Lights-Out - Green IT for Windows Server Solutions

Pros

Have used Lights-Out since Vail.. also used the software in WHS 2011 and now in Windows Server 2012 Essentials. Works well for scheduling the Server and scheduling the backups for the client computers.

Cons

Upgrade process lacked finesse on transition to the latest version - until I installed the release candidate as recommend by their support - which is very responsive.

• Price: 5
• Deployment Time: 5
• Needs Met: 5
• Compatibility: 5
• Performance: 4.5

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Pros

Excellent product. It just works. Server is on when it is needed, off when it isn't. Perfect. It even updates the clients

Cons

nothing so far

• Price: 5
• Deployment Time: 4.5
• Needs Met: 5
• Compatibility: 5
• Performance: 5

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Pros

Excellent add in. More importantly the customer service has been first class. I had to do a server recovery and didnt have my licence file... Customer support verified my licence info and sent me a new licence file within 15 minutes, on a Sunday afternoon!

Cons

nothing so far

• Price: 5
• Deployment Time: 5
• Needs Met: 5
• Compatibility: 5
• Performance: 5

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Pros

It is a perfect addin to help keeping the cost of running a home server to a minimum. This has allowed me to stow the server away and have it wake and sleep with no interaction from me, apart from turning the computer I want to use on. Very easy to set up, and having the option to monitor IP based clients, I dont have to have a PC on to be able to keep the server on for my tablet.

Cons

I can not find fault with this tool. It has more than met my needs.

• Price: 5
• Deployment Time: 5
• Needs Met: 5
• Compatibility: 5
• Performance: 5

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Pros

It works perfect for my set up at home. The server auto turns off if devices on my network turn off such as macbook and xbox.

Cons

N/A

Additional Comments

I was having issues getting my xbox to work with Lights out and Martin was able to quickly help me out! The support and over all product are excellent. If you have WHS you must get this application. Plus it saves you money. :)

• Price: 4
• Deployment Time: 5
• Needs Met: 5
• Compatibility: 5
• Performance: 5

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Pros

This is an example of a software being developed by someone who knows what they're doing to fulfil a specific niche which it does beautifully. Wake on LAN (WOL) is one of those technologies which promises to be useful - if you can understand the detail. Lights-Out provides a means of easily and quickly configuring a machine and using a graphical interface to understand what's going on. Over the years there has been consistent development to incorporate user feedback, and a comprehensive user manual has been developed for those niggling little problems that don't fit into the main stream. Heartily recommend it for those that feel uncomfortable leaving the servers and PCs on continually, and need a simple application to turn on and off machines automatically and appropriately.

Cons

sometimes the OEM implementation isn't consistent with WOL ore just doesn't quite want to work with lights out so you end up spending a fair bit of time chasing down the problem.

• Price: 4
• Deployment Time: 5
• Needs Met: 4.5
• Compatibility: 5
• Performance: 5

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Pros

I don't want my Home Server to be on all the time: 17:00-23:00 is good for me. I need my Home Server to take care of backuping all my home PCs. Lightsout does it all. Easy to install and just works.

Cons

Nothing for the moment.

• Price: 4.5
• Deployment Time: 5
• Needs Met: 4.5
• Compatibility: 5
• Performance: 5

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Pros

It really works. I have had my problems with getting WOL and hibernation to work on my homemade server, but Lights-Out just works. Fantastic. Extremely flexible in how you can schedule when to flick the switch of the server.

Cons

I miss an easy way to see what causes the server to wake up outside of a schedule. I would also like some sort of e-mail notification subscription.

Additional Comments

Highly recommended. Anybody with a home server should have this.

• Price: 5
• Deployment Time: 5
• Needs Met: 4
• Compatibility: 5
• Performance: 5

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Pros

This program met a core need not provided by the WHS software. I am very impressed that the developer continues to add support for the latest technologies, such as Win 8 support on a deprecated OS.

Cons

Would like a self-updater, but I think this is a limitation of WHS instead of the program itself. I can't fault the programmer if this is so.

• Price: 4
• Deployment Time: 5
• Needs Met: 5
• Compatibility: 5
• Performance: 4

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Pros

The advertisments, it was supposed to do everything I wanted, but the server never went down when scheduled and it never came up when schedule. I found it was my interpretation of the instructions, I'm just a Home user not an IT Professional.

Cons

The PDF instructions, most word processors I use have a scroll bar on the side so I can go to the bottom of the page, not this PDF. I wanted to report it to Tech support, no tech support either, they finally opened a "forum" to post question, I'm still trying to get past the security question to register an account, it keeps telling me to try again to copy the words as shown. Then if the client is still ON when the server is scheduled to go down, the server just goes ON/OFF constantly until the power is cut.

Additional Comments

There has been two patches to this so far, and it still doesn't work consistantly, the only good thing is it was not expensive to get a license.

• Price: 3
• Deployment Time: 3
• Needs Met: 3
• Compatibility: 3
• Performance: 3

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Pros

An excellent solution to help keep my WHS2011 server awake when it's needed. Also a great tool for managing computer power usage throughout my network.

Cons

No complaints related to the software. Looking forward to future mobile client platform releases.

• Price: 4
• Deployment Time: 5
• Needs Met: 5
• Compatibility: 5
• Performance: 5

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Pros

This app does exactly what it suppose to, it's well laid out and very intuitive.

Cons

nothing

Additional Comments

support behind this great app is top notch, very fast to respond and very accommodating. Thanks.

