Stored at pairing time
Pairing records the host's MAC address alongside its device ID and encryption key. That MAC is the destination for every future magic packet — you never type it or copy it from a router page.
✦Wake-on-LAN
Wake on LAN — your computer's asleep. Wake it from your phone.
Remio has native Wake-on-LAN built in. Your Mac, PC, or Linux machine can sleep all night and still be one Wake Up away — tap the computer in Remio, choose Wake Up, and the client sends a magic packet over your local network. When the host is back, you connect. No separate app, no router setup, no port forwarding.
✦Why it just works
Wake-on-LAN built in, not bolted on
Other remote desktop apps expect you to install a separate WoL utility, look up your host's MAC address by hand, and remember to fire it before you connect. Remio captures the MAC once at pairing and sends the packet itself when you wake the machine — nothing to type, nothing to copy.
✦Tap, wake, connect
Tap a sleeping computer — Wake Up is right there.
When you tap a computer that looks asleep, Remio tells you it may be asleep or sitting at its login screen, and offers a Wake Up button. Tap it: the client sends the magic packet on your local network, the host wakes, and you connect as soon as the computer is back online. Wake Up works while your device is on the same network as the computer, over Wi-Fi or wired.
No separate app. No MAC address to type.
How the wake-up actually happens
Four moving parts, all handled inside Remio — nothing to keep running on your home network.
Magic packet from the client
The WoL magic packet is a UDP broadcast that reaches the host's network interface while it's in low-power mode. Remio sends it directly from the client — any paired client on the LAN can wake the host, not just the one that paired originally. On iPhone, iPad, Android and Windows, Wake Up also knocks on a sleeping Mac on your Wi-Fi, a second way to wake it. Needs the latest Remio Host on the Mac.
Then you connect
Once the wake-up is sent, the client watches for the host to come back online and connects as soon as it does. How long that takes depends on the computer — a PC's BIOS adds its own start-up time. If the host is already awake there is nothing to wake: you just connect.
Stays on your network
The magic packet is a small broadcast that stays on your local network. Remio never relays it through the cloud, so you don't need an always-on helper device on your home network.
✦Setup in three minutes
Set up Wake-on-LAN in three minutes
Two settings on the host, one pairing on the client, done. After this, every Remio client that pairs with the host inherits the WoL ability automatically.
01
macOS host
Turn on “Wake for network access”
Open System Settings → Energy (or Battery → Options on a laptop). Turn on “Wake for network access.” On laptops this requires AC power — the network card needs to stay alive while the machine sleeps. Apple Silicon Macs support Wi-Fi wake out of the box; Intel Macs work over Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
02
Windows host
Allow a magic packet to wake the PC
Open Device Manager, find your network adapter, right-click → Properties. On the Power Management tab, tick both “Allow this device to wake the computer” and “Only allow a magic packet to wake the computer.” Also check your motherboard BIOS/UEFI for a Wake on LAN or PME Event Wake Up setting and enable it.
03
Linux host
Enable WoL on the network interface
Check that your adapter supports it with sudo ethtool eth0 — look for Supports Wake-on: g. Turn it on with sudo ethtool -s eth0 wol g, and make it survive a reboot by setting wake-on-lan = magic on the connection in NetworkManager (nmcli c modify <name> 802-3-ethernet.wake-on-lan magic). Enable Wake on LAN or PME Event Wake Up in your BIOS/UEFI too.
04
Pair while the host is awake
Pair the client with the Device ID and PIN
Launch the Remio host. Launch Remio on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android, or Windows device. Pair with the QR code or PIN. During this exchange the client records the host's MAC address — that one record is everything the client needs to wake the machine later.
05
Let the host sleep
Close the lid — Remio stays ready
Close the lid, lock the screen, or let the host fall asleep on its own schedule. The Remio host keeps its pairing keys ready through sleep cycles — the moment a magic packet arrives, the system wakes the machine, Remio Host comes back online, and it's ready to accept your connection.
06
Tap and connect
Tap, Wake Up, connect
On any paired client that is on the same network as the host, tap the computer. Remio explains it may be asleep and offers Wake Up. Tap it: the client sends the magic packet, the host wakes, and you connect once the computer is back online.
✦vs standalone apps
vs. standalone Wake-on-LAN apps
There are dozens of standalone WoL utilities. They all send the same magic packet Remio sends. The difference is everything around it.
Other apps
Standalone WoL utility
You install a second app. You look up the host's MAC address from your router or System Settings. You copy it in, name the entry, and remember to open the WoL app first, send the packet, wait, then switch to your remote desktop app and connect. Two apps in your workflow, two places to lose the configuration — and the WoL app often has no idea whether its packet actually woke anything.
Remio
Built in to the client
One app. The MAC address is captured the moment you pair. Wake Up sits right where you connect — in the dialog that tells you the computer is asleep — and once the host is back online, you connect. No second app, no address to copy, no switching between tools.
✦Questions
Common questions about Wake-on-LAN
Five questions people ask before they rely on Wake-on-LAN as part of a daily workflow. Honest answers below.
Do I need a separate Wake-on-LAN app to use Remio?
No. Wake-on-LAN is built into the Remio client. When you tap a computer that looks asleep, Remio offers a Wake Up button and sends the magic packet itself. There is no separate WoL utility to install, configure, or remember to open before connecting.
Does Wake-on-LAN work from outside my home network?
Same-network wake works on every supported router because the magic packet only has to cross the LAN. Cross-internet wake (sometimes called “Wake-on-WAN”) requires either router-side WoL forwarding, a smart plug, or another always-on device on the LAN that can forward the packet — Remio does not relay magic packets through the cloud because that would require an always-on listener on your home network.
Will Wake-on-LAN work on Wi-Fi or only wired Ethernet?
Wired Ethernet works reliably on every modern motherboard. Wi-Fi support (sometimes called Wake-on-Wireless-LAN or WoWLAN) depends on the network card and the router — Intel and Apple Wi-Fi cards mostly support it, many cheaper USB Wi-Fi dongles don't. Mac laptops support Wi-Fi wake out of the box when “Wake for network access” is enabled.
Does the host machine need to stay plugged in to be woken?
Yes for laptops — Wake-on-LAN requires the network card to stay powered, which means the lid can be closed but the machine must be on AC power. On macOS this is the default behaviour with “Wake for network access” enabled. For desktops, no special config beyond the BIOS/UEFI setting is needed.
How does Remio's Wake-on-LAN compare to a smart plug?
A smart plug cuts power entirely — when you turn it back on, the computer cold-boots, which is slower and harder on the hardware. Wake-on-LAN sends a packet that wakes the machine from a low-power sleep state, which preserves the running session, is faster than a cold boot, and uses near-zero standby power. Smart plugs are a fallback for machines that won't WoL.
Let it sleep. Wake it when you need it.
Your Mac, PC, or Linux machine can sleep all night, all weekend, all vacation — and still be a Wake Up away from the next session. Install the host once, pair the clients once, and Remio sends the magic packet for you.