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File server with WoLan?

F

fjsc3

Junior Member
Hi all,

These are probably stupid questions, but I need to know the answer so as to not waste time trying to do something that isn't feasible.

Is it possible to have a PC acting as a (home) file server without it being on 24/7?
For instance, can this PC be left on standby and whenever I need to make a backup, prompt it to wake up from my local PC, and have it return to standby after a predetermined idle period?

Is it possible from a hardware perspective if the PC has WoLan, or are there any limitations?

Software limitations: does WinXP Pro allow this, Vista, Linux or are there any 3rd party applications to do it?


On a slightly different topic: using WinXP's remote access, can I have full graphical access to the other PC's desktop and work there as if I were doing it locally - say have the other PC's desktop working like a normal window in my local PC.
Is Vista supposed to be better for doing that? Because if it is I could give RC1 a go and install it for that purpose.
Another alternative would be a dedicated 3rd party application - which would you recommend?


cheers
 
With WOL, you can actually have the computer completely turned off if you'd like, and wake it. Standby should also work.

Do a google search for WOL utilities, there are a lot of free ones that just require that you know the MAC address to wake a machine.

Just use Remote Desktop to access your second XP machine. It will work fine for what you want.

Tim
 
Wake On Lan (WOL) and resumng action from Standby are two different things.

In most computers there is a setting in the BIOS that can be set to resume from Standby.

When set corretly any LAN traffic would start the action.

WOL is a more complicated story, http://www.ezlan.net/WOL.html

:sun:
 
Thanks for your replies.

JackMDS: When you say that you can configure the BIOS to wake up from standby when prompted over the LAN, does it respond to a signal asking for a static ip which you assigned to that computer, or is it like WoLan where you specifically need to ask for the MAC address?
If that computer is connected to a router which is always on and connected to the Internet, it doesn't sound very safe, no? Unless you need to specify the MAC address that is.

On the other hand, security issues aside, it would be interesting to have it wake up when you call its IP address, since for instance you could have a "dumb" client like a Roku Soundbridge or something similar wake up the PC where you keep music files, no?


cheers
 
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