← All posts

Your computer fell asleep — how to wake it remotely and connect

3 October 2026
Wake-on-LANwakeAnyDesk

The most common reason for “I can’t connect” is that the computer simply fell asleep. Remote access software does not run during sleep — whether it is AnyDesk, TeamViewer or RudyDesk. Here is why, and how to get around it.

Why a sleeping computer doesn’t answer

During sleep the processor is stopped and only the network card listens. It can wake on a special signal — the “magic packet” (Wake-on-LAN). But this signal does not travel over the internet: the router won’t let it through. So it has to be sent by a device on the same home network.

Way 1. A neighbour on the same network

If there is a second computer, laptop or mini PC at home with the RudyDesk app, it sends the signal. Tap the power icon next to the sleeping device in “My devices” — the server asks the neighbour to wake it. A browser cannot send this signal; it takes the app.

Way 2. “Mailbox”

With no neighbour, the computer can wake itself every few minutes, check whether someone is waiting and go back to sleep. Turn it on in “Waking this computer”. The connection starts with a short delay — but no extra devices are needed.

Way 3. A smart plug

For a computer that is fully off: enable “power on when power is restored” in BIOS, and RudyDesk switches on a smart plug at your command.

What to check in Windows

“Waking this computer” has a “Check” button. It looks at:

  • whether Windows fast startup is off — with it, a shut-down computer doesn’t wake over the network;
  • whether the computer is connected by cable — waking over Wi-Fi rarely works;
  • whether the network card is allowed to wake the computer and accept the “magic packet”.

What it finds can be fixed with the “Fix” button — Windows will ask for administrator rights.

The honest limits

  • A computer with the power cut will not wake from any signal.
  • If “require a password after sleep” is on, the woken computer stops at the sign-in screen, and showing it remotely is still in progress.
  • The router has to pass signals between Wi-Fi and the wired network — guest networks often forbid it.

Download RudyDesk at rudydesk.com/download.