The caveat to WoL as the name implies, is that the computer sending the magic packet must be connected to the same local area network as the computer receiving it.Įnjoying the ability to use my laptop to turn on and access my Kali workstation from anywhere while connected to my home network, I began to research the possibility of performing the same actions from anywhere- regardless of the network I am connected to.

Without getting into the technical details, WoL is a standard protocol that allows you to send a network message referred to as a ‘magic packet’ to wake a computer from a low power state. This issue was quickly solved by accessing the Kali machine via Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) and FreeRDP.Ī few weeks after the initial RDP setup, I came across a term previously unknown to me while reading through the CISSP Exam Guide. After briefly considering turning it into a FreeNAS based home server, I settled upon converting it into a dedicated Kali machine from which I could further explore the world of cyber security and ethical hacking.Īs a minimalist who despises a cluttered desk I had no desire to add an additional mouse, keyboard, nor monitor to my work area. Tired of seeing an old, but perfectly capable, gaming computer collect dust in my closet I started thinking about repurposing it.

Remote into mac on linux