Turn on a Computer with Alexa (Easy Alternative to Wake-on-Lan)

Published on November 16, 2019

I’ve been looking for a simple way to turn on my computerwith Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant for the past couple of years. Something that doesn’t require complex network configurations or a VPN and another computer running on my network to use wake-on-lan.

Then I stumbled on the Switchbot for around $30. It’s a thing of a beauty. A little pill bottle sized robot with a cute little arm that pushes buttons. This thing is the perfect alternative to use Alexa for a wake-on-lan setup.

You’ll also need the Switchbot hub to make the Switchbot accessible to cloud services like Alexa, Google Assistant, and IFTTT.

Turn on Your Computer with Alexa

I opted for the black version of the Switchbot to match my case color.

Once you get the Switchbot setup, which only takes about 60 seconds, you simply need to pull off the 3M adhesive backingand secure it to your PC case. I do recommend testing the position of the Switchbot several times before attaching. My case has a decent sized gap between the actual button and the edge of the button hole. I was surprised at how close I needed to be to have the clearance for the little arm.

Now on those late Saturday mornings I just kindly ask Alexa to turn on my computer and then turn on Steam so those pesky updates are installed and ready to go by the time I’m motivated enough to get out of my bed.

Because this device also works with IFTTT you could have it automatically turn on your PC when you get to your house! My #lazynerd ideas are virtually unlimited with this cool little robot.

*Disclosure: This article contains Amazon affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, these links provide a small fee back to me if you choose to purchase the items I have linked to.

Meet the Author

Ethan Thompson is a Divisional Marketing Manager for a global safety company. He has worked in the digital marketing field for 13 years and loves the challenges the ever-changing field brings. When he isn't exploring new digital marketing tactics at his desk, he's out exploring Western New York. During the warmer months, he can often be seen riding his bike around the Empire State and sampling the local beer selection.