Microsoft Surface Pro 3 Wake-on-LAN

Is there any method to enable Wake-on-LAN (WoL) option in Windows 8.1 of Surface Pro 3, connected to the Ethernet via original Docking Station?

I tried almost everything, what is a somewhat related to the Wake-on-LAN and Windows 8.1 but nothing works.

Neurotransmitter

Posted 2014-09-16T13:48:38.963

Reputation: 996

Are you attempting this over Wi-Fi or the Ethernet adapter? – CharlesH – 2014-09-16T14:16:21.313

@CharlesH As I mentioned in the question, my Surface Pro 3 is connected to the net (both local intranet and the Internet) by Ethernet adapter built in the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 Docking Station. – Neurotransmitter – 2014-09-16T14:33:57.057

2"I tried almost everything" This doesn't tell us anything.. Please edit your question to explain exactly what you tried already, and what the results were, otherwise we may just be telling you things you already tried. IE: Did you enable it in your Ethernet device's Power Management properties in Windows? Have you confirmed that Ethernet device supports WoL? – Ƭᴇcʜιᴇ007 – 2014-09-16T14:34:59.160

I don't feel like bloating the question with unnecessary and probably unwanted data, what I've already done. The point is it seems like it is essentially impossible to wake Surface Pro 3 over the LAN. So, I am not seeking for a step-by-step 'debug' process with a community, I am waiting for a SP3 user, who will say 'Hey! I've managed my SP3 to actually wake over LAN and here is how!'. But now, as far as I've researched, no one on the whole Internet haven't said so yet. I've searched really hard, believe me. And done a really precise research of my own SP3. – Neurotransmitter – 2014-09-16T14:42:05.320

@TranslucentCloud Sorry completely missed that in your question. I've used WOL before on tablets just not the SP3. One issue I ran in to was with the USB to Ethernet adapter properties (in device manager) I was unable to set 'Allow this device to wake the computer' I had to try about three USB ethernet adapters to get this working... Also do you have bios access on the SP3 to check the APM Configuration as this could be disabled. – CharlesH – 2014-09-16T14:53:30.730

@CharlesH The main difficulty is that there are very few devices, which are have a Power Management tab in their driver's properties. Just some USB Composite Device and mouse/keyboard. Technically speaking, there are very few wake_programmable devices, according to the powercfg tool. – Neurotransmitter – 2014-09-16T14:57:14.220

@TranslucentCloud Yep its quite a rare property to see, I mean on my machine its your HID's and Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller only. Another issue you also have is that does the docking station lose power/go to sleep when Windows does meaning there isn't anything to capture the WOL packet.. – CharlesH – 2014-09-16T15:01:31.920

@CharlesH Yep, there are too many questions, so I will just patiently wait for the power SP3 user, who achieved this. – Neurotransmitter – 2014-09-16T15:04:43.917

There is apparently a new power-state for the SP3 as described here, but it's mostly limited to waking up Modern apps. It's now called InstantGo, aka connected standby. The above wikipedia article links-to more information.

– harrymc – 2014-11-06T14:14:42.977

@harrymc I am aware of InstantGo, but the question is out of its scope. The question is about a generic Wake-on-LAN function, which wakes a computer from a "power off" state. – Neurotransmitter – 2014-11-07T11:51:27.753

For WOL you need an Ethernet adapter having a Windows 8.1 driver that supports it. According to the comments above, the docking Station is not configurable for WOL (not even the Ethernet adapter?). Ensure that the SP3 is fully patched including optional updates, but you might need to use another USB-to-Ethernet adapter. All WOL success stories that I found for the SP3 have stressed the importance of using the right adapter and driver. – harrymc – 2014-11-07T13:06:33.660

@harrymc maybe some workaround exists, in the form of improved driver maybe, for original Microsoft Ethernet adapter. It's inconvenient to use a third-party adapter (and take additional USB 3.0 port) on the Docking Station, when you have an integrated one. – Neurotransmitter – 2014-11-07T18:35:10.287

If there were any newer drivers, they would come via Windows Update as optional updates. – harrymc – 2014-11-07T18:55:16.370

@harrymc I mean unofficial tweaked drivers. – Neurotransmitter – 2014-11-08T22:10:13.233

Unofficial tweaked drivers for Microsoft hardware are very difficult in Windows 8.1 64-bit. Because of driver signing it's not enough to hack one, one also needs a suitable digital code-signing certificate from a recognized authority, and these cost money. Your chances are much better off with 3rd-party hardware that comes already with a signed driver. You do not want negative answers, so none from me (even though I would really like to).

– harrymc – 2014-11-09T16:20:07.197

@harrymc negative answers make no sense and don't contribute to community and you cannot be sure there is absolutely no method to achieve the WoL functionality. Perhaps it is possible. – Neurotransmitter – 2014-11-09T19:10:12.370

Since you don't want a negative answer I will give you the answer in a comment. You cannot use the docking station for WoL since it does not support it (your own research supports this). If you want WoL, get a different dock/hub (like this one) or enable WoWLAN

– Foosh – 2014-11-11T20:38:22.383

Did you try the steps here?

– QuyNguyen2013 – 2014-11-12T02:19:58.550

@Foosh WoWLAN will not work when the Surface Pro 3 is in hibernation mode. In this state all radio is off. – Neurotransmitter – 2014-11-12T07:22:11.287

@QuyNguyen2013 these are basic steps to enable WoL, I've tried all of these and a bit more. – Neurotransmitter – 2014-11-12T07:22:51.367

You're right, it only works in sleep mode, if you want to wake from APM you need an adapter that supports it. As I stated before, the device you're trying to use does not. The hub I posted is reasonably inexpensive and gives you exactly what you want. – Foosh – 2014-11-12T16:37:20.403

@Foosh additional redundant device is exactly what I and some fellow SP owners do not want. If this was what I exactly want, there will no be question here. – Neurotransmitter – 2014-11-13T09:21:52.360

@TranslucentCloud I think that you may need "additional redundant hardware". – QuyNguyen2013 – 2014-11-13T12:43:00.473

@QuyNguyen2013 maybe. – Neurotransmitter – 2014-11-13T13:03:08.047

Dear Jon, you have just said nothing new, all of your points have been discussed plenty of times in the question's comments section. – Neurotransmitter – 2014-11-13T09:19:24.577

There's a lot of people who have asked if you've checked something and your response is generally "too hard to explain, I'll just wait for someone to show me how to do this". Specifically, I can't see where you said you went into the BIOS/UEFI and determined there were definitely no options relating to WOL on the dock's network interface or that they were on. I accept that your answer about wake_programmable devices may have been a partial answer to point #2 I raised. – Jon Kloske – 2014-11-17T05:23:18.623

This is not my particular problem, this is a standard Surface Pro 3 behavior. I've performed all the standard procedures to make WoL work and nothing actually worked. It looks like Microsoft just disabled this functionality for their accessories. There is no UEFI-related options in SP3. Instead of focusing on me and asking me questions, the problem should be approached as a common problem, assuming that a general power user have done basic set up (UEFI check/messing around with powercfg options etc.) Answers from no-SP3 owners are not really welcome to be honest, because they are too generic. – Neurotransmitter – 2014-11-17T07:44:46.690