In our guide—how to boot up your PC with a Matter switch—we briefly mentioned the existence of PCI-E cards/boards that add remote power capabilities to computers. However, at that time, there were no such solutions available in the North American market, so those interested needed to go the DIY route by wiring in a Matter-compatible relay switch.
Well, we are happy to report that those days are now over as a brand named Voljupel has just launched the M1 Wireless Remote Desktop Switch, offering full remote capabilities with a plug-and-play design.
Voljupel M1 Wireless Remote Desktop Switch: powered by PCI-E
Voljupel's new switch appears to be a three-part design consisting of an Airgain N2420 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi antenna, a 30cm power connection cable, and the main PCI-E board. The main component measures 1.57 x 0.31 x 1.34 inches and weighs just 0.3 ounces, allowing it to slot neatly alongside other components on a typical PC motherboard.
As previously mentioned, the M1 is touted as being plug-and-play, with installation only requiring slotting the board into an open PCI-E slot, securing the Wi-Fi antenna, rerouting the computer's power switch to the device, and then connecting the included cable to the motherboard's header pins. Voljupel's M1 works by drawing power from the motherboard's PCI-E slot—it doesn't require an external power supply—and when a user issues an off command remotely, it sends a shutdown signal first to prevent damage or data loss.
After installation, users can scan the device's QR pairing code to add it to Matter ecosystems like SmartThings, Apple Home, Alexa, Home Assistant, or Google Home if they have an appropriate controller. The M1 will appear as a simple on/off power switch that users can toggle via their preferred ecosystems app and voice assistant, and use it within scenes or automation.
Of course, there are some caveats to mention, with the first being that it is not compatible with pre-built computers from vendors such as Apple, HP, or Dell—it only supports custom builds. Voljupel also states that its board needs an always-active or powered PCI-E slot so it can function even when the computer is off—an option sometimes found in the motherboard's BIOS settings, but YMMV.
Voljupel M1 Wireless Remote Desktop Switch: pricing and availability
The Voljupel M1 Wireless Remote Desktop Switch is available for purchase now through Amazon. The switch is priced at $35.99, and deliveries are currently slated for early February for those with Amazon Prime.
(Source: Amazon)
