Want to be more green with server

[steeb]

Hi all,

just wanted to check I've got this right, have looked through some threads.

Currently I have been running my server 24/7, want to be able to put it into standby. Running MVPMC dongle with 3 x MVP's.

When experimenting the server goes into standby for less than 1 minute then wakes again. If an MVP is left on rather than powered down will it have this effect? Or should I be looking elsewhere to find out what is waking the box?

Cheers

Steeb

[mvallevand]

It depends how you configured WOL. If you have --startup emulate and specify --emulate IP and you have your NIC set to wake on any traffic, if you exit mvpmc by simply crashing the restart might wake your PC.

Why not simply unplug all your MVP's to see if they are the cause?

Mrin

[steeb]

Hi Martin,

dongle is configured via share to --startup emulate (server IP).

Are there any specific traffic settings I should change on NIC, I think I had everything set to wake!!

Do I have to unplug MVP's or will simply turning them off via remote do the job?

So theoretically this could be possible (some MVP's get left on, I try to turn them off but others just leave on!)

Cheers

Steeb

[martint123]

There is usually a setting in device manager for teh network device, power management, "only allow management stations to bring the computer out of standby".
This determines is any packet or a specific WOL packet wakes the machine up.

It's such a long time since I ran an MVP that I can't remember if Martins dongle can send a WOL packet - I'm fairly sure it could be configured for this.

[HarryH3]

IIRC, mvpmc does indeed send a WOL packet as it boots. It then pings the server, up to 30 times, before downloading the dongle file. If the server hasn't responded after 30 pings, mvpmc gives up.

steeb, you may be able to find some clues as to what is waking the system up by looking in the windows system event viewer.

[mvallevand]

mvpmc doesn't send a WOL on boot. After a successful connection it remembers the MAC address and sends a WOL and when you exit emulation mode it will send a WOL when you go back

There are a couple of user definable times (time to ping then time to load GBPVR) 30 seconds is a default

Problems can come up if your server kills the connection, instead of using the Go Back key. Sometimes mvpmc will crash and this might send an WOL I am not sure if I used protected memory or not.

Martin

[newyankee]

I have been running mvpmc with my 2 mvp's and WOL for 2 (?) years now without problems. mvpmc sends ping, then a WOL packet on power-up, this will wake up the server from standby or hibernation.

Leaving the mvp idle (just menu) will not prevent the server from entering standby or hibernation. However, you won't recognize the server has gone into standby, the menu on the mvp will still be up but frozen. You then need to power cycle the mvp to wake up the server. I find this a small price to pay compared to having the server up all the time.

You need to set the network controller on the server to "only allow management stations to bring the computer out of standby", as as said by HarryH3, otherwise any network traffic will wake up the server and it would still be running more or less 24/7.

[steeb]

Thanks all so far, need to go away and have a play and see what is and isn't working on this. Has been something I've wanted to do for a couple of years now but other things kept getting in the way! Really would love to have this now as is silly running server 24/7 for every reason imaginable.

Cheers

Steeb

[steeb]

Back again after initial playing. Advice needed if poss.

If "only allow management stations to bring the computer out of standby" is not set it does seem like anything on the network rises the machine up within 20 seconds of it going into standby.

So this is obviously no good for a greenish machine!

If I enable "only allow management stations to bring the computer out of standby" then the only thing that seems to wake the machine is keyboard press or mouse twiddle, as far as the NIC goes nothing seems to want to wake the box. Reboot of MVP or trying to open a network folder from other box to server, NIC not like :-(

Am sure I have done everything in BIOS possible and this would be indicated by the fact that machine wakes easily on Network with "only allow management stations to bring the computer out of standby" disabled, no mouse twiddling on my part just some packets presumably from router keeping it alive?

Anything else I may have missed? Would love to get this going I've been hoping for this for ages!

Suggestions along the lines of get another NIC welcome and if that is the case then may be I will have to get one but it is a good NIC and my friend.......

All the best

Steeb

[Jaggy]

From a message I found somewhere on the forums a long time ago: "I use WOL to wake my computer and it used to wake up all the time for any petty network traffic.
On the Power Management tab of the card, under "Allow this device to bring the computer out of standby." is an option, "Only allow management stations to bring the computer out of standby."
Checking this made it so it never wakes via the NIC unless I tell it to with WOL packet.
For me, the only drawback of this setting is that accessing the the web server or file share won't wake it up, not a biggie though."

I found this worked for me for the MVP with mvpmc as it sends a WOL but nothing else on the lan would wake it.