vPro Can’t Turn On Machine

Mark Berry August 21, 2012

I recently acquired two Lenovo M58p desktops and set up vPro in Small Business mode. It worked fine when the computers were on, but once turned off, I could no longer access vPro by browsing to http://<ip_address>:16992. What gives? The main thing I need vPro for is accessing machines that are powered off!

Set Optiplex vPro Manageability Option

Mark Berry July 16, 2012

Almost four years ago, I blogged about how to buy an OptiPlex with vPro from the Dell Outlet. Unfortunately the last time I checked, Dell no longer publishes the detailed system information before you purchase, though you might be able to get the info from a salesperson.

Buying an OptiPlex with vPro from Dell Outlet

Mark Berry December 22, 2008

About a year ago, I bought a Dell OptiPlex 755 for a client. The machine came with Intel Advanced Management Technology (iAMT) with vPro. I soon discovered that has a killer feature:  it has a little web server built into the hardware that allows me to remotely power the machine off and on. That's right, out-of-band power management built into the motherboard! For someone who does remote IT administration, that feature can be invaluable. I decided I would definitely look for iAMT/vPro on future purchases.

Dell Outlet has some great deals on OptiPlexes. When you follow the link from the Outlet to the OptiPlex 755 Desktop Product Details, vPro is mentioned six times. It's obviously a major feature of the OptiPlex 755. Intel's list of vPro Skus also confirms that vPro is included on every OptiPlex 755 form factor. vPro is a feature of certain processors, so I made sure that I bought a machine with a vPro-capable processor (an E8350).

Long story short, the computer I received did not have iAMT or vPro. The setup options were simply missing from the systems management BIOS.