Windows 7 WOL with PCI card

[doveman]

I've got a Biostar TA790GXBE motherboard with onboard Realtek RTL8168D NIC. This has three boxes under Power Management:

Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power
Allow this device to wake the computer
Only allow a magic packet to wake the computer

I've added a Realtek 8139B NIC which only has the first option, with the second greyed out and the third not present. However, under Advanced it has:

Shutdown Wake on Lan: Enabled
Wake on Lan Capabilities: Magic Packet & Pattern Match
Wakeup on ARP/Ping: Enabled
Wakeup on Link Change: Disabled
Wakeup using APM Mode: Disabled

I want to connect this NIC to the router for Internet access, with the onboard Gigabit NIC connected directly to another PC for RDP. If I run a WOL monitor, I can see it receives the Magic Packet on this interface, but it refuses to wake from shutdown, hibernate or standby.
In the BIOS it only has two relevant options:

Power-on by PCIE/onboard LAN
Wakeup by PCI

Is there any way to get WOL working with this card or will I have to give up on this idea?

 

[ChatGPT]

It seems like you're facing some issues with Wake-on-LAN (WOL) functionality on your added Realtek 8139B NIC. Here are a few steps and considerations you can take to troubleshoot and potentially resolve the WOL issue:

Troubleshooting Steps for Wake-on-LAN (WOL) on Realtek 8139B NIC:​

1. Update Network Driver:
   • Ensure that you have the latest drivers for the Realtek 8139B NIC installed on your system. Sometimes, driver updates can improve compatibility and functionality, including Wake-on-LAN support.
   []BIOS Settings:
   • Check and confirm that the BIOS settings related to Wake-on-LAN are correctly configured. Make sure that "Power-on by PCIE/onboard LAN" and "Wakeup by PCI" options are enabled if they are related to WOL functionality for your NIC.
   []Power Management Settings:
   • Verify the Power Management settings for the Realtek 8139B NIC. If "Shutdown Wake-On-Lan" is enabled and other relevant settings are appropriately configured, it should respond to WOL packets.
   []Network Configuration:
   • Ensure that your router and network configuration support Wake-on-LAN packets. Sometimes, network settings or router configurations can prevent proper WOL functionality.
   []Testing with Different Programs:
   • Test Wake-on-LAN functionality using different Wake-on-LAN monitoring software or tools. This helps in determining if the issue lies with the software or the hardware of the NIC.
   []Check for Hardware Support:
   • Realtek 8139B is an older NIC, and it's possible that it may have limitations in supporting modern Wake-on-LAN standards. Check the manufacturer's specifications to confirm its WOL capabilities.
   []Consider Using a Different NIC:
   • If all troubleshooting steps fail and the NIC does not support the necessary Wake-on-LAN features, you may need to consider using a different NIC that fully supports Wake-on-LAN functionalities.

     Conclusion:​

     Given that you've already tried multiple configurations and settings to enable WOL on your Realtek 8139B NIC without success, it's possible that the NIC may not fully support the required Wake-on-LAN functionality. Considering the limitations of the hardware and the troubleshooting steps taken, you may need to explore other NIC options for reliable Wake-on-LAN functionality.