How to turn a computer on remotely?

Does anybody know of a way to turn on a computer remotely without using wake on lan, etc. which I find very UNRELIABLE, plus you need to make BIOS changes for these to work.

I frequently use VNC to remote into my home computers from work. But sometimes the computer might get frozen up and I can not send a reboot command through VNC because the computer is frozen. So I could use my x10 system to turn OFF the power to the computer, but now the problem is turning the computer back on. I can't do this because x10 will only turn the power back on to the power outlet, but in order to get the computer to turn on, I need to physically push the power on button on the computer. Now I know there is a BIOS setting that says "On AC lose, resume last state" which will turn the computer back on once power comes back, BUT I also get customers computers in and their BIOS does NOT have this option. So I need a way to turn a computer back on WITHOUT making BIOS changes and also let's consider the computer does NOT do wake on lan, AND does not have the resume on last state option. I work sometimes with very OLD computers that don't have these options.

I was looking into KVM-over-IP but I don't know if you can actually remotely turn off and then turn back on a computer using this technology?

Any help is much appreciated, thanks!

Without wake on lan, there shouldn't be any way of doing this, unless there is some sort of wireless dongle that you can use, but there is none that I know of.

If you have the ability to mod the PCs slightly, just temporarily.
What you could do is use the X-10 to turn the power on/off on the outlet. Use a relay w/ its coil connected to the outlet voltage so it turns on with the power.
To turn the PC on, the two wires that go to the power button need to be connected for a brief time. So once the relay powers on, its output can control a 555 timer setup in a stable mode. The 555 timer will conduct current through its input to ground for a set period of time. Connecting the two leads from the PC switch to the timer should provide the necessary short time connection (pressing of the button). This solution seems a bit complicated, there probably are simpler options but I cant think of any right now.
If you are confused I can draw up a simple diagram.

aeiou said:

Without wake on lan, there shouldn't be any way of doing this, unless there is some sort of wireless dongle that you can use, but there is none that I know of.

Click to expand...

This will do the trick.

http://testdrive.apcc.com/pdu.htm#msp

Set the Computer to turn on after power fail. Then all you have to do is cycle the outlet when the computer is off, to get it to run.

I have one, works like a charm.

yeah but the problem I have is some of hte computers I work on have very old BIOSs that DO NOT have the option of starting up the pc after a power loss..