How do you use or enable WOL on Asus RT-N56U?

[HHawk]

Can someone or somebody please explain me if it's possible to use Wake On Lan (WOL) on an Asus RT-N56U?

...or isn't this possible at all?

I need WOL for my FreeNAS, because I don't want my NAS to be turned on 24/7, but only when I need it to be on.

I already tried searching, but there is no information on how to use or enable Wake On Lan on an Asus RT-N56U. And not to mention the Asus support is really, really bad.

I am currently on the latest firmware version 1.0.1.4.

 

[HHawk]

* bump *

Can anyone help please? It's been a few days and I still haven't got this to work?


I have read the tutorial from "Doug Reid" and I can manage to wake my FreeNAS through LAN, however I cannot get it working over the internet with this crappy Asus RT-N56U. I don't understand what I am doing wrong. Not to mention the "support" you get at Asus. VIP my a$$. Also there forums are pretty useless. Also I noticed some days ago, that their forum got spammed with spam messages. Really professional.

So if someone can explain me how I can get WOL-function working on my Asus RT-N56U router through the internet, you will make me very happy!

 

[Shikami]

You never mentioned how you are configured. This is like going to the doctor and not saying one symptom you are exhibiting. I only know one thing so far, and that is you have wake by PCIe/PCI event enabled in the BIOS.

How about port forwarding? The host system has a static IP address? How about the power saving features of the NIC within Device Manager; enabled or disabled. What are you using to send the magic packet, etc? I am not there so there is only so much that can be asked when little information is given.

 

[HHawk]

I have enabled PME in the bios. I have 3 network cards; 2x Intel PCI cards and one Intel Dual Port PCIe network card (LACP) in my FreeNAS machine. And I use the motherboard onboard LAN controller for Wake On Lan.

Like stated before; within the LAN I can wake up the NAS without problems, however through WAN (internet) it seems impossible and I don't know why. Probably one of the settings are incorrect on the RT-N56U, but I really don't know why or how...

How about port forwarding?

I have setup "Virtual Server", but that doesn't work apparently with the FreeNAS, I cannot wake it through the internet.

The host system has a static IP address?

Of course.

How about the power saving features of the NIC within Device Manager; enabled or disabled.

Ehr...? I said, in the first post, that I am using a FreeNAS machine, this is not Windows, so it doesn't have "Device Manager", also if it was a Windows-based machine, that wouldn't matter, cause it should only be awaken by WOL / magic packet, right?

What are you using to send the magic packet, etc?

Since I followed the tutorial from "Doug Reid", I tried all the programs which were explained in the tutorial and some others and like mentioned before, waking the FreeNAS through LAN is not a problem, but from the internet it is. So WOL works, however not through WAN / internet. And that's probably because of a setting in the RT-N56U router and this is were I need some help with. I think I am changing the wrong settings.

I am not there so there is only so much that can be asked when little information is given.

Thanks for trying to help. Highly appreciated. I have entered as much information as I can, hopefully this will help?

 

[Shikami]

I said, in the first post, that I am using a FreeNAS machine, this is not Windows

I did not read much of your posts. Skimmed for some data, which means I skimmed past the most important part of the information.

Are you doing trying to do NAT loopback tests? In others words, you are not actually testing remotely, you are still on the private network when performing these tests? I am unsure how the RT-N56U router handles loopback; not many do, actually. Have you tested with something like this?: http://wol.dtools.net/

 

[HHawk]

I did not read much of your posts. Skimmed for some data, which means I skimmed past the most important part of the information.

Are you doing trying to do NAT loopback tests? In others words, you are not actually testing remotely, you are still on the private network when performing these tests? I am unsure how the RT-N56U router handles loopback; not many do, actually. Have you tested with something like this?: http://wol.dtools.net/

No problem.

Well, what I tried was 2 things. First I tested if I could boot up my FreeNAS machine through LAN. That worked without much problems.

However from the internet, I tried sending a magic packet through the dyndns address, it didn't do anything. I tried various tools, but all without result. The machine wouldn't turn on at all.

So it's definetely a setting within the RT-N56U router. I know DD-WRT does have a WOL-function, however that firmware is not compatible with the Asus RT-N56U router. I already tried several things with the RT-N56U router, but nothing helped. I think it's one of these options "Virtual Server" or "Port Trigger", but for some reason I cannot make the machine turn on through the internet.

I will try once more with the link you provided later tonight, when I get back home, but I think it will result in the same thing as with the other tools...

 

[Shikami]

It works for me. I just tested it; since it does not take much time to setup.

I think I may know what the issue is. If it is set to UDP it will not work. This is a broadcast packet that will be broadcast when it reaches the destination. Therefore change the packet type to "other." However, when you do such. The rules read to me on the Port Forwarding Log, that the port range is all. Even if the port public and private ports are set to 9. Scans do not show that any of the common ports are open.

