Wake-on-LAN — Remote PC Power-On in a Gaming Club

Wake-on-LAN — Remote PC Power-On in a Gaming Club

Paid module

Wake-on-LAN is a paid feature. It becomes available when the IZI WoL module is connected (billed per device) or when you have an IZI Premium Support plan, which includes WoL as part of the bundle. New connections include a 15-day trial period. To connect or check module status: Organization → Billing. For pricing details — IZI Pricing.

Wake-on-LAN (WoL) lets you power on a switched-off computer over the local network — without physically pressing the power button. In IZI this capability is built into the Control Center (Control Center): the administrator selects a PC and clicks Power On. The command is routed through the MeshCentral agent installed on each machine. No separate Magic Packet utilities, special routers, or direct hardware access are needed — the PC just needs to be plugged in and have the MeshCentral agent running before it was shut down. The feature is only available for PC-type devices and requires the Wake-on-LAN toggle to be enabled in each device’s settings card. The staff member sending commands needs the DEVICE_COMMAND permission in their role — owners and administrators have it automatically.

How It Works

When the administrator clicks Power On in the CRM, IZI looks up the PC record in MeshCentral by the club group name and device name. It then sends a wakedevices action with the node identifier over the WebSocket connection. MeshCentral broadcasts a standard Magic Packet onto the club’s internal network, and the PC’s network card brings the machine up.

Important: IZI does not send the WoL packet directly over UDP broadcast. All traffic goes through the MeshCentral agent. This means:

• the agent must be installed and configured on the PC beforehand;
• the PC must remain plugged in (switched off, not unplugged from the wall);
• the motherboard must support WoL and have the relevant option enabled in BIOS/UEFI.

Step 1 — Enable Wake-on-LAN in BIOS/UEFI on each PC

Each club PC needs network wake enabled at the firmware level. The exact option name varies by motherboard manufacturer:

Manufacturer / firmware	BIOS section	Setting name
ASUS	Advanced → APM	Power On By PCI-E / Wake on LAN
Gigabyte	Power	Wake on LAN
MSI	Settings → Wake Up	Resume by Onboard LAN
ASRock	Advanced → ACPI	PCI Devices Power On / Wake From Onboard LAN

The setting must be Enabled. Save and reboot after changing.

Additionally, in Windows, make sure the network adapter in Device Manager has “Allow this device to wake the computer” enabled.

Step 2 — Confirm the MeshCentral agent is installed

Wake-on-LAN in IZI works through MeshCentral. If the agent is not yet installed on a PC, first connect the device following the Connecting PCs to the Club guide. Without the agent, the Power On command will not reach the machine.

Step 3 — Enable Wake-on-LAN in device settings

1. In the CRM, go to Club Settings → Devices.
2. Click the PC you want to open its settings card.
3. Find the Wake-on-LAN toggle and switch it on.
4. Save the changes.

The toggle is only shown for PC-type devices — POD booths and custom devices do not have this field.

After saving, a Power On button appears in the action menu for that PC in the Control Center. Before the toggle is enabled, the button is absent.

Step 4 — Power on PCs from the Control Center

Power on a single PC

1. Go to the club’s Control Center.
2. Find the PC in the list or floor plan.
3. Click the action menu icon (three dots) next to the device.
4. Select Power On.

IZI sends the command through MeshCentral. On success a notification appears: “Power On command sent successfully.”

Power on multiple PCs at once

1. In the Control Center, select the PCs using checkboxes.
2. In the bulk actions panel, click Power On.
3. In the confirmation dialog (“Power On PCs — Selected PCs will be powered on via Wake-on-LAN”), click Confirm.

IZI goes through the selected list and checks whether the command is available for each device. If Wake-on-LAN is disabled in a PC’s settings or the device is already online, the system skips it with the message “Wake-on-LAN not available or PC is not powered off”. The final report shows the status of every PC.

Required Permissions

Power on / shut down / reboot commands all share a single DEVICE_COMMAND permission. A staff member without it will not see these items in the device menu.

Role	DEVICE_COMMAND permission
Owner	Included by default
Administrator	Included by default
Cashier	Not included, add manually
Other roles	Not included, add manually

Role management is in Organization → Team.

Troubleshooting

PC does not power on after the command — what to check?

Work through the checklist:

1. BIOS/UEFI has Wake on LAN / Power On By PCI-E enabled.
2. The PC is plugged in (not just switched off — power must reach the board).
3. The Wake-on-LAN toggle is active in the device card in IZI.
4. The MeshCentral agent was installed and connected before the PC was shut down.
5. The network adapter in Windows allows waking from sleep.

How long until the PC appears in the Control Center after powering on?

Typically 30–90 seconds: POST time + Windows boot + IZI Client connecting to the server. The CRM status updates automatically once the client comes online.

Does WoL work over the internet or only on the local network?

The command goes through MeshCentral, not direct UDP. If the MeshCentral server is reachable from the internet and the agent on the PC supports remote wake, it is technically possible. However, for club infrastructure local-network operation is typically sufficient.

What is the difference between Wake-on-LAN and IZI Boot?

Wake-on-LAN powers on the physical PC. IZI Boot is a separate technology: the PC loads Windows not from a local disk but from a central network storage. They can be used together — WoL powers the machine on, IZI Boot loads the OS onto it.

See Also

• IZI Boot: What It Is and How It Works
• Connecting Computers to IZI
• Club Network Architecture
• Recovering a PC after a crash