MAC filtering on ethernet PHY for wake-on-LAN

A method for performing a Wake-On-LAN (WOL) of a device comprising a main network controller block residing in a low-power mode, and having an associated device Media Access Control (MAC) address, the method comprising:

• an Ethernet physical layer (ePHY) block in the device detecting a WOL packet comprising a target MAC address, wherein the ePHY block is separately powered from the main network controller block;
• the ePHY block comprises a first register, and wherein the main network controller block is configured to write the device MAC address into the first register when the device initially boots up;
• the ePHY block comparing the target MAC address with the device MAC address;
• and
• the ePHY block initiating a boot up of the main network controller block in response to said comparing indicating that that the target MAC address matches the device MAC address.

A method for performing a Wake-On-LAN (WOL) of a device comprising a main network controller block residing in a low-power mode, and having an associated device Media Access Control (MAC) address, the method comprising:

• an Ethernet physical layer (ePHY) block in the device detecting a WOL packet comprising a target MAC address, wherein the ePHY block is separately powered from the main network controller block;
• the ePHY block comprises a first register, and wherein the main network controller block is configured to write the device MAC address into the first register when the device initially boots up;
• the ePHY block comparing the target MAC address with the device MAC address;
• and
• the main network controller block remaining in the low-power mode in response to said comparing indicating that that the target MAC address does not match the device MAC address.

A system comprising:

• a first device;
• one or more additional devices, each of the one or more additional devices having a unique Media Access Control (MAC) address;
• a local area network (LAN) connection configured to couple the one or more additional devices and the first device together in a LAN;
• wherein the first device is configured to transmit a Wake-On-LAN (WOL) packet comprising a target MAC address over the LAN connection;
• wherein a second device of the one or more other additional devices is configured to receive the WOL packet;
• and
• wherein the second device comprises a main network controller block and a first Ethernet physical layer (ePHY) block wherein the ePHY block is separately powered from the main network controller block and the ePHY block is configured to store the unique MAC address of the second device in a first register when the second device initially boots up;
• the ePHY block is configured to:
• detect the WOL packet;
• compare the target MAC address with the unique MAC address of the second device;
• and
• initiate a boot up of the second device when:
• the second device, including the main network controller block, resides in low-power mode when the WOL packet is detected by the first ePHY block;
• and the comparison indicates that the target MAC address matches the unique MAC address of the second device.