I used: http://magicpacket.free.fr/. If I take the rule out and try to send via the Internet it does not work.

Now when I tried using the wol.dtools.net it does not work on both nor UDP. I also tried http://www.lchu.net/wowASP/index.htm and this did not work.

In this testing I have found something interesting. The very first thing I did when I got this router was do a port scan via Shields Up https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2. When the router was scanned port 21 was closed. I did a scan since the rules syntax made me wonder and therefore I scanned the ports. When a rule is enabled in Port Forwarding, 21 becomes stealth instead of closed.

 

[HHawk]

It works for me. I just tested it; since it does not take much time to setup.

I think I may know what the issue is. If it is set to UDP it will not work. This is a broadcast packet that will be broadcast when it reaches the destination. Therefore change the packet type to "other." However, when you do such. The rules read to me on the Port Forwarding Log, that the port range is all. Even if the port public and private ports are set to 9. Scans do not show that any of the common ports are open.

I used: http://magicpacket.free.fr/. If I take the rule out and try to send via the Internet it does not work.

Now when I tried using the wol.dtools.net it does not work on both nor UDP. I also tried http://www.lchu.net/wowASP/index.htm and this did not work.

In this testing I have found something interesting. The very first thing I did when I got this router was do a port scan via Shields Up https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2. When the router was scanned port 21 was closed. I did a scan since the rules syntax made me wonder and therefore I scanned the ports. When a rule is enabled in Port Forwarding, 21 becomes stealth instead of closed.

Thanks for the information. I will give it a go when I get back home. Hopefully I can achieve the same result as you! Many thanks in advance.

I will report back later on!

 

[HHawk]

Well, it seems I qualify as stupic, cause I cannot get this working through the internet. I have tested it from my work PC (through VNC) sending magic packets to my NAS (here at home), but no dice...

Probably I am doing something wrong, but I really cannot get it working.

I created a Virtual Server in the gui of my RT-N56U Router:

WOL NAS 192.168.0.100 OTHER 0

I selected, like you said "Other".

I tried several programs, to send a magic package, but no succes.

Also, maybe I misunderstood, but all the programs you tested didn't work. So what program do I need to make it work? I am sorry for my stupidness.

//extra

In the Port Forwarding log it says the following:

Hardware NAT: Enabled
Software QoS: Disabled
Destination Proto. Port Range Redirect to
all UDP 63331 192.168.0.225
all ALL ALL 192.168.0.100
all UDP 8300 192.168.0.100
all TCP 8300 192.168.0.100
all UDP 9500 192.168.0.100
all TCP 9500 192.168.0.100
all UDP 20:21 192.168.0.100
all TCP 20:21 192.168.0.100
all UDP 80 192.168.0.100
all TCP 80 192.168.0.100
all UDP 51000:51010 192.168.0.100
all TCP 51000:51010 192.168.0.100

Seems everything is open now, as you said... Isn't this a security issue?

 

[Shikami]

This website woke up the PC http://www.wakeonlan.me and was obviously remote. The utility still does it too. You have the rule correctly setup.

The reason I was curious about security was due to the fact of how it read. The ports are considered stealthy, but that does not mean that you cannot have a security issue. Most attacks are not brute force, and most scans these days are for SSH.

I am unsure as to why You cannot wake the PC. However, at least you know it works. So therefore there is something not working on your end.

 

[HHawk]

I just tried it once more, from work, but still no success; the NAS won't bootup.

The strangest thing is, is that I could wake it through LAN (local network), however the problem is through the internet. For some reason it doesn't work.

The only 2 things come to mind;

1. I overlooked some setting within my router.
2. Different router firmware? I am still using: 1.0.1.4.

The weird thing is that I can wake the machine without problems locally, but through the internet is giving me problems. So I know the NAS is enabled to Wake On Lan. So it must be a router thing....

#update 1...

I found some tutorial or information about setting up WOL on an Asus RT-N56U router here. Gonna try that as well.

#update 2...

Well that doesn't work either and when I check the ports with some port checker I am getting this:

93.xx.xxx.xx isn't responding on port 7 (echo).
93.xx.xxx.xx isn't responding on port 9 (discard).

And I am wondering, was does Port Trigger do? Probably nothing useful for me...?

#update 3...

Just got back home, and tried to wake the NAS through LAN and that worked on the first try. Sigh. Why, oh why is it working for LAN, but not remotely over the internet. Pfffft.....

 

[Shikami]

The only reason as to why Port Forward.com had 7 and 9 to be open is because it is either 7 or 9 that are commonly used. That is a very asinine thing to advised and I noticed that before. It should have been written to advise the user to look for which port the application uses, or mentioned that the port can be changed to the one used within the application. Then properly give as an example for how to forward to the host. It seems you had an echo on port 7 give that port a try instead within the application. For some reason it was dropping the packet on port 9.

