Glossary / NAS

wake on LAN

Wake on LAN lets a compatible NAS or network device start from a low-power state after receiving a network “magic packet.”

What wake on LAN means

Wake on LAN, often shortened to WoL, is a network feature that allows a compatible device to be powered on or woken from a supported low-power state by a specially formatted network message called a magic packet.

For NAS products, the feature can make stored files or services available without leaving the system fully powered on all the time. Support may depend on the NAS hardware, network adapter, operating system, and the device's selected power state.

Why it matters on NASFit

Wake on LAN can be useful when a NAS is used intermittently. A buyer may want the device asleep when it is not needed, then start it from another computer or network device when access is required. This can be relevant for home file storage, media libraries, backups, or other occasional NAS workloads.

It is less important if the NAS is expected to remain available continuously, or if the buyer does not need remote wake-up. WoL is also not the same as remotely accessing files: it may start the device, but it does not by itself provide file sharing, account access, or secure remote connectivity.

What the label does not tell you

A “Wake on LAN: Yes” entry is a capability flag, not a rating of reliability, response time, power efficiency, or overall network performance. It does not prove that the feature works from every power state or across every network arrangement.

The label may also leave these details unknown:

Whether wake-up works through Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or only a particular network interface
Which sleep, standby, or shutdown states support wake-up
Whether the operating system and firmware expose the necessary setting
Whether wake-up works only on the local network or can be arranged from outside it
Whether the feature requires additional router or network configuration

If a product page does not specify these points, they should be treated as unconfirmed rather than inferred from the WoL label.

What to check on a product page

Look for the exact wording of the Wake on LAN entry and any notes about supported power states or network interfaces. Check whether the product page distinguishes WoL from broader remote access features, and whether it identifies Ethernet connectivity.

Also check the device's power-management information. A NAS that supports a particular standby mode may not support wake-up from every other state. If the page lists only a yes-or-no capability without further detail, the presence of WoL is known, but its operating limits and network requirements remain unknown.

Nearby concepts include magic packet, Ethernet, sleep mode, standby, and remote access.