Remotely turning on PC

[PalowPower]

Is there a way that I can turn on my PC remotely? I still want to access my PC while I'm not home but i don't want to let my PC run 24/7 either. I heard there's something that is called Wake-on-LAN but I'll be away from home for around 2 weeks and I heared that as soon as the IP changes (because of a router reboot), WAN get's useless and needs to be configured again. Is there still a way to do this? I want my PC to automaticaly turn on at 6am in the morning.

[Levent]

Couple ways you can do that,

• Keep a device like RPI or your router turned on in your home and set a cron task to send a WoL command at specific time of the day.
• Create your own VPN using a cheap VPS and connect your router or a device like RPI and send WoL commands by accessing the said device connected to your network.
• Use a DDNS service if your IP is not CGNAT'd, however I would highly recommend against leaving WoL open to internet.

[m9x3mos]

I do this at home as well. What I have done is setup my router with dynamic DNS. Basically that way you can find your home even if the ip changes. Setup the VPN server on the router. Then when I want to start the computer, I connect to the VPN and use the router page to send the boot command.

[Kilrah]

I have my machine connected to a WiFi-controlled power socket that can be controlled from anywhere, and the BIOS on the PC set to power on on AC restore. Kinda low tech but less finicky than WoL for use from outside.

[10leej]

27 minutes ago, PalowPower said:

Is there a way that I can turn on my PC remotely? I still want to access my PC while I'm not home but i don't want to let my PC run 24/7 either. I heard there's something that is called Wake-on-LAN but I'll be away from home for around 2 weeks and I heared that as soon as the IP changes (because of a router reboot), WAN get's useless and needs to be configured again. Is there still a way to do this? I want my PC to automaticaly turn on at 6am in the morning.

You can normally set a wake schedule in your motherboards bios settings on most boards I've seen for diy builds (not a prebuilt pc)

[PalowPower]

34 minutes ago, 10leej said:

You can normally set a wake schedule in your motherboards bios settings on most boards I've seen for diy builds (not a prebuilt pc)

Ah thank you, found it. That was what I was looking for.

[GoodBytes]

14 hours ago, Kilrah said:

I have my machine connected to a WiFi-controlled power socket that can be controlled from anywhere, and the BIOS on the PC set to power on on AC restore. Kinda low tech but less finicky than WoL for use from outside.

Haha! Love the idea!

 

But what to do if bad luck happens, and the modem reboots due to a firmware update or service interruption, and the IP changed?

[Kilrah]

2 hours ago, GoodBytes said:

But what to do if bad luck happens, and the modem reboots due to a firmware update or service interruption, and the IP changed?

The smart plugs are integrated into home assistant, I have dynamic DNS (with my custom domains, not dyndns or such) and the server (which also runs a bunch of other web services) updates that if it sees a change. 

The router also updates another backup no-ip dynamic DNS on its own so I can still get my IP and VPN in if the server's down and can't update the main ones. 

But like any "smart home" stuff the plug also connects outwards to the manufacturer to be available to the original app and integrations regardless of where it is so I can always bounce them from the manufacturer's app even if the server's down.

 

The only (controllable) case that doesn't have contingency is if the modem/router crash in a way where they don't come back up on their own. I wanted to take one of those ESP8266-based smart plugs and write my own replacement firmware for it along with a script for the server, connect the network stack to it, and set it up so the plug would ask the server if it's got internet connectivity every few minutes as well as check its own, and would bounce the network stack if it doesn't for a while. Then there would only be actual dead hardware or ISP failure left. I never took the time, and since firstly it never happened and I'm not travelling for extended periods of time anymore since covid it's not really worth the effort right now.

 

The setup has been reliable for the couple of years it's been running. Pretty cool when you turn on your machine, VPN in and remote desktop/grab a file/something then shut it down all from your phone literally at the other side of the world.