Start with the power state, not the checkbox
Wake-on-LAN is not one feature with one switch. A computer that wakes from a normal shutdown can still fail from sleep because S5 and S3 depend on different Windows, firmware and driver paths. On our EQi12, shutdown Wake-on-LAN passed 5/5, while sleep-state Wake-on-LAN passed 4/5. That result proves that the network controller can receive a magic packet after shutdown; it does not prove that every sleep transition is reliable.
Before changing anything, write down whether the failed test started from shutdown, sleep or hibernation. Also confirm which physical Ethernet jack is connected. The EQi12 exposes two similarly named Realtek controllers, so changing the properties of the unused adapter produces a perfectly configured but useless result.
Establish a clean baseline
Use a wired connection and assign the target machine a known IP address or DHCP reservation. From another device on the same LAN, record the target adapter MAC address privately. Do not publish the complete MAC address. Then perform five shutdown tests and five sleep tests separately.
For each attempt, record:
| Field | What to record |
|---|---|
| Starting state | S5 shutdown or S3 sleep |
| Link LEDs | On, off or blinking before the packet |
| Sender | Device and WOL application |
| Packet target | Broadcast or directed address |
| Result | Woke or failed |
| Time | Packet to login/network availability |
This table tells you whether the failure follows the sleep state, one Ethernet jack, one sender or one network path.
Configure the actual Realtek adapter
Open Device Manager → Network adapters, disconnect and reconnect the cable, and watch which adapter changes state. Open that Realtek controller, not simply the first identically named entry.
Under Advanced, enable Wake on Magic Packet. If present, enable Shutdown Wake-On-Lan. Leave WOL & Shutdown Link Speed at its default first; if S5 wake fails, test 10 Mbps First. Do not disable every energy-saving setting at once. Change one variable, repeat the five-run test, and preserve the result.
Under Power Management, enable:
- Allow this device to wake the computer.
- Only allow a magic packet to wake the computer.
- Initially leave “Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power” enabled.
If the Power Management tab is missing, install the appropriate Realtek driver rather than assuming Windows has no WOL support. A generic or restricted driver can expose fewer controls.
Check Windows power behavior
Disable Windows Fast Startup for an unambiguous shutdown test: Control Panel → Power Options → Choose what the power buttons do → Change settings that are currently unavailable → clear Turn on fast startup. Fast Startup can make “shutdown” behave like a hybrid state, complicating comparisons.
Run powercfg /a in an elevated terminal. It reports which sleep states Windows actually supports. If S3 is not available, do not label a Modern Standby result as S3. You can also use powercfg /devicequery wake_armed to confirm that the Realtek adapter is armed, and powercfg /lastwake after a successful wake to see the source Windows recorded.
Check firmware without guessing
Look for a BIOS option named Wake on LAN, PME Event Wake Up, or Power On By PCI-E. Firmware names vary. Only enable a setting whose description clearly refers to PCIe or network wake. Do not alter unrelated PCIe root-port or ASPM controls merely because they contain “power”.
After a BIOS change, save, boot Windows, and retest both states. Photograph the final page so the published result has a configuration record.
Interpret the result
- S5 and S3 both pass 5/5: publish WOL as verified for those states and that exact configuration.
- S5 passes but S3 is intermittent: the NIC and packet path work; focus on sleep-state transition, driver power management and firmware behavior.
- Neither state works: verify the physical adapter, link LEDs, MAC target, subnet/broadcast behavior and BIOS PME support.
- Only one Ethernet jack works: map the two controllers to their physical ports and publish the distinction.
Do not turn a 4/5 result into “WOL supported.” Report the denominator. Intermittency is the useful finding.
Completion standard
A fix is complete only when five consecutive attempts pass from the state you intend to use, the active adapter is documented, and the same sender/network path is used for all runs. For unattended service use, also time how long it takes after wake for the network and application health endpoint to become available.
Continue with the full Realtek WOL setup guide and the EQi12 Windows home-server recovery results.