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I realize there are one or two related posts, but none that quite get at what I'm asking.

I'm using an old computer as a NAS using FreeNAS, and after some tweaking everything is dandy. The NAS is just being used by myself and my roommate, so I'd like to be able to use WOL (in conjunction with a basic shutdown script) so I can have the freedom to power up/down the NAS whenever to save power. Based on several forum posts, lack of inclusion as a feature in my motherboard manual, and a lack of WOL settings in the BIOS, it looks like my motherboard does not support WOL (Asus p5ld2); however, my NIC does (Marvell 88E8053). Just to be sure, I tried WOL anyway; the NIC received the WOL magic packets (light blinked), but the computer never powered on.

Sufficiently convinced that WOL is not a viable option, I naturally started considering alternatives such as...

  • A Rube Goldberg device (Joking..... mostly)
  • Mod a remote car starter to remotely turn it on (I've done this in the past, and I happen to have some the parts laying around)
  • Use a microcontroller to turn on the computer after receiving a certain magic packet (probably WOL for simplicity).

Of those, I think the microcontroller is the best (money aside) since it hooks up directly to my network and isn't restricted by range like the remote car starter or mechanical failure.

So, my questions for you good people are the following:

  • What alternatives am I missing
  • What are some pitfalls/considerations I need to think about
  • What are some general suggestions you would give
  • If the microcontroller is the best option, what microcontroller would you suggest?
    • I'm a software developer with experience in Java/C/C++/Python/Lisp/Haskell/Scala and not opposed to learning a new language and whatnot.
fixer1234
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Bface
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5 Answers5

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According to the manual on asus.com the board has "wakeup on PCI" and "wakeup on PCIE". Enable these for WOL.

You may also need to enable WOL in your OS. It might be disabled by default, but I don't know FreeNAS (nor FreeBSD) good enough to tell you how to.

Update: The networking chip is connected to PCI or PCIe Bus, and can thus wake up the system through its bus wakeup line. There are two prerequisite conditions:

  1. The PCI/PCIe wakeup system is active (powered and enabled).
  2. The network chip has WOL enabled - through its driver settings, usually.
Turbo J
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Well, the simplest hardware solution would be to wire-up your on switch to get switched on by a relay of some sort. Considering the 'complexity' of the problem (which is to say you need to emulate pressing a simple, wimpy power button), pretty much any microcontroller would do, and all you need to do is tap into the power switch lead (which is easy to replace in you mess up, and bridge it as needed.

I'd ask though, do you want to turn it on after switching it off (cause the system is not in use) or in case of power failure? Many systems, even geriatric PIIIs can be set to simply reboot after power failure

I'd also point out there's the mechanical approach, though i suppose having a computer running to switch on another computer is less practical than the above.

Journeyman Geek
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You could always install a network card with WOL that is supported by the OS. Provided you can wake on PCI then you should be OK.

aybabtu
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Wireless is always a nifty idea, but there are drawbacks, such as accidental power on and off. An accidental power on probably isnt a big deal. However, an accidental power off might be. You could grab the keyfob and mistakenly hit the wrong button, causing a shutdown. Worse yet, albeit unlikely, that someone nearby is using a similar signal that matches your receiver; e.g. someones garage door opener.

I say this from experience, as I found out my old neighbor of mine and I were using the same X10 frequencies. We were battling each other over lights and it took us quite a while to figure it out...

Why not just replace the motherboard?

Keltari
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More than a little overkill but I mean TECHNICALLY you also have several enterprise-grade options; Google "IPMI 2.0" and I believe ASUS even sells you a (very expensive) card for this. Also this feature (IPMI) will be present on high-end server motherboards (high end in the consumer space I mean).

Essentially you would find killing mosquitoes with a flamethrower to be less overkill though. IPMI for example allows full configuration and control of things like fans etc even with your motherboard technically powered off!

Sidenote: IBM calls theirs IMM - integrated mgmt module. Dell calls theirs iDrac. HP iLo. Etc. Happy windowshopping for a proper mb for your homeserver ;D

Marc Thulmann
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