RV082 Small business router - Wake on lan (over internet)

[lorividcisco]

Hi all, i saw older discussions over WOL and RV082/RV042.

As router blocks broadcast packets from internet to lan, to make WOL work, i should change router's ARP table using telnet, probably with V1 and V2 versions this action was possible, but trying telnet connection (http://<Router IP Address>/sysinfo123.htm?ConsoleSimulation=1 with RV082 V3 nothing appears, and telnet connection on standard port (23) fails.

Does anyone know how to make pass WOL magic packets through a RV082 V3 from internet to LAN ?

Using simply port forwarding don't work, as router discard broadcast packets incoming from internet.

[Tom Watts]

Hi Loris, all routers will discard broadcast packets, it is not model or vendor specific.

You should be able to make 2 firewall rules, the first rule should be a deny for all source and all destination. The second rule should be a permit rule for the port number with whichever source you like to whichever destination you like.

You may also need to disable the firewall on the computers to get the magic packet through.

-Tom
Please mark answered for helpful posts

[lorividcisco]

Hi Tom, first of all thanks for your quickly reply.

As computer on lan is off (without IP address assigned by the router) when magic packet is sent, I think is not possible to forward packet to, this should vanify forwarding rule (i think).

One solution is to send magic packet to router's broadcast address (i.e. 192.168.1.255), I tried, but it doesn't work (packet was discarded by router)......

[Tom Watts · Accepted solution]

Hi Loris, you are mistaken, if the computer was completely turned off, you would never be able to wake it. Even if a router did not discard a broadcast packet, the firewall will. What you need to do is to tell the router to expect the service-type and just allow it.

Make a customer service, usually port 9... then make 2 access rules.

First access rule is from WAN to LAN deny all services deny any source and any destination

Second rule is from WAN to LAN with permit the custom service from any source to any destination

For a good measure, you can try to make a port forwarding,  but give the access rule a try first. I assure you the network card nor BIOS of the computer is sleeping. The MAC address is what is important which is why I don't feel port forwarding is necessary.

This will allow that packet through the router. When you connect to the network from the internet, the computer you're using has no concept of what LAN computer it is trying to access (unless you specify the correct fields in the WOL gui). It is using the external IP and subnet of the router. So as long as the LAN computer has the listening port which matches the WOL GUI then it should work.

You may test this also

http://www.depicus.com/wake-on-lan/woli.aspx

-Tom
Please mark answered for helpful posts

[lorividcisco]

It works! Thanks to Tom contribute's now WOL works on my RV082.

Solution:

a) Port opened in Firewall->access rules of router's configuration page

b) Port forwarding to PC's static address (static but assigned by router's DHCP)

c) Pc to wake from internet must be on "suspend" mode (in power off mode don't wakes)

d) send magic packet to router, it is forwarded to Pc and it wakes up

-If PC is turned OFF, you can wake it from another PC on the lan, but you cannot from internet (I don't know the reason).

-Don't works without port forwarding (you must set a new forward rule for WOL port, to send magic packet to PC static ip address).

-Router's configuration page denies permission to set a rule to forward magic packet to router's broadcast address (i.e. 192.168.0.255), this may be the reason you can wake pc only in "suspend" mode (in this state nic has a valid ip address), i think.

[CiscoRV110W]

I am glad to hear that someone had success using WOL through the Cisco router, I want to join that elite group...

For two frustrating days I have been trying to get  this feature to work with no success.  First my hardware/software is as  follows:

1) Desktop with Asus P6x58D Motherboard (supports WOL)  - I read the Asus posts on WOL, set up the Bios appropriately.

2) Windows 7 Professional

3) RV110W router with firmware v1.2.0.9

4) Linksys bridge WET54G version 3

4.1) hardwired ethernet to router in case the bridge does not work.

This part of Tom's post makes no sense to me:

Make a customer service, usually port 9... then make 2 access rules.

First access rule is from WAN to LAN deny all services deny any source and any destination

Second rule is from WAN to LAN with permit the custom service from any source to any destination

If I make that first rule, it will block ALL internet traffic, but hey, I will try anything once.   So I tried it and - it blocked all internet traffic as expected.  That is not exactly what I want to do.  This CAN"T be what Tom meant, but what did he mean?  To me Deny = block.  And I am not able to set the destination to more than one IP address anyway.

