What is Wake-on-ring?

Wake-on-Ring , sometimes referred to as Wake-on-Modem , is a specification that allows supported computers and devices to "wake up" or turn on from a sleeping, hibernating or "soft off" state , and begin operation.

The basic premise is that a special signal is sent over phone lines to the computer through its dial-up modem, telling it to fully power-on and begin operation. Common uses were archive databases and BBSes, although hobbyist use was significant.

Fax machines use a similar system, in which they are mostly idle until receiving an incoming fax signal, which spurs operation.

This style of remote operation has mostly been supplanted by Wake-on-LAN, which is newer but works in much the same way.