How to Send Magic Packet in Windows

You must transmit a magic packet to turn on a PC using Wake on LAN. Here’s how to send a magic packet from Windows 10 & 11.

Wake on LAN is a helpful feature that allows you to remotely turn on a Windows device. Once enabled, you can use your preferred remote desktop utility to access it as needed.

One of the most significant advantages of Wake on LAN is that it provides the best of both worlds. i.e., put the system in a low power state and let you turn it back on whenever & from wherever. I’ve already provided an in-depth tutorial on how to enable Wake on LAN in Windows. Follow the link to learn how.

As most of your know, Wake on LAN puts the system into a low-power state. You can think of it as Sleep mode. You must send a magic packet to wake the computer from its low-power state. It is called Wake on Magic Packet or WoL Magic Packet. As soon as your computer receives the magic packet, Wake on LAN will turn on the system, letting you access it remotely.

The good thing is that there are many ways to send Magic Packet in Windows.

Let me show you how to Wake on Magic Packet in Windows OS without further ado.

The steps below work the same in Windows 10 and 11.

Table of contents:

• Requirements
• Steps to send the magic packet

Requirements

It is often optional, but you must know the IP and MAC addresses of the remote computer ahead of time. If necessary, you can include these details while sending the magic packet. Here’s how to get these details in Windows 11.

1. Launch the Settings application.
2. Navigate to “Network & Internet > Advanced network options.”
3. Expand the network adapter.
4. Select “View more properties.”
5. Make a note or copy the “IPv4 address.”
6. Make a note or copy the “Physical address (MAC).”
7. Exit the settings application.

You can now send a magic packet to these addresses to remotely wake up a Windows device.

Send Magic Packet in Windows

To send the magic packet in Windows, we will use WakeMeOnLan, a free and lightweight software. Let me show you how to use it to send a WoL magic packet.

1. Get the WakeMeOnLan software.
2. Extract zip file contents to a folder.
3. Open the extracted folder.
4. Double-click the “WakeMeOnLan.exe” file.
5. Click the “Play” button on the top bar.
6. This will list all the available computers on the network.
7. Right-click on the remote computer.
8. Choose the “Wake Up Selected Computers” option.
9. Click “Yes” when prompted.
10. This action sends the magic packet to the remote computer.

Download WakeMeOnLan: https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/wake_on_lan.html#DownloadLinks

Steps with more details:

First, go to the WakeMeOnLan developer website and download the software. After downloading, open the Zip file and extract the contents to a new folder on the desktop.

Open the extracted folder and double-click the “WakeMeOnLan.exe” file. This action launches the WakeMeOnLan application. This is a portable application. You don’t have to install it to use the application.

After you’ve opened the app, click the “Play” button at the top. You can also use the “F5” key or the “File > Start scanning” menu item.

The application scans and lists all the available devices on the network. Find and right-click on the remote computer and select the “Wake up selected computers” option. If prompted, press the “Yes” button to continue.

The application will send the magic packet once you do that. As long as the system is powered on and in a low power state, it will turn on (provided it supports Wake on LAN).

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So that’s it. Sending a magic packet on Windows is that easy.

I sincerely hope you found this Windows how-to instruction to be helpful.

If you are stuck or need some help, send an email, and I will try to help as much as possible.