You can also try the firmware. It is possible, but I am skeptical about that affecting you as other possibilities could affect you. I have been thinking about it the past couple of days and I cannot think of a reason for as to why you are having an issue.

If it is really dropping the packet on port 9 then something is not configured correctly-somewhere previously and now. Because, if you have port forwarding set properly it should have had an echo on that port too, not discarding. Both did not respond because one was dropped and the other had nothing to respond with such as some applications can. If I am reading that correctly for I do not know the application and its interpretations.

 

[HHawk]

The only reason as to why Port Forward.com had 7 and 9 to be open is because it is either 7 or 9 that are commonly used. That is a very asinine thing to advised and I noticed that before. It should have been written to advise the user to look for which port the application uses, or mentioned that the port can be changed to the one used within the application. Then properly give as an example for how to forward to the host. It seems you had an echo on port 7 give that port a try instead within the application. For some reason it was dropping the packet on port 9.

You can also try the firmware. It is possible, but I am skeptical about that affecting you as other possibilities could affect you. I have been thinking about it the past couple of days and I cannot think of a reason for as to why you are having an issue.

If it is really dropping the packet on port 9 then something is not configured correctly-somewhere previously and now. Because, if you have port forwarding set properly it should have had an echo on that port too, not discarding. Both did not respond because one was dropped and the other had nothing to respond with such as some applications can. If I am reading that correctly for I do not know the application and its interpretations.

Okay thanks for the reply. I still haven't been able to get WOL properly working through the internet. Locally (LAN) it works flawless. So I think I am going to try the latest firmware. I think it's 14m or something.

Hopefully that will solve my problems, because I am starting to get annoyed by this router, cause I really need WOL working through the internet. And Asus support is close to useless...

 

[Shikami]

Only one thing, oddly, I did not ask this first because I usually do. If you are using a particular type of modem/whatever that has routing abilities have you disabled this and bridged the network? In other words do you have two devices that are performing NAT. One provided by your Internet service and then the RT-N56U?

 

[Boemi]

Asus RT-n56u WOL/Wake on WAN problems

Hi,

I wrote emails with german asus support team in this case and they told me they contact colleges in korea to look for a solution. But no warrenty. The problem is, that the chipset in the n56u shut down inactiv LAN-ports after a while to spend energy.

So, if you try a wake up within your LAN, that's no problem because you did the broadcast yourself.

If you configure the rt-n56u to make a broadcast (like port 9 in virtual server settings to x.x.x.255) it dosen't work because the rt56u won't broadcast.

If you configure the direct IP like x.x.x.32 it will work from WAN as long as the chipset dosen't save energy (its something between 1 to 5 minutes). Than it won't work anymore.

Why? Because windows save energy in standby and hybernation mode on the LAN port. That makes the rt-n56u to beleave this connetion is unused so itself cut off this lane.

BUT! If you shut down your PC and your mortherboard settings are correct, than you CAN wake it up via WAN.

WHY? Because now, windows won't save energy on the LAN port and the rt-n56u won't cut off the LAN-port.

So WOL works from LAN as long as you do the broadcast yourself direct to the network and virtual server ports are correct direct to the IP (no broadcast). WOL from WAN only work if you shut down you PC. Thinks like another sub net like x.x.x.192 to broadcast via x.x.x.63 doesn't fool the router.

WOL form LAN if PC standby = yes (as along as you do the broadcast)
WOL from WAN if PC standby = only for 1 to 5 minutes
WOL from WAN if PC shut down = yes
WOL via broadcast = noway!
WOL via broadcast tricks (like subnet x.x.x.192 or ethbroadcast like MAC ffffffffffff) = noway!

Sorry for poor english. Greeting from germany!

Daniel

btw

changing the router IP from 192.168.1.x to 192.168.0.x will cause problems to log in via telnet. you won't be logged in as root (shows $ instead of # in the command line even if the password is correct)

 

[HHawk]

Thanks, but I already sold the RT-N56 and purchased a RT-N16 and flashed it with DD-WRT firmware. WOL works now without problems.

I really cannot recommend the RT-N56. Worst router ever.

 

[Shikami]

If you configure the direct IP like x.x.x.32 it will work from WAN as long as the chipset dosen't save energy (its something between 1 to 5 minutes). Than it won't work anymore.

I can confirm this. When I originally helped I always did the waking from WAN within short periods of time. I booted the PC and configured the Wake On LAN setting for the NIC. After such a shutdown, and since this is within the period before the "green" logic of the chip is enabled waking would work from the LAN and WAN. If I wait around 3 minutes it will not wake anymore.

I wonder if all "green" Ethernet logics have this issue or is it only relative to this Realtek layer 2 logic?