Remote restart and power up Win 7

[akcoyote]

Problem: Reliably access desktop computer while traveling.

Remote connection is established using GoToMyPC. This means the computer must be on during the whole trip. If the computer shuts down for any reason or ‘hangs’, someone must be called to come to the office and reboot it. (This is a one person office, i.e. there is no one handy to walk over and manually do this.)

I intend to place the computer, cable modem and router all on a UPS with the computer set to power on after power fail.

However, it would be very desirable to be able to leave it shut down except when actually being accessed. And it would be desirable to be able to reboot the system if it ‘hangs’.

Goal: To be remotely, via the Web, be able to:
1) power up computer after normal shutdown.
2) reboot the computer if the system hangs/locks up.

The system has an ASUS P6X58D-E motherboard and is running Windows 7 Pro.
Thanks for any advice you can offer.

 

[PreferLinux]

You may be able to do something with Wake on LAN. But that would most likely have to be via another computer, or similar interface. Remote shutdown should be much easier.

 

[memadmax]

Ur gonna need a server running Microsoft Server 2008 and the computer that you are running that needs remote start needs to be running Windows 7 Pro or higher. This is the easiest way to do this as Server 2008 has all the monitoring capabilities that you are calling for built in.

 

[memadmax]

As an alternative, if your motherboard in the office computer has auto turn on/off capability built into the bios then even if windows was locked up, chances are the bios will still be able to turn off the computer at the designated time.

Consult your motherboard/computer manufactures bios manual.

 

[memadmax]

Wake on lan wont do it over the web unfortunately. When a card is in sleep mode when the computer is powered off, it doesn't know how to respond to packets that are being tunneled over the internet.

Yet another alternative is to have a router running dd-wrt as its firmware.
http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/WOL

 

[akcoyote]

I appreciate all the replies. Several offered some hope.

However, I can tell that I failed to completely define the situation. More complete details include:

1) The P6X58D-E motherboard does support WOL.

2) The target computer is running Win 7 Pro fully updated.

3) The target computer is using Norton Internet Security (don't think this matters in this case, but...)

4) Remote connection is intended to be using a net-book running Win XP (which I may upgrade for her to Win 7 after upping the memory). This is the machine she currently uses to access the system using GoToMyPC.

5) The incoming router is a ZoneAlarm Z-100 (made by CheckPoint). This is a bit difficult for me to test since I am in AZ and the target computer/network will be in AK giving me only remote access to the router which I have never worked with, but do have the 'manual' for.

New since original post) Using Fusion WOL I have successfully started the target computer over the my local LAN. It consistently starts from Sleep, but I haven't gotten it to always start from Shutdown. Fusion WOL originally reported the target computer's status (On/Off) correctly, but now always reports it is off whether started manually or using WOL. Starting using WOL always reports back that it couldn't start the computer although it actually did. This leads me to question Fusion WOL???

As soon as I can get consistent results over the LAN I plan to begin testing WOL through my Linksys router (using my net-book and a Wi-Fi connection through my neighbor's Wi-Fi).

There are a number of posts on other sites reporting success using WOL with this motherboard (for example: http://vip.asus.com/forum/view.aspx?board_id=1&model=P6X58D-E&id=20110113022705300&page=1&SLanguage=en-us) and I found depicus (http://www.depicus.com/wake-on-lan/wake-on-lan-port-numbers.aspx) very helpful.

Only my lack of experience with WOL and limited knowledge of networking is handicapping me at this point, so your comments and assistance are greatly appreciated.

 

[akcoyote]

Wake on lan wont do it over the web unfortunately. When a card is in sleep mode when the computer is powered off, it doesn't know how to respond to packets that are being tunneled over the internet.

Yet another alternative is to have a router running dd-wrt as its firmware.
http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/WOL

Your comments were absolutely the most useful. The others seemed to either not understand the problem (hence, my second post) or appear misinformed.

My second post includes my current status.

Question: I have read quite a bit about dd-wrt, but have no experience with it that I am aware of. If I understand, it is an open source / freeware router o/s which may replace the manufacturers code. Are you recommending using this?

The dd-wrt site indicates that the Linksys WRT54GS (Firmware Version: v1.50.3) router on my LAN is supported, but has no listing for the Z-100 used on the LAN in AK.

There are a number of old forum posts which suggest the Z-100 has some issues. None reported are directly related to WOL as far as I can tell, but....

I am testing the new target computer on my LAN, but will be shipping it North for installation on the other network with the requirement that I be able to use remote access to change the Z-100 to work with WOL or arrange for a local tech to come in for her.

Perhaps the simplest solution would be to upgrade the router in AK either to one which supports WOL or could be converted to dd-wrt.

Any thoughts on this?

Thanks again for your time and advice.

 

[akcoyote]

As an alternative, if your motherboard in the office computer has auto turn on/off capability built into the bios then even if windows was locked up, chances are the bios will still be able to turn off the computer at the designated time.

Consult your motherboard/computer manufactures bios manual.

Thanks.

BTW your cat is a dead ringer for my cat Francis. Unfortunately, at the age of 19 Francis ran out of her alloted 9 lives last year. Miss her help with the computers. She still holds the high score for Minesweeper on my system (she used to lay down with her head on my mouse hand and only lift it briefly, with attendant irritated look and remark, if I got too animated.)

 

[memadmax]

Hello, sorry I didnt get back in a timly matter.
One thing is you will need Win XP pro on that client computer for starters. This will enable certain things that you will need down the road for any of the things you will be doing. XP home doesn't cut it.

 

[memadmax]

Also, sounds like you should prolly upgrade that router you were talking about in AK?
Thats the one that you want to handle the WOL for a client?

 

[akcoyote]

Switch back to XP from Win 7 Pro is a non-starter. Whatever I wind up with will have to work with Win 7.

Updating the router in AK is very likely at this point.

Probably bring her up to N at the same time since she has both a netbook and laptop she uses at home. They aren't N at the moment, but will likely be 'upgraded' in the future to machines which will have N. And the added range of N may encourage her to try a USB N adapter to use in the back of the house. It sure tested well in my house although the N router died and I haven't replaced it yet. (Hence the Linksys.)

 

[akcoyote]

As an alternative, if your motherboard in the office computer has auto turn on/off capability built into the bios then even if windows was locked up, chances are the bios will still be able to turn off the computer at the designated time.

Consult your motherboard/computer manufactures bios manual.

This is a very useful observation. The motherboard BIOS does support start/stop by RTC.

Depending upon the final configuration, I may use this as you suggest.


Thanks.

 

[akcoyote]

Best answer selected by akcoyote.

 

[hammerjack]

Power off remotely is always easy but Windows itself somehow never have remote power on ability.

We have recently accidentally found out that LogMeIn has this capability built-in, as long as your bios' Wake-On-LAN setting enabled. We are now able to power on any remote computers using LogMeIn as long as they are internet connected.

Hope this help!