Solved: Re: software upgrade for 2501

dkblee · ‎10-13-2004

hi! is it possible to upgrade my old 2501 switch ios software to newer version. i'm currently having ios 11.0. how can i determine that my router is upgradeable and where to download the software eg.12.0. Thks!

Richard Burts · ‎10-14-2004

You should be able to upgrade. The 2500 series are run from flash machines and execute the code directly from flash rather than loading it into RAM as most Cisco routers do. One result of this is that flash is read only during normal operation. So to upgrade you must do something outside of normal operation.

This is an easy way and a hard way to do the upgrade. To do the hard way you would change the config register to do a rxboot and reboot the router. When it comes up in rxboot mode the flash is read/write so you can tftp the new image into flash. With the new image in flash you change the config register to do a normal boot and reload the router. The router comes up running the new image and flash is once again read only.

The easy way is to use a feature of the 2500 code called flash load helper. You execute the command copy tftp flash as you would on most routers. It goes through the series of prompts that most routers do to gather the information it needs such as address of the server, IOS file name and then in the background it goes through the steps I listed above. And it should make the process of upgrading the IOS look very much like the traditional process.

Good luck with your upgrade.

HTH

Rick

HTH

Rick

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a.awan · ‎10-13-2004

It is possible to upgrade the 2501 provided you have enough Flash/DRAM on your router. When you do a show version on the router it will list how much flash and RAM you have. Different IOS images require different amounts of flash and RAM.

To download the 12.0 IOS for the 2501 you will require a valid CCO ID with privileges to download Cisco IOS. Even though the 2500 is EOL you can still download IOS images for it.

marinos_g · ‎10-13-2004

You need to have cco login with access to software center.

If you are a registered user with access to software center or software tools, try the IOS Upgrade Planner or the Software Advisor here:

http://www.cisco.com/public/support/tac/tools.shtml#software

or go straight to software center for 2500 series routers here:

http://www.cisco.com/cgi-bin/Software/Iosplanner/Planner-tool/iosplanner.cgi?get_crypto=&data_from=&hardware_name=2501-2525&software_name=&release_name=&majorRel=12.0&state=:HW&type=

You will need to know your router's memory and flash size, shown in the "show version" command output.

Regards

Marinos

dkblee · ‎10-14-2004

Cisco Internetwork Operating System Software

IOS (tm) 2500 Software (C2500-DS-L), Version 11.3(11a), RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1)

Compiled Mon 20-Sep-99 07:43 by jjgreen

Image text-base: 0x03040474, data-base: 0x00001000

cisco 2500 (68030) processor (revision B) with 4096K/2048K bytes of memory.

Processor board ID 01226131, with hardware revision 00000000

Bridging software.

X.25 software, Version 3.0.0.

Cisco-ET Extended Temperature platform.

1 Token Ring/IEEE 802.5 interface(s)

2 Serial network interface(s)

32K bytes of non-volatile configuration memory.

8192K bytes of processor board System flash (Read ONLY)

hi! I'm getting a router with the similar hardware feature as above but with 16mb dram and 8mb flash.

I'm trying to upgrade it to version 12.0, but from the sh command above, it stated that, system flash is read only, does that mean i can't upgrade it? Thks!

a.awan · ‎10-14-2004

Since the 2500 routers are run from flash you cannot upgrade the IOS in a way that you do in the new routers (run from RAM). You have to reboot the router into what is called the boot mode. You can achieve that by:

Router(config)# config-register 0x2101

Router(config)# exit

Router# wr mem

Reload the router after executing the above commands and when it reloads you will see the following prompt in the privileged mode:

Router(boot)#

If you do a show flash now it will show Read/Write instead if Read ONLY. Now you can basically upgrade the IOS on the router using the copy tftp flash command.

Richard Burts · ‎10-14-2004

You should be able to upgrade. The 2500 series are run from flash machines and execute the code directly from flash rather than loading it into RAM as most Cisco routers do. One result of this is that flash is read only during normal operation. So to upgrade you must do something outside of normal operation.

This is an easy way and a hard way to do the upgrade. To do the hard way you would change the config register to do a rxboot and reboot the router. When it comes up in rxboot mode the flash is read/write so you can tftp the new image into flash. With the new image in flash you change the config register to do a normal boot and reload the router. The router comes up running the new image and flash is once again read only.

The easy way is to use a feature of the 2500 code called flash load helper. You execute the command copy tftp flash as you would on most routers. It goes through the series of prompts that most routers do to gather the information it needs such as address of the server, IOS file name and then in the background it goes through the steps I listed above. And it should make the process of upgrading the IOS look very much like the traditional process.

Good luck with your upgrade.

HTH

Rick

HTH

Rick

dkblee · ‎10-15-2004

hi! Is there any othe way/website that i can download the new 12.3,12.2,12.1 ios for 2501 router?

I don't have access to download from the cisco website. Thks!

dkblee · ‎10-15-2004

can this 2501 switch support eigrp after upgrading to the version 12.0, 12.1, 12.2, 12.3? Can i use the serial interface(tranciever) to connect to a switch and configure subinterfaces. Thks!

a.awan · ‎10-16-2004

You do not need 12.0 onwards to run EIGRP on the 2500. You should have EIGRP support on your exisint IOS.

The transceiver is connected to the AUI on the back of the 2500 which is an Ethernet interface and not a serial interface. You can configure it for subinterfaces but not for trunking purposes. Trunking is only supported on newer routers with Fastethernet interfaces.

a.awan · ‎10-16-2004

You might want to get in touch with your Cisco reseller. I doubt there is any other legal way to get an IOS.

dkblee · ‎10-16-2004

hi! The software is it free? or there're charges for download?

a.awan · ‎10-16-2004

You need to have a valid contract with Cisco to be able to download the IOS. There is a cost associated with the contract thus making the software not free. The IP only images usually do not have a cost associated to then but i am not sure if you can get one without paying anything from your reseller. If you are looking for other feature sets like IP Plus, IP Plus IPSec, etc. then they do have a cost associated with them.

dkblee · ‎10-17-2004

What's the extra features of ip plus compared to normal ios? I just bought an old 2501 router running ios version 11.1. My concern is whether this version of ios and router is able to support eigrp and vlan isl or not? If my current ios is able to support all these then i don't think i'll need to do any upgrading of ios.

from what i know is that subinterface/isl can only be done with a fasthethernet interface. With this latest version of ios, will i be able to do subinterface with isl(for inter vlan communication)?

can i use my 2501 router's serial port to do subinterface for vlan routing purpose?

Thks!

a.awan · ‎10-17-2004

I do not have a list of all features available via a plus feature set. Just to give you an example NAT (prior to 12.0 i think) used to be available in only an IP Plus feature set. I am quite sure that you can do EIGRP with your current IOS.

As far as intervlan routing is concerned i do not think you will be able to achieve that on the 2501. The 2500s do not have a Fastethernet interface and you certainly cannot use the serial interface for inter-vlan routing.

dkblee · ‎10-17-2004

can i just backup the current ios from my 2501 router and try to upload a 2620 router's ios(12.1)

into my 2501 router? Will that work? will there be any problem when i try to restore back my old ios?

Thks!