Method and apparatus for secure remote wake-up of a computer over a network
First Claim
1. A method for remotely waking up a processor-based system over a network, comprising the steps of:
- detecting a packet of data addressed to the system;
determining whether the packet of data has a particular data sequence including a password sequence having a predetermined relationship with a password required to wake up the system; and
providing electrical power to the system to wake up the system in response to determining that the packet of data has the particular data sequence.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and related apparatus enables one station on a local area network (LAN) 24 to securely wake up another station on the LAN 24 although the stations may be physically remote from each other. A workstation 12, acting as a remote management console, generates a secure wake-up packet 42 intended for a desktop computer 14 on the LAN 24. The desktop computer 14 is operating in a sleep state. The data section of the secure wake-up packet has a particular sequence of data including a synchronization sequence 46, a MAC address sequence 48 and a password sequence 50. The desktop computer 14 has a network interface 64 for detecting and processing secure wake-up packets 70 when that network interface 64 is operating in a remote access control mode. The network interface 64 verifies that MAC address sequence 48 corresponds to the MAC address of the desktop computer 14 and that the password sequence 50 has a predetermined relationship with a password required to wake up the desktop computer 14. The network interface 64 issues a wake-up signal to wake up the desktop computer 14 when a valid secure wake-up packet is processed.
154 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A method for remotely waking up a processor-based system over a network, comprising the steps of:
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detecting a packet of data addressed to the system; determining whether the packet of data has a particular data sequence including a password sequence having a predetermined relationship with a password required to wake up the system; and providing electrical power to the system to wake up the system in response to determining that the packet of data has the particular data sequence. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for remotely waking up a computer over a network, comprising the steps of:
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detecting a packet of data addressed to the computer, the computer operating in a sleep state wherein a first portion of the computer is supplied power so that the computer can detect the packet, the first portion of the computer including a device operating in a remote access control mode; determining whether the packet of data is a wake-up packet having an address sequence corresponding to an address of the computer; determining, in response to determining the packet of data is a wake-up packet, whether the wake-up packet includes a password sequence having a predetermined relationship with a password required to wake up the computer; and providing electrical power to a second portion of the computer to wake up the computer if the wake-up packet is determined to have the password sequence.
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15. A method for remotely waking up a computer over a network, comprising the steps of:
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detecting a packet of data addressed to the computer, the computer operating in a sleep state wherein a first portion of the computer is supplied power so that the computer can detect the packet; determining whether the packet of data has a particular data sequence including a password sequence having a predetermined relationship with a password required to wake up the computer; providing electrical power to a second portion of the computer to wake up the computer in response to determining that the packet of data has the particular data sequence; generating a new password in response to providing electrical power to the second portion of the computer; transmitting the new password to a station coupled to the network capable of having transmitted the packet of data to the computer; and storing the new password in the computer.
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16. An apparatus for remotely waking up a processor-based system over a network, comprising:
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a network interface coupled to the network for detecting a packet of data addressed to the system and determining whether the packet of data has a particular data sequence including a password sequence having a predetermined relationship with a password required to wake up the system; and means coupled to the network interface for providing electrical power to the system to wake up the system in response to the network interface determining that the packet of data has the particular data sequence. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A computer for connecting to a network, comprising:
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a processor; a disk drive coupled to the processor; a network interface controller coupled to the processor and connectable to the network, the network interface controller operable to detect a packet of data addressed to the computer and determine whether the packet of data has a particular data sequence including a password sequence having a predetermined relationship with a password required to wake-up the computer; and power-control circuitry operable to provide power to the computer, including the processor and the disk drive, in response to a signal from the network interface controller upon determination that the packet of data has the particular data sequence.
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22. The computer of claim 22, wherein the network interface controller further includes:
a device for storing the password. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method of waking up a remote computer attached to a network, comprising the steps of:
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forming a packet of data addressed to the computer; including in said packet a particular data sequence containing a password sequence having a predetermined relationship with a password used to wake-up the computer; and providing said packet to the computer over the network. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification