Enable Wake On LAN if all of the following conditions apply:
- You need to deploy any of the following at a
time when client computers are turned off, in a sleep state S1
through S5:
- Software update deployments with a
deadline.
- Mandatory task sequence advertisements.
- Mandatory software distribution
advertisements.
- Software update deployments with a
deadline.
- Computers have network cards that support the
industry-standard Magic Packet format.
- Computers are configured to support Wake On
LAN in the BIOS and as part of the network-card configuration.
- The network infrastructure can support and
transmit the wake-up packets to target computers.
You can enable or disable Wake On LAN independently on each primary site in the Configuration Manager hierarchy, which provides a great deal of flexibility in using Wake ON LAN. For example, you can enable Wake On LAN on a central site, disable it on a child site, and then enable it on a grandchild site.
Enabling Wake On LAN is not necessary if the conditions above do not apply. However, enabling the site for Wake On LAN alone will not result in sending wake-up packets. To send wake-up packets, the option Enable Wake On LAN must also be configured in software update deployments or advertisements.
If you are enabling Wake On LAN on a child site, software update deployments and advertisements that are inherited from a parent site will include the Enable Wake On LAN configuration.
If you are enabling Wake On LAN for a primary site that has a secondary site, wake-up packets will always be sent from the primary site to the secondary site if targeted clients are in the secondary site.
To control bandwidth when sending wake-up packets, see How to Configure Wake On LAN Advanced Options.