Dumb question but, are there devices that can turn on your computer

[indigo0086]

Maybe something that you can put in between the power chord and the power button switch on yoru motherboard that could turn on your computer after a certian time? I know it sounds dumb, but is this possible, or would you have to be an entry level engineer to accomplish.

[doctorgonzo]

Why exactly do you need to do this? Depending on what you need to do, there may be a way.

ATX power supplies are software controlled: the motherboard tells it when to turn on and off. Thus, plugging the computer into a timer isn't going to work. However, this setup allows the computer to turn itself on in response to certain activities, such as network activity or a keypress, so these could be an option. Maybe you could enable "Wake on Keyboard" in your BIOS and set up a Rube Goldberk-like contraption to drop something on your keyboard at the appropriate time.

[indigo0086]

Originally Posted by doctorgonzo Why exactly do you need to do this? Depending on what you need to do, there may be a way. ATX power supplies are software controlled: the motherboard tells it when to turn on and off. Thus, plugging the computer into a timer isn't going to work. However, this setup allows the computer to turn itself on in response to certain activities, such as network activity or a keypress, so these could be an option. Maybe you could enable "Wake on Keyboard" in your BIOS and set up a Rube Goldberk-like contraption to drop something on your keyboard at the appropriate time.

i like that last part. , sounds like something I would do.

Basically I need this because for now, I don't have the luxury to keep my computer on 24/7 like I did "in the before time". And since I work early, and can't turn it on until later, which I can't really do if I'm not home. Is there a way to like, power it on through an internet based client or something? Or is there some kind of timer based setup that can turn it on. I may set up a water drinking bird setup for this wake on stuff.

[doctorgonzo]

Check this site out: http://www.broadbandreports.com/wakeup

It allows you to wake up your computer from the 'net using the "Wake on Lan" feature.

If you have access to another computer that is on at the time you want your computer to turn on, you could possibly use that computer to send the WoL packet.

[neochivers]

in may bios under the power section there is an auto power on feture where you put in the time to turn on and it will

[indigo0086]

Thanks for the help, i remember my old soyo having a built in wake on feature, I'll see if i'm able to do this with my ocmputer. Hopefully my problem will be solved by other means (i.e. having my own room again) but that's not for another year or so.

edit: neochivers, even better, I'll check that out during my lunch break (yes It's so bad I drive 15 minutes home during my lunch break to turn on my computer.

[indigo0086]

OK I went into my bios for power management and set it to wake up on alarm. Haven't had a chance to test it out but that should be it. IT also had key combinations and such. That's neat.

[indigo0086]

Well that didn't work. I had set the wake up on alarm to 10 and it didn't wake up on that.

[hobey19]

may be a silly question, but when you exited the bios, did you hit save? i use that same option on mine and it works like a charm

craig

[indigo0086]

yeh, but I think I figured out the problem, when I went home around 12:40 today the bios clock was at 0:40 rather than 12:40. I guess I set the bios clock incorrectly (12:00 pm should be 1200 hours right? I didn't know the bios clock ran on military time. I'll test it out when I get home.

[gmanz73]

u can change it to day/night time or 12 hr mode

[indigo0086]

yeah, I got it working propperly, neat stuff, I didn't know the motherboard runs 24/7 dispite it being off. neat.