• Price: 5
• Deployment Time: 5
• Needs Met: 5
• Compatibility: 5
• Performance: 5

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Pros

Simple to set-up and use and well documented. Even in areas where my server couldn't use the application's 'plan A', 'plan B' was also documented.

Cons

Nil.

Additional Comments

You can try for a trial period before deciding to buy a licence and the free licence has nearly all the best functionality.

• Price: 4
• Deployment Time: 5
• Needs Met: 5
• Compatibility: 5
• Performance: 5

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Pros

I don't need my Homeserver on all the time, and Lights Out came to the rescue. With LO add in on my WHS V1, I can put the WHS to sleep during night time and wake up automatically during day time.

Cons

N/A

• Price: 5
• Deployment Time: 5
• Needs Met: 5
• Compatibility: 4.5
• Performance: 5

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Pros

I used this add-in for WHSR1 and it was very stable, I really like the way the WHS2011 version is integrated into the WHS. This add-in is reliable and saves power

Cons

Nil

• Price: 4
• Deployment Time: 5
• Needs Met: 5
• Compatibility: 5
• Performance: 4.5

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Pros

This is software that truly does what it claims, making the configuration of a home server much more user friendly, and energy efficient.

Cons

There is nothing not to like

Additional Comments

Having had a few niggles in the set up of the software, due to my computer confiuguration, I hasten to add, I posted on the We Got Served Lights Out forum, and received after sales support from Tinus. He was patient, and extremely thorough, giving plain advice, and resolved my issues through the forum. I have to say that I can think of no other software that I have previously purchased where I have received such a personable, and thorough after sales support service. This is truly software that you can buy with confidence.

• Price: 5
• Deployment Time: 5
• Needs Met: 5
• Compatibility: 5
• Performance: 5

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Pros

Lights out has been one of the main reasons that I am running WHS 2011. the program has been running faultlessly for the past 12 months. For most users, running a server 24/7 is really not necessary. With Lightsout my server is running about 20% of the time. Always starts up with PCs as programmed. Without hesitation, probably one of the best pieces of software that I have purchased.

Cons

Nothing that I can really think about.

• Price: 5
• Deployment Time: 5
• Needs Met: 5
• Compatibility: 5
• Performance: 5

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Pros

I have owned Lights-Out for both WHS v.1 and WHS 2011. It is an excellent program which once configured allows for the server to go to sleep and to wake on demand.

Cons

Disabling SBCore manually in WHS v.1

• Price: 5
• Deployment Time: 4
• Needs Met: 5
• Compatibility: 5
• Performance: 5

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Pros

Martin wrote an addin that MS should have been part of the original WHS. It works exactly as stated and excellent support.

Cons

Nothing.

Additional Comments

I'd suggest that MS include this in WHS but heck, what's the point really. WHS is pretty much dead anyway. But those of you that still use WHS and WHS 2011 this addin is well worth the money.

• Price: 5
• Deployment Time: 4.5
• Needs Met: 5
• Compatibility: 5
• Performance: 5

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Pros

Continually under development. The author is always on hand to support the application.

Cons

Nothing

Additional Comments

A great way to reduce your electricity bills and make the world a little greener.

• Price: 4.5
• Deployment Time: 5
• Needs Met: 4.5
• Compatibility: 5
• Performance: 5

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Pros

It does what is says on the tin - provides energy management functions for your PC clients and for WHS 2011. I've been using it since the days of WHS v1. It's an excellent product, well supported, and a model of what an Add-on should be.

Cons

I have no complaints whatsoever.

Additional Comments

Other WHS Add-on suppliers could learn a lot from this software. How it should be done and how it should be supported. It's the leader of the pack at the moment.

• Price: 5
• Deployment Time: 4.5
• Needs Met: 4.5
• Compatibility: 5
• Performance: 5

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Pros

Does exactly what it was designed to do with nothing to complicate the user experience.

Cons

Absolutely nothing.

Additional Comments

Product is extremely straightforward to use and gives peace of mind knowing that you don't have to keep the server running 24/7. The ability to control the server when away from the local network is an added bonus (now that I have remote wake-up working). Support from the author is above first class, he passes on his expert knowledge whenever it is needed - (much appreciated Tinus). Couldn't recommend it or him more highly.

• Price: 5
• Deployment Time: 5
• Needs Met: 5
• Compatibility: 5
• Performance: 5

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Pros

The uptime chart and network sleep/wake controls are an awesome tool.

Cons

Can't change the colors of each system's bar in the uptime chart.

Additional Comments

I don't use all of the functionality contained within Lights-Out, but I feel blind managing my network without it.

• Price: 5
• Deployment Time: 5
• Needs Met: 5
• Compatibility: 5
• Performance: 5

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Pros

I first used this add in with V1 of whs, and now with WHS 2011. I really don't like having my server on all the time. at least 8 hours a day I am away at work, and even low power servers suck up electricity. Being able to sleep, but still wake when needed, and staying awake while I stream movies by monitoring the IP of my devices (xbox, wdtv live) is great. Lights-out has so many features you just have to try it to believe it.

Cons

I cant think of a single thing I don't like. This add in is great.

Additional Comments

Support is wonderful. Tinus on We Got Served answers any and all questions and goes above and beyond to help any who need it. It is the kind of support I wish all software developers would give. Kudos!

• Price: 5
• Deployment Time: 5
• Needs Met: 5
• Compatibility: 5
• Performance: 5

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Pros

Waru gibt es das nicht auf Deutsch

Cons

Will es testen

• Price: 4.5
• Deployment Time: 5
• Needs Met: 3.5
• Compatibility: 2.5
• Performance: 5

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