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Support for Green IT

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Windows 7 offers Wake on Wireless LAN (WOWL) and Smart Network Power features to reduce power consumption.

Wake on Wireless LAN

Users can save energy by putting computers into sleep mode when they’re not in use. With earlier versions of Windows, users and IT professionals could use Wake on LAN (WOL) to wake the computer so that it could be managed across the network. However, WOL only works when computers are connected to wired networks. Wireless computers in sleep mode cannot be started or managed across the network, allowing them to fall behind on configuration changes, software updates, and other management tasks.

Windows 7 adds support for Wake on Wireless LAN (WoWLAN). With WoWLAN, Windows 7 can reduce electricity consumption by enabling users and IT professionals to remotely wake computers connected to wireless networks from sleep mode. Because users can wake computers to access them across the network, IT professionals can configure them to enter the low-power sleep mode when not in use.

Smart network power

Wired network connections use power when they’re enabled, even if a network cable isn’t connected. Windows 7 offers the ability to automatically turn off power to the network adapter when the cable is disconnected. When the user connects a cable, power is automatically restored. This feature offers the power-saving benefits of disabling a wired network connection while still allowing users to connect easily to wired networks.