Note this rule is disabled or I would not be able to write this post right now.  I did create the other rule, that was no problem.  If I get this problem solved then I may have another issues:

1) I really wanted this to work from power down (other people claim to have this working with this motherboard), but if this is not possible then Windows 7 has two standby modes: sleep and hibernation.  Which one is compatible with WOL?

2) Will this work through the bridge?  If so, do I send the magic packet to the bridge MacID or the computer's NIC MacID?

[lorividcisco]

Dear Jon,

your Desktop wakes if you send magic packet from another device inside your LAN (doing so, bypassing firewall problem) ?

If yes, your PC configuration is Ok, and next step is to understand why firewall blocks magic packet.

If no please note that:

- My PC has a reserved DHCP address, so router assigns always the same IP address to this machine

- For test purpose you can wake on lan a pc (inside LAN) using a broadcast packet (packet sent to all ip addresses active on lan, but only the machine with correct MAC address will wake). If using broadcast p. computer wakes, we can assume that it's configuration is correct and we need to investigate why don't wakes using a specifiec ip address.

- in my case if I shutdown PC, it wakes only using broadcast packet, It do not wakes using a magic packet addressed to its reserved DHCP address. Large part of routers discard broadcast packet if they come from outside LAN (from internet for example).

- in my case I use PC hybernation (less power than suspend mode), and WOL work fine, i can wake it sending magic packet to its reserved DHCP address.

First step is to test broadcast packet sent from another device on lan. If works then hybernate your PC.

Next step is to try to send a magic packet to its reserved DHCP IP address.

If works next step is to send a magic packet to its reserved DHCP IP address from outside LAN, opening a specified port on your firewall (incoming firewall rules), depending of the software you use to send magic packet.

In my case, for securty reason, I first connect to my router using VPN, then I send magic packet to its reserved DHCP address, so I do not leave a port open on firewall.

I hope this can be useful for you.

[CiscoRV110W]

Thank you very much for the advice, that is very logical.

After work today I will connect my laptop/desktop through a "dumb" switch and see if I can send a magic packet.  Not sure how I will broadcast a magic packet to the entire subnet from the laptop. (ping....everyone?)

The ip addresses for these computers are reserved so they should not change (and they haven't yet).  Normally I don't do that, but in this case it only made sense.

If I cannot get this to work over the internet then there is no point.  If I want to wake the computer within my home office I will walk over and wake it up!

[lorividcisco]

To send a broadcast magic packet you can use a specific utility like this:

http://www.matcode.com/wol.htm

If your lan is set to 192.168.0.0 address for example, its broadcast address is 192.168.0.255; you can use that wol utility to send a packet to this address, with a specified MAC address. Note that broadcast address change if you have a different ipaddress lan setting, but on internet you find many online broadcast address calculators.

If PC configuration is correct you may wake up it from shutdown state, hybernation state, suspend state (depends on your hardware). You do not need to open ports on your firewall, as you send magic packet from inside your lan.

After you wake your pc (and you are sure that its configuration is correct) go to next step, trying to wake up from outside lan (in this case you have to use another utility, becouse broadcast packets are discarted if they come from outside lan), sending a magic packet to the specific LAN ip address of your PC, using port forwarding ability of your router.

[CiscoRV110W · Accepted solution]

OK, that was great advice.  I connected both the laptop and the Desktop through a simple "dumb" switch.  For the first time I was able to wake up the desktop with a magic packet.  This works from hibernation, sleep and even the off state.

So, the computer and NIC cards are configured correctly.

The matcode program you linked to works great.  I also downloaded another program called "WOL - magic packet sender" which also works. When I use this program and try and go through the RV110W firewall, however, I get the following message: "No connection could be made because the target machine actively refused it"

Somehow the RV110W firewall must be configured to allow the magic packet to pass through.  I think it has something to do with the access rules that Tom mentioned, but he was referring to the RV082 firewall.  The RV110W has a slightly different config screen.

[lorividcisco]

Ok, first step completed!

Next step is to try to send a magic packet using an application that can address a magic packet to a specific IP (static IP of your PC); as you know we can not send a broadcast packet through internet, becouse routers very often discards it. For the moment is better to try to send that magic packet inside your lan, sending it by another device, like you have done for the previous step. That application should use a specific port, we need to know port number used for the next step, when you will set the correct forwarding rule on your router, trying to send magic packet from internet to LAN.

On internet you find many applications to send magic packet to a specific address, they often use UDP packet on port 7 or 9.

