Possible To Wake Up Computer Via Txt Message?

[graysun]

First off I'd like to say this is my first post but I've been watching hak5 for a couple months though. I apologize if this is a re-post some how but I did search the forums before posting this.

I've been researching this for a while but I dont think I have the smarts to figure it out. I was wondering if there is a possible to wake a computer up from a completely turned off state via text message from my cellphone. I don't have a smart phone where I can just download an app. How would I go about doing this if it is possible? I understand the computer will need to be Ethernet wired and I'll need to send a wake up call via WAN or something to this degree. The thing that I am having trouble it allowing the network to receive the message from the cellphone text message that would lead to the packet being sent to wake up the computer. Is this even possible? This is something I came up with while joking with a few friends and was wondering if it was possible but I dont think it is. If anyone has any ideas at to how to do this was be wonderful. Any other alternative methods would be cool to know also. Thanks in advance for any information given.

[Infiltrator]

That may possible, but you will need a computer that is already switched on and running on your network, with magic packets installed as well as a software that is capable of receiving text messages and outputting them as commands to Magic packets, so Magic packets can wake up the desired PC your want.

[BlueWyvern]

I think it is possible for sure, again with another PC running at the time.

Check out Episode 704

And I am aware this episode talks about using twitter, however you can Twitter by SMS/Text Message

[digip]

Like Infiltrator said, you need wake on lan set for the machine in question to wake on magic packets, then send the sms message to another server on the network, that would then send the wake up message to the desktop(s) in question. It can't go directly from an SMS txt message to the desktop itself(without the machine already on), since this talks to the nic, and not a service on the desktop. Your BIOS also needs to have this turned on as well I believe.

Funny enough, but you need another SMS acronym, which is "System Management Services" which are services designed for rolling out updates, WOL, etc.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wake-on-LAN

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systems_Management_Server

By the way, there are 3rd party products you can go with for this solution, you don't need the microsoft System managment Server or services to do this.

Edited May 16, 2011 by digip

[commodo]

I would propose using an xxWRT (xxWRT means either OpenWRT or DD-WRT, or whatever) able router; technically, since it's Linux, you can add all sorts of software to it, including WOL (which it might already support), and you don't need to have another PC (which takes up some power to stay awake). As for the SMS part, I would find it simpler to use internet on your mobile telephone, host a webpage on your xxWRT router, which you access to turn on your system.

However, if you really want to through SMS (Short Message Service), then I think there's 3 ways to do this:

a) find a web service that can receive SMSes in your area, and send a web request to your xxWRT able router

b ) get a cheap mobile phone that you can open up, hack into it and get some signal lines from it, and hack into the router to find other lines that you can hack (preferably a serial port or something), and then you can write up a C code in Linux/xxWRT to listen to the signals from the phone

c) or get a more expensive phone, that knows wi-fi, that's always connected to the router (now we're talking explicitly about a WiFi router); possibly an Android phone, or at least a Symbian one; but even with this, you have to make some application for it, to open up your web-page from the xxWRT

If I think about it, going with c) is overkill and silly; at that point you might as well just get the cheapest internet on your phone and use the mobile phone to open up a web page to your xxWRT router to do that. b ) is the most difficult, and a) I don't know if you can find something for it.

In any case, these are some of the DIY-type of solutions I would think (and thought of) doing for my own WOL/cheap/simple server for my own computer(s). I actually am planning to get a router to use as a personal web/vpn/etc server, and if I need to access my storage or more power, the router would wake up my computer(s), and would forward some the requests or provide access to my computer. I am conservative about energy consumption around my home, and I avoid leaving computers on, except for the router (which is a computer itself).

In any case, if you or anyone does find something that does this, please post it, or even PM me and tell me about it; I don't always have the time to read all forum posts and I sometimes skip through them.

Edited May 16, 2011 by commodo

[justapeon]

You could recompile a slim version of twidge for your router so that it only sends and receives msgs. I used to use an nslu2 running debian in concert with the router to do that.

Edited May 17, 2011 by inventoman

[i8igmac]

this could be a fun first timers project. you should check out the scripting language autoit.

if (window exists "instant messenger" with text("power on") then execute("net system power on")

the syntax here is improper, this can be done with only a few lines of code with autoit

you should install autoit and check out the win zip tutorial

I'm sure you will have a lots of fun.

[BlueWyvern]

this could be a fun first timers project. you should check out the scripting language autoit.

if (window exists "instant messenger" with text("power on") then execute("net system power on")

the syntax here is improper, this can be done with only a few lines of code with autoit

you should install autoit and check out the win zip tutorial

I'm sure you will have a lots of fun.

This is rather interesting if the autoit language can read what is in the window of an instant message...

You can send text messages to AIM users.... I found the following link that says which #s to text to and what the message format needs to be on your phone

Text message to AIM

However! This still leaves the issue of needing a PC to sit on at all times to receive the message. The only other thing I can think of is if you are in fact running DD-WRT and could create a script that would check your google voice account periodically for messages and runs the commands that are in the text.

[commodo]

So as luck would have it, I've just had to implement a project related to this : I've used the Cinterion/Siemens MC35 (http://www.mobiledata.com.au/SiemensMC35.html); they're a bit old but they're still good; you can try other GSM terminals. You need to add a SIM card into it.

You have to link it's serial console to a router's or PC serial console.

First thing you have to do, is to send it a random message so that the device detects the baud rate you're trying to talk to it. It has autobauding so it will match your baud rate.

Then you have to set the AT+CLIP=1 command so that the device gives you the caller phone number. You kinda need this, otherwise people calling your number by mistake will turn on your computer.

When you call the number associated with the SIM card, you'll get on the serial console "RING" messages, and the caller number. Every time you get this, you can match it and send Wake On Lan packets.

Note that all commands should be ended with carriage return (or the <ENTER> key).

You may try to decode SMS messages, but for my case, just getting a call from a list of known phone numbers is enough.

[manouche]

What you want is a Dovado UMR.

I have a couple of these, one for my parents place in Italy (ilcollegio.com) to give them internet in a fairly remote rural part of italy. I can turn their server on from here in the UK and sort out any issues they may have remotly.

Also have one in my Car as part of my discreet CarPC as it can also hook into the GPS Rx it logs all my journeys and as its so well hidden, if my car ever got stolen I could track it online (toyed with the idea of remote immobilization but think its superfluous. :) )