Impossible to determine if computer has Wake on LAN capabilities

Question

I recently purchase a Vostro 5620 laptop and after having difficulties setting up Wake on LAN, I contacted tech support.

Tech support stated that the Vostro 5620 laptop in question was not capable of Wake-on-Lan (they had to contact an engineer to determine this).

My first issue is one of complaint that this product would not be capable of WoL. It was purchased on a small business site, was presented as a business as opposed to home type computer, and comes with Windows Pro vs. Windows Home as an operating system. All of these facts would lead me to believe that it should be capable of WoL, as remote support of business computers is the most productive way to support them, which is what I do, and WoL is an important aspect of being able to provide that support.

Next is the complaint that information on whether any computer listed in Dell’s listings is capable of WoL is almost impossible to obtain. Dell’s own web site on how to set a computer up for WoL states to check the user manual to see if it is capable, but no such manual is available for this machine and I suspect the same is true for many machines. Even if a manual was available, having to check the user manual of every machine I might be interested in would quickly remove Dell from any future purchase consideration.

In addition, WoL capability is not listed in the specifications for any computer that I have checked (from a random example) in Dell listings, so how is a prospective purchaser supposed to ascertain whether a computer is capable of this or not?

I would strongly suggest that Dell seriously consider making all business level machines capable of WoL.

I would strongly suggest that Dell seriously consider adding information on whether a machine is WoL capable or not to the technical specifications listed for all of your computers.

I would strongly suggest that Dell seriously consider adding a WoL filter selection item to the filters provided on the left of many computer category pages to help narrow down which computers meet a user’s requirements.

Thanks for any help you can provide on making it easier to achieve my needs on my next computer purchase.

Ray Cox

DELL-Cares · Answer

Thank you! We have received the required details. We will work towards a resolution. In the meantime, you may also receive assistance or suggestions from the community members.

ejn63 · Answer

Systems designed for enterprise management (Latitude, OptiPlex and Precision) have wake-on-LAN.

Consumer grade systems (Inspiron, Vostro -- which are Inspirons with a slimmer software pre-load, XPS, Alienware) generally do not have the feature.

RamcTech · Answer

The information about where to expect Wake on LAN capability is not posted/included anywhere that I can find, therefore that feature needs to be included in the respective specifications.

If you jump right from Consumer grade systems to Enterprise systems, where do Small Business systems fit? Again, with a machine that is sold on "Small Business" web pages and with Windows Pro as the operating system, that implies something more than a Consumer grade product.

ejn63 · Answer

The Vosto is an Inspiron at the hardware level, usually with a different color paint scheme and a slimmed-down software image loaded on the solid state drive. It's hardware-identical to the consumer grade Inspiron (the mainboards will even interchange). It's no more designed for Enterprise management tools th an an Inspiron as a result.

It's designed for the same buyer as the Inspiron is -- the one for whom low cost is the primary consideration, not manageability.

RamcTech · Answer

You're missing the point. The information you stated is not provided to the general consumer, so how are we to make an informed decision about the product we are considering?

Inferring that Wake on LAN would only be a criteria for Enterprise level computers is wrong. Small businesses often depend on outsourcing their IT support basically because they are small. Wake on LAN is an important consideration for this type of remote support.

ejn63 · Answer

You're casting a consumer-grade notebook in the role of an Enterprise managed one. No technical support organization worth hiring would recommend a Vostro for such a role. It should be a requirement that they do the investigation for you in recommending hardware (and in turn, yes, a professional IT support group will understand the difference between a consumer-grade notebook and one that is truly capable of being supported remotely on an enterprise level).

Latitudes are designed and featured for enterprise support. Vostro/Inspiron models are not. They are sold as "small business" systems to the price sensitive market.

At any rate, if you've purchased a system that doesn't meet your needs, return it and order a Latitude model, which will not only have the feature you're looking for, but will also be built appreciably better.

RamcTech · Answer

You're missing the point again. Show me where Dell says that "all Latitudes have Wake on LAN" or that "all Vostro's do not have Wake on LAN".

Regardless of my price point when I am shopping, this information is not available, and that is the reason for my suggestion to Dell that they add whether a machine has Wake on LAN or not to the specifications to help anyone who is shopping.

ejn63 · Answer

All Latitude notebook models will have the feature, whether or not it's stated, since they support central management tools. So do OptiPlex and Precision models. Look for a system that supports Dell command update, APEX, etc. -- ALL of these will have wake on LAN.

There may be a few other systems that do as well (in fact some older Inspiron models are just rebadged Latitudes anyway), but the safest assumption is that they will not.

Vostro

Impossible to determine if computer has Wake on LAN capabilities

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