Using WakeOnLANx with Windows Firewall

If you need to use WakeOnLANx to reboot/shutdown computers in an environment where your computers have Windows Firewall enabled, here’s what you need to do to make everything work.

In general, if using Windows firewall, it is a good idea to enable logging so that you can troubleshoot any potential issues. This link explains how to do that: Enable logging for Windows firewall

In the case of Windows 2003/2008 it is sufficient to use Group Policy to allow “Remote Administration” on the target computers. For Windows 2012 targets please allow “Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI)”

WakeOnLANx-and-Windows-Firewall-GPO

 

However, if Group Policy is not an option and you instead need to manually adjust the remote computer settings, here’s how:

 

When the remote system is Windows 2012:

Go to Control Panel > Windows Firewall > Allow an app or feature, and then check the box for “Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI)” and then click “OK.”

WakeOnLANx-FirewallConfig

 

When the remote system is Windows 2008:

Go to Control Panel > Windows Firewall > Change Settings >Exceptions > check the box for “Remote Administration” and then click “Apply” or “OK.”

WakeOnLANxAndWindowsFirewall2008

 

When the remote system is Windows 2003:

1. Open a command prompt and type:

netsh firewall set service type = remoteadmin mode =  enable
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