Mac Mini : Wake On Lan
Discussion
This has got me scratching my head.
I have Apple Remote Desktop installed on my MacBook, from where I admin the other computers. One of the Mac Minis I only use to watch downloaded film/TV content (connected to the TV) so I have the power-save set to put it to sleep after 15 minutes of inactivity. Also in the settings I have it set to wake on LAN activity.
When it's asleep, sending a wake command from Remote Desktop fails every time. I've trawlled both the sys prefs on the Mini and the settings in Remote Desktop but there's nothing else to fiddle with - it should just work.
My thinking is - are the WOL messages being filtered out somewhere? Is it possible to test this? Both computers are connected wirelessly via an Airport Extreme base station.
I have Apple Remote Desktop installed on my MacBook, from where I admin the other computers. One of the Mac Minis I only use to watch downloaded film/TV content (connected to the TV) so I have the power-save set to put it to sleep after 15 minutes of inactivity. Also in the settings I have it set to wake on LAN activity.
When it's asleep, sending a wake command from Remote Desktop fails every time. I've trawlled both the sys prefs on the Mini and the settings in Remote Desktop but there's nothing else to fiddle with - it should just work.
My thinking is - are the WOL messages being filtered out somewhere? Is it possible to test this? Both computers are connected wirelessly via an Airport Extreme base station.
robbieduncan said:
I'm not sure about this so take with a pinch of salt but I think you would need the Mini to be connected via an Ethernet cable to wake it via the LAN as when it's asleep it turns off the Airport radio...
Bugger, that sounds feasible.
What doesn't compute (sorry) though is that the scanner on Remote Desktop can display the computer and it's IP address, it just can't wake it. Perhaps that's more to do with it caching the IP addresses of previously active machines though.....
Actually, just pinged the IP address and it's down so it looks like you're right Robbie.
The Dude said:
Suppose the only way to do it would be to bridge the Mini to some wireless hardware then?
And no, it's not an Intel Mini
And no, it's not an Intel Mini
That sounds like it might work (an ethernet<->WiFi bridge). Can you send it any sort of USB signal instead? USB devices tend to wake sleeping Macs...
robbieduncan said:
The Dude said:
Suppose the only way to do it would be to bridge the Mini to some wireless hardware then?
And no, it's not an Intel Mini
And no, it's not an Intel Mini
That sounds like it might work (an ethernet<->WiFi bridge). Can you send it any sort of USB signal instead? USB devices tend to wake sleeping Macs...
No, unfortunately.
What's really annoying is that "wake on bluetooth" works fine (it has a bluetooth keyboard and mouse) so if it can detect bluetooth, why not wireless? Don't make no sense to me.
Just a thought, but you might want to try AppleScript/Automator for this. Like MS Office macros, record the process, then save it as a script or mini application.
If it works (the various applications need to be script aware), you could save it in the dock, making it a 'one-click' action. You could also use it as a script within a script (to check the Mini is awake before performing some other task).
If it works (the various applications need to be script aware), you could save it in the dock, making it a 'one-click' action. You could also use it as a script within a script (to check the Mini is awake before performing some other task).
HiRich said:
Just a thought, but you might want to try AppleScript/Automator for this. Like MS Office macros, record the process, then save it as a script or mini application.
If it works (the various applications need to be script aware), you could save it in the dock, making it a 'one-click' action. You could also use it as a script within a script (to check the Mini is awake before performing some other task).
If it works (the various applications need to be script aware), you could save it in the dock, making it a 'one-click' action. You could also use it as a script within a script (to check the Mini is awake before performing some other task).
Funnily enough, I was looking at doing just that.
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