Alan Derkacs

Q: I cannot network with another computer via WiFi if it is asleep.  Wake for network access is checked.  What else to do?

I have two desk top computers and a laptop.  All are running El Capitan.  I can network (Go - Connect to server...) amount them in all the possible combinations, except if the one I want to connect to is sleeping.  I have Wake for network access checked in Energy Saver in System Preferences.  Is there another setting I am missing?

Mac mini, OS X El Capitan (10.11.4), 3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo - 4GB RAM

Posted on May 5, 2016 2:52 PM

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Q: I cannot network with another computer via WiFi if it is asleep.  Wake for network access is checked.  What else to do?

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  • by BobHarris,

    BobHarris BobHarris May 5, 2016 4:34 PM in response to Alan Derkacs
    Level 6 (19,479 points)
    Mac OS X
    May 5, 2016 4:34 PM in response to Alan Derkacs

    Asleep means the Mac is not paying attention.


    Wake-On-LAN requires a special network packet messages to wake up a Mac.  And if this is WiFi, it requires one of he newer Macs to see a WiFi Wake-On-LAN message packet.

     

    If you have a router that support Sleep Proxy, it will send the necessary Wake-On-LAN message packet to the sleeping Mac.

    <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonjour_Sleep_Proxy>

    Apple Airport Extreme, Airport Express and Time Capsule routers can provide Sleep Proxy services.  I think the Apple TV can also provide Sleep Proxy services.  There are other 3rd party routers that can also provide Sleep Proxy, but you will need to check if those routers support it and if they need to have Sleep Proxy enabled.

     

    You can also use a tool such as WalkONLan to send the Wake-On-LAN messages packet

    <http://www.readpixel.com/wakeonlan/index.html>

     

    Whether or not your Mac mini supports WiFi Wake-On-LAN is another story.  It will support Ethernet Wake-On-LAN at the minimum.

    See this Apple article

    <https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201960>

     

    You can see if your Mac supports WiFi Wake-On-LAN via the System Information Utility

    Screen Shot 2016-05-05 at 7.29.05 PM.png