP and other NAS: Control Panel → Hardware & Power → enable WOL on LAN 1.

Step 2: Find the MAC Address

ip link show eth0          # Linux: the "link/ether" line
ifconfig en0 | grep ether  # macOS
ipconfig /all              # Windows: "Physical Address"

It looks like A8:5E:45:12:34:56.

Step 3: Configure WebSSH

Wake-on-LAN is a role you add to an existing connection (available since WebSSH 29.2):

  1. Edit the connection of the machine you want to wake
  2. Open the Roles section
  3. Enable Wake-on-LAN and save the roles
  4. Enter the MAC address
  5. Save the connection

See Wake-on-LAN.

Step 4: Wake It and Connect

  1. Open the connection's context menu in the server list
  2. In the Launch section, choose Wake-on-LAN
  3. Wait 30 to 90 seconds for the machine to boot
  4. Launch the SSH role of the same connection

Check when it is up

Use the Ping tool in WebSSH while the machine boots. As soon as it answers, SSH is usually a few seconds away.

Waking a Machine from Outside Your Network

The magic packet is a broadcast and broadcasts do not cross the internet, and usually not VPNs either. Three ways around it, from simplest to most robust:

Option 1: Send the packet from a device that is always on. A Raspberry Pi, a router running OpenWrt, a NAS: SSH into it from WebSSH and send the packet from there:

sudo apt install wakeonlan       # or etherwake
wakeonlan A8:5E:45:12:34:56

Turn it into a snippet on that connection:

wakeonlan {{{ MAC : A8:5E:45:12:34:56 }}}

Option 2: Add the Wake-on-LAN role to a jump host. If your always-on device is already the jump host you use to reach the network, this is the same idea with fewer taps.

Option 3: Router with a Wake-on-LAN feature. Many routers can send the packet from their admin interface. Reach that interface securely through an SSH tunnel instead of exposing it to the internet.

Shutting Down Afterwards

Once the work is done, from the SSH session:

sudo systemctl poweroff       # Linux
sudo shutdown -h now          # macOS, BSD
shutdown /s /t 0              # Windows (OpenSSH)

Troubleshooting

The machine wakes from sleep but not from a full shutdown

Standby power to the network card is disabled after a full power-off. Check the BIOS for ErP, Deep Sleep or EuP settings and disable them. On Windows, turn off Fast Startup.

It worked once, then never again

On Linux the ethtool -s eth0 wol g setting is lost at reboot; make it persistent. On Windows, Fast Startup or a driver update can reset the adapter's power settings.

Nothing happens over Wi-Fi

Most Wi-Fi adapters cannot receive a magic packet while the machine is off. Use a wired connection for the machine you want to wake.

It works at home but not from outside

Expected: the packet is a local broadcast. Send it from an always-on device inside the network as described above.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I turn on my PC from my iPhone?

Yes, with Wake-on-LAN. Enable it in the PC's BIOS and operating system, add the Wake-on-LAN role with the PC's MAC address to its connection in WebSSH, then choose Wake-on-LAN in the connection's Launch menu. The PC must be on wired Ethernet and on the same network as your iPhone, or you send the packet from an always-on device inside that network.

Does Wake-on-LAN work over Wi-Fi?

Almost never. Most Wi-Fi adapters are powered down when the computer is off and cannot receive the magic packet. Connect the machine you want to wake with an Ethernet cable.

How do I wake my server when I am not at home?

The magic packet is a local broadcast and does not cross the internet. SSH from WebSSH into a device that is always on at home, such as a Raspberry Pi, a NAS or an OpenWrt router, and run wakeonlan with the server's MAC address from there. A WebSSH snippet makes it one tap.

Where do I find the MAC address of my computer?

On Linux run ip link show, on macOS ifconfig en0, on Windows ipconfig /all and read the Physical Address. It is a 12-digit hexadecimal value such as A8:5E:45:12:34:56.

Last update: September 23, 2026