Getting Started with idle-less — Complete Setup Guide

[tvup]

Welcome to idle-less

Your servers draw power 24/7 — even when nobody is using them. idle-less fixes that.

It is a Docker-based reverse proxy with built-in Wake-on-LAN. Visitors hit your domain, the sleeping server boots automatically, and traffic flows — all in seconds. The always-on device running idle-less (a Raspberry Pi, Synology NAS, or any low-power box) draws ~5W instead of the 100-200W your real server burns at idle.

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Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

• Docker with Compose v2 on your always-on device
• curl installed
• A low-power device on the same LAN as your target server(s) — Raspberry Pi, Synology, QNAP, Intel NUC, old laptop, anything that stays on
• Wake-on-LAN enabled on your target server(s) (BIOS/UEFI setting — most modern motherboards support this)
• Your target server's MAC address and LAN broadcast address

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Quick Install

One command gets you started:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tvup/idle-less/master/install.sh | bash

This installs the free, open-source reverse proxy (MIT license).

To include the Wakeforce Wake-on-LAN gateway:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tvup/idle-less/master/install.sh | bash -s -- --wakeforce

Or install Wakeforce standalone (no reverse proxy):

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tvup/idle-less/master/install.sh | bash -s -- --wakeforce-only

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Step-by-Step Walkthrough

1. Run the installer

The interactive installer walks you through everything. It will ask for:

• Hostname — the domain visitors use (e.g. app.example.com)
• Backend IP — your target server's LAN address (e.g. 192.168.1.50)
• Backend port — the port your app listens on (e.g. 3080)
• SSL configuration — whether to terminate HTTPS (Let's Encrypt compatible)
• Wakeforce settings (if enabled) — MAC address, broadcast address, LAN interface

2. Review generated files

The installer creates two files in your working directory:

• docker-compose.yml — service definitions for the reverse proxy and (optionally) Wakeforce
• .env — all your domain and network configuration

Example .env configuration:

LICENSE_KEY=your-license-key-here

DOMAIN_1_HOSTNAME=app.example.com
DOMAIN_1_IP=192.168.1.50
DOMAIN_1_PORT=3080
DOMAIN_1_USE_SSL=yes
DOMAIN_1_CONFIG=wakeforce
DOMAIN_1_IDLE_SERVICE=wakeforce_1:8182
DOMAIN_1_MAC=D8:9E:F3:12:D0:10
DOMAIN_1_BROADCAST=192.168.1.255

3. Start the stack

docker compose up -d

4. Verify it works

# Check container health
docker compose ps

# Watch the logs
docker compose logs -f

# Test the reverse proxy
curl -I https://app.example.com

5. Point DNS to your always-on device

Update your domain's DNS A record to point to the public IP of the device running idle-less. If you're behind a home router, set up port forwarding for ports 80 and 443.

6. Put your server to sleep

Once everything is verified, let your target server sleep. The next time someone visits your domain, idle-less will:

1. Detect the backend is offline
2. Send a Wake-on-LAN magic packet via Wakeforce
3. Show visitors a professional waiting screen with real-time status
4. Proxy traffic seamlessly once the server is up

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How Much Will You Save?

A typical homelab server draws 100-200W at idle. With idle-less, it sleeps when nobody needs it:

	Without idle-less	With idle-less
Idle power draw	~120W (server running 24/7)	~5W (Raspberry Pi)
Annual electricity (@ EUR 0.30/kWh)	EUR 315/year	EUR 13/year
Annual savings		~EUR 300/year

Multiple servers? Multiply the savings. A 3-server homelab saves roughly EUR 900/year.

The Wakeforce license is a one-time payment starting at EUR 29 — it pays for itself within weeks.

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Pricing

The reverse proxy is free and open source (MIT license).

The Wakeforce Wake-on-LAN gateway requires a one-time license:

Tier	Price	Servers
Personal	EUR 29	Up to 2
Pro	EUR 79	Up to 10
Business	EUR 199	Unlimited

No subscription. No recurring fees. License key delivered instantly after purchase.

Buy a license

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take for a server to wake up?

15-45 seconds, depending on your hardware. During this time, visitors see a professional status page with a real-time progress indicator — not a broken error page. Once the server is online, traffic flows immediately.

Does it work with HTTPS?

Yes. idle-less handles full SSL/TLS termination. Point your Let's Encrypt certificates at it, and all traffic between visitors and idle-less is encrypted. You can also use HTTPS between idle-less and your backend if needed.

Can I use it with multiple servers/domains?

Yes. idle-less supports multi-domain routing out of the box. Each domain can point to a different backend server with independent Wake-on-LAN configuration. Just add more DOMAIN_{i}_* entries to your .env file, or re-run the installer and add domains interactively.

What devices can run idle-less?

Anything that runs Docker and stays powered on: Raspberry Pi 3/4/5, Synology or QNAP NAS, Intel NUC, old laptop, a VM on your router — even a EUR 10 Orange Pi. Native Docker images are published for both AMD64 and ARM64.

Does my server need to support Wake-on-LAN?

Yes. Most modern desktop and server motherboards support WoL — it just needs to be enabled in BIOS/UEFI. Check your motherboard manual or search for your model + "Wake-on-LAN". The device running idle-less must be on the same LAN as the target server.

What happens if the server fails to wake?

Visitors continue to see the waiting screen with status updates. Wakeforce retries the magic packet. If the server never comes online, the visitor sees a clear timeout message instead of a cryptic error.

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Architecture Overview

+-----------------------------------------+
|  Docker Host (e.g., Raspberry Pi)       |
|                                         |
|  +----------------+  +--------------+   |
|  | reverse-proxy  |  |  wakeforce   |   |
|  | (nginx)        |--| (gateway)    |   |
|  | :80 :443       |  | WoL + UI     |   |
|  +----------------+  +--------------+   |
|        | bridge           | macvlan     |
+--------+------------------+-------------+
         |                  |
   +-----+-----+     +-----+------+
   |  Internet  |     |  LAN (WoL) |
   +-----------+     +------------+

The reverse proxy faces the internet. Wakeforce sits on a macvlan network with direct Layer 2 access to your LAN, enabling it to send Wake-on-LAN magic packets to sleeping servers.

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Useful Links

• Landing page — product overview, savings calculator, and pricing
• Live demo — simulated Wakeforce boot sequence
• GitHub repository — source code, issues, and releases
• Changelog — release history
• Contributing guide — how to contribute
• Security policy — vulnerability reporting

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Questions?

Reply below! Whether you are stuck on setup, curious about a specific use case, or just want to share your configuration — this is the place.

You can also reach us at info@torbenit.dk.