[CiscoRV110W]

I have tried various sources on the internet for WOL, none of them work.  Interestingly all of the tools were written 7-10 years ago.  I think when the smurf attacks started the router manufacturers turned off support for this function.  To me this makes no sense for very small networks.  We only have 3 computers and a printer on this network, I doubt a smurf attack would do much.  Cisco should at least provide the ability - with a warning.

From everything I have read so far the RV110W does NOT support this function.  I am very annoyed that Cisco does not chime in and offer some assistence, as even verifying whether the WOL over internet is supported at all by this firewall would have been helpful.  Instead they prefer to watch their customers struggle.

I did stumble into this web site:

http://www.wolcenter.com/faq.php

He explains a way to get this to work with a hacked tomato router used in tandem with the firewall.  I may give this a try.

In my situation it makes no sense to use WOL over the home network (except for testing purposes).  My desktop is normally connected wirelessly through a bridge.  For me to turn the desktop computer on via my laptop though the LAN I need to temporarily connect the laptop and desktop through a dumb switch then run the WOL app.  It is easier to press the power button.  For me WOL is only useful if I can use it via the internet when I am traveling.

Thank you very much for your help with this, you did at least verify my  computer supports WOL and that it is configured correctly.  The problem  is 100% with the router.

[lorividcisco]

I think the problem is not your router, but the utility used to send packet. If you can connect to the configuration page of your router, if you can use emule for example, opening his ports on RV110 and allowing incoming connections, there is no reason why you cannot allow an incoming connection to receive a magic packet; after all it's only an UDP packet.

In my case I use an app on my mobile phone to start my PC, first of all, for security reasons, I connect to my LAN using VPN (encryption and authentication), so at the moment I cannot suggest you a specific PC application, but some internet sites offer the ability to send magic packets, in that case you do not need to use a desktop application.

One of these is http://www.depicus.com/wake-on-lan/woli.aspx

If your application throws a connection error message, the problem may be an incorrect configuration of port forwarding rule. Rule have to be configured to take an UDP packet incoming from any source on port 7 or 9 and forward it to you PC ip address (192.168.0.2 for example), use port forwarding function you find on management page of your device.

Have you tried to send a magic packet directly to your PC single lan address by another PC (inside your lan) without using a broadcast address ? it wakes ? If not, the problem is probably the application.

Obviously WOL have sense to wake a computer when you are not at home, and i'm agree with you: cisco could provide its SMB routers management page with a simplified utility to start PC on lan; this could solve many headaches! In a great environment = great devices, you often find servers and computers active 24h, but not in a small office, so WOL simplified ability have more sense on SMB routers than on great devices.

If trying and trying you cannot make WOL to work from the internet, you can choose to connect to your router using VPN (also PPTP VPN, very simple to set up), after connection you work inside your lan, so wake your PC should be easier.

[CiscoRV110W]

OK, you inspired me to give it one last try.  I blocked out all the IP addresses and MACid's.  If I ever do get this working I don't want everyone who reads this helping me turn my computers on.

1) RV110W Service Management.  This just defines UDP messages on ports 7 through 10.

2) RV110W Access Rule.  This allows (1) above to access the Desktop. ("Never" at the end is for logging)

3) RV110W Port forwarding.  According to Tom this should not be necessary, but I added it:

4) Send the magic packet.

5) Wireshark output.  Note that it does not matter if the Asus is on, off, sleeping or the ethernet cable is unplugged, it always gives the same results.  Focus on the TOP TWO LINES.  The lower lines are just details.

Note that it actually says "ASUSTEK", so this text must be coming from the Asus Desktop computer (I did not type that in).  The messages were sent from this Dell laptop through the RV110W to the Asus.  I don't know why it says the source port is 61795.  Every time I run this the source port changes.

So what is going on?  Remember, this works if I take the RV110W out of the loop and use a simple switch.

Message was edited by: Jon Hoff fixed typos

[lorividcisco]

How i can see firewall is blocking UDP packet you sent. I think the change of sending port it's not a problem, the relevant is the packet is the receiving port. When you connect to RV110 your dell laptop (on ethernet port, so you have both PCs on the same lan) and you send packet using WOL magic packet sender, your computer wakes ?

Furthermore, you attempted to use port 7 instead of 9 ?

I think your router can log the traffic regarding rule Asus Wol, this can be useful to debug (to see if effectively you router log the discarded packet).

Next days i will try to use magic packet sender with my laptop in a similar condition, to see if it works with my hardware, i'll forward feed back as soon as possible.