I stream games and other desktop activity over Wi‑Fi to an Nvidia Shield that is connected by Ethernet. The setup has been giving me problems, and I've been told it might be related to the desktop's hardware. Can Wake-on-LAN work through a wireless PCIe adapter, or would I need to connect the desktop to Ethernet?
3 Answers
Ethernet is generally more reliable for Wake-on-LAN because the wired network adapter remains available in low-power states more consistently. Wi‑Fi can work, but routers and wireless power-saving behavior may prevent it from working reliably. Also, streaming problems aren’t automatically evidence of a hardware fault; network interference, drivers, settings, or the streaming software could be responsible.
If the main goal is simply waking the computer from the couch, a basic wireless keyboard or mouse may be easier. Pressing a key or clicking a button can wake many desktops without needing network wake features. Another option is disabling system sleep while allowing the monitor and other devices to turn off, since an idle desktop usually uses relatively little power.
Wireless Wake-on-LAN, usually called Wake-on-Wireless-LAN or WoWLAN, does exist, but support depends on the specific wireless card, motherboard, drivers, and router. You’ll need to check whether the adapter supports waking from sleep and configure its power-management settings. A special wake utility is normally required; simply pinging the computer or trying to connect to it usually won’t wake it.
Do you know where I should check whether my adapter supports that?
Using a wireless keyboard sounds worth trying, especially if it avoids relying on the wireless adapter’s wake support.