Net Boot

[zirbo]

Hi,

I am trying to net boot a 1600 series and I get a timeout when looking for the TFTP server.

I only use boot system tftp:// . . . command

The TFTP server is working fine when I copy to / from router flash, after regular boot.

I am not sure about the innitial config of the router - does it get the right IP address in order to be able to access the TFTP server ?

I realize this is no rocket science but this is the first time for me.

So, if anyone can spare a quick answer, I'll apreciate it.

Thanks,

Dragos

[Richard Burts]

Dragos

I am going to guess that your TFTP server is not connected on a local subnet of the router that you are attempting to boot. You comment that you can use the TFTP server with no issues after a normal boot. After a normal boot the router is probably running a routing protocol or it has static routes and can reach the TFTP server. When the router is just booting there is not a routing protocol and no static routes. If you need to access a TFTP server that is not local then you will need to configure ip default-gateway on the router to identify a locally connected gateway that can forward to the TFTP server.

HTH

Rick

[zirbo]

Hi, Rick

The TFTP server is located on the same subnet (I did know about lack of routing functionality during netboot). Still, I get a timeout when I try to load host config file and the system image from the same TFTP server I used to upload these files to, when the router was booted normally:

Loading tftp://10.49.254.17/c1600-k8osy-mz.123-3e.bin ... [timed out]

Loading tftp://10.49.254.17/router-confg ... [timed out]

No change on the server between the 2 operations. (It's Cisco TFTP server)

The config file looks like:

. . .

service config

. . .

boot host tftp://10.49.254.17/router-confg 255.255.255.255

boot system tftp://10.49.254.17/c1600-k8osy-mz.123-3e.bin 255.255.255.255

I am a little bit confused about the final 255.255.255.255 after each command - context help says it's

"Hostname or A.B.C.D Address from which to download the boot config file".

If I set it to the IP address of the TFTP server, the error message is

Loading tftp://10.49.254.17/c1600-k8osy-mz.123-3e.bin [File not found]

Loading tftp://10.49.254.17/router-confg [File not found]

However, if I try to access this file from this exact URL after normal boot (copy tftp flash) it's perfectly visible (only too big to fit into flash device :( )

Best Regards,

Dragos

[zirbo]

Hi, Rick

The TFTP server is located on the same subnet (I did know about lack of routing functionality during netboot). Still, I get a timeout when I try to load host config file and the system image from the same TFTP server I used to upload these files to, when the router was booted normally:

Loading tftp://10.49.254.17/c1600-k8osy-mz.123-3e.bin ... [timed out]

Loading tftp://10.49.254.17/router-confg ... [timed out]

No change on the server between the 2 operations. (It's Cisco TFTP server)

The config file looks like:

. . .

service config

. . .

boot host tftp://10.49.254.17/router-confg 255.255.255.255

boot system tftp://10.49.254.17/c1600-k8osy-mz.123-3e.bin 255.255.255.255

I am a little bit confused about the final 255.255.255.255 after each command - context help says it's

"Hostname or A.B.C.D Address from which to download the boot config file".

If I set it to the IP address of the TFTP server, the error message is

Loading tftp://10.49.254.17/c1600-k8osy-mz.123-3e.bin [File not found]

Loading tftp://10.49.254.17/router-confg [File not found]

However, if I try to access this file from this exact URL after normal boot (copy tftp flash) it's perfectly visible (only too big to fit into flash device :( )

Best Regards,

Dragos

[zirbo]

One more thing:

when using SolarWinds TFTP server, the logs tell

5/11/2005 12:15 :TFTP Server Error: Invalid access to tftp://10.49.254.17/c1600-k8osy-mz.123-3e.bin from 10.49.254.119

5/11/2005 12:15 :TFTP Server Error: Invalid access to tftp://10.49.254.17/router-confg from 10.49.254.119

Not much details but maybe there is something wrong with the way the router addresses the server ?

Anyone else got into similar trouble ?

Regards,

Dragos

[Richard Burts]

Dragos

The messages from SolarWinds TFTP server are interesting and to some degree informative. First they do demonstrate that the request from the router is getting to the server. My initial assumption about the problem was that the router might not be getting to the server. This does demonstrate that the request gets through.

I am not sure how to interpret the phrase invalid access. I wonder if the files might not be in the directory (folder) where the server is looking. Or perhaps it is a question of permissions assigned to the files. Can you verify which directory the server is looking in and whether the files are in that directory? Can you also verify whether there are any access restrictions set for these files?

Is this server running on a Windows platform or some other operating system?

HTH

Rick

[zirbo]

Hi, Rick

There is nothing wrong, as far as I can tell, about server access permission - no users defined, correct root folder, no file access restrictions, etc - like I said - it works fine after a net boot, same syntax, filename, etc. I even tried renaming the bin file to 1.bin - still same error messages.

The server runs on WinXP platform.

Next thing I will try using another 1600 as a TFTP server, though I don't have much hope.

Best Regards,

Dragos

[nasaru123]

how can i make netboot configuration in rommon mode..?

because i have lost my boot-files due to accidental format ..!