Cisco 837 Help, will not boot!!!!!!!!!!

[keith.bucknall]

Dear All,

I am sure you get this a lot but i am new to the world of Cisco and our company has just purchased 10 of these Routers for our remote sites / teleworkers. I started to configure them through SDM but released that there is no where to input for PPoA username and password...

As i am based in the UK and used to personally own a 827 i was used to using the CRWS, after reading:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/secursw/ps5318/prod_installation_guide09186a008017dcc8.html

I followed the instructions, setup the ASDL connection and everything has been working fine until i switched the router off to move locations and when i switched it back in the router went into REMMON mode and all i get is error:

boot: cannot determine first file name on device "flash:"

Is there anything i can do, i can not reload the router and every time i tried to reset the router just came back to this section. My company did not know what SmartNet was so never purchased any warrenty so i can not even download the lastest IOS and install that - can anyone help...

It was purchased from PC World Business so of course trying to contact there support is like calling AOL's helpline!!!!

Kind Regards

Keith

[npasolutions]

Hi Keith,

I'm new to this myself, but it sounds like you've made the mistake I did and wiped the flash memory (it's set to yes by default so unless you explicitly answered no... - stupid I think). I could be wrong.

Anyway, I think you'll be needing SMARTnet to get your hands on the IOS image. Though if you have more than one, am not sure if you can physically copy from one to another....

I found this useful:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/routers/ps380/products_configuration_guide_chapter09186a008007c98d.html#91937

Good luck.

Craig Kempson

NPA Solutions

[keith.bucknall]

Craig

~Thanks for the information, that would make sense, i have just looked and i can get a SmartNet contract Cat 1 or 2 what are the differences????

Also i have manged to upload a working image off another router and believe it is the 12.2.(8r)YN release - what ever that is. I which i could just pick the product and then list was IOS are avaiable....

Anyway when i try and TFTP the image to the damged router i get Illegal or Invaild IP Address and i have tried to Xmodem it but get an error after 2% any ideas..

Kind Regards

Keith

[npasolutions]

Keith,

Not sure of the differences, but it's a SmartNET Cat 1 you need for an 837. I know - we initially had the Cat 2 and it wasn't until there were problems registering it that Cisco pointed out it was wrong - so am certain you will need Cat 1.

Once you've a contract anyway, there is an IOS Planner that lists all applicable releases against the product. Also, I think you need a contract to get proper Tech Support, so strongly recommend doing so.

As for your probs, are you certain the TFTP server is on? I use WinAgent's TFTP Server Service, which I turn on and off as required - so check that things are on. Never tried XModem transfers so can't help there.

If you're stuck in ROMMON try this:

-Put files required to upload to router in TFTP Root directory

-Ensure TFTP service is active

-Log into router via console

-Set all variables (as listed in previous document, eg. TFTP_SERVER=1.2.3.4)

-Use tftpdnld command to copy from PC to router.

I hope that makes sense.

Craig Kempson

NPA Solutions

[keith.bucknall]

Craig

Thanks i will ask them to buy the Cat 1, I was using 3Comm's own TFTP server. I have just tried the Winagents TFTP service and still get the same error message

Missing or illegal ip address for varible IP_ADDRESS...

nooooooooooooo

[npasolutions]

That would seem to say that the variable for the Router's IP Address is wrong... when you set it, are you setting it to a valid IP? When I was in your position, I plugged the router directly into our network switch (not my PC), assigned it the correct gateway and subnet mask, then also assigned a valid (free) IP address to it. This effectively made it a device on the network, rather than a direct-connection to my machine.

Then I issued the commands via my laptop -plugged into the console port.

Other than that I don't think I can help.

Good Luck.

[keith.bucknall]

Well we have a slight improved i was not using the commands case senitive. So the image is abck on the router now - yes, but CRWS is not loaded on and i can not download that, all i can download is SDM and i had trouble last time configuring it for PPoA.

Can i ask what you are using to configure them SDM or CRWS? Do you have the CRWS version i could load just to get this up and running until my accounts department finial pay for Smartnet.

Also have loading the image on how did you get SDM / CRWS back

Thanks

Keith

[npasolutions]

I'm using SDM v1.2 and the console to configure ours - our 837 came with CRWS on it but soon realised it wasn't up to anything so replaced it with SDM (that's how I accidently wiped the flash memory). Since then I've slowly started getting my head around the CLI.

If you can download SDM without a contract (I didn't think you could, but hey) I'd go with that. Though at the end of the day (as I've discovered) if you want to do anything it's best you try from the command line.

If you took the IOS image off one of the other routers, could you not copy the flash memory contents from a good box down to your tftp server, then back up onto the duff box?

We've a PPPoA connection too - configured from the command line. Not actually tested it out by plugging it into the line yet, am gonna have to stay late one night when everyone's gone - the wonderful life of being walking talking support eh?

Hope you figure it out soon

Craig

[keith.bucknall]

Craig

Thanks for that would it be possible to email you direct save using this way. Just wanted to ask a few more questions??

My email address is keith.bucknall@elyo.co.uk

Just wondered how you configured the SDM for the PPPoA setup...

Thanks

Keith

[reswaran]

Hi,

SDM doesn't support PPPoA. You cannot configure PPPoA using SDM.

regards,

Ravikumar

[reswaran]

Hi Keith,

I think IOS is not the first file in your flash. In ROMMON mode, give "dir flash:". It will list the files in the flash. Get the IOS file name. Then you can give "boot flash:" This should boot your router properly.

Once router is booted, comfigure the command "boot system flash:" and save the configuration. Now the router should load properly after switching it OFF and turning it ON.

Regards,

Ravikumar

[keith.bucknall]

Thanks for the post, i have managed to get the IOS back and the router up and running on PPPoA but i can not seem to make a Win XP PPTP VPN connection or VPN server - do you what i have to do to enable this?

Thanks

Keith