3750X weird CLI

[Rick Morris]

I was building a new 3750X switch stack.

I placed 4 switches in a stack.  Installed all stacking cables and power stacking cables.

Powered everything up and consoled in.

Here is where it got a little weird.

2 of the 4 switches came up in the stack.

The last 2 did not join the stack.  The 2 switches had a steady blinking SYST light.  I consoled in and saw the following prompt

switch :

I could not do anything as you normaly could do.  I could not do any show commands, dir, etc...  It looked very similar to rommon but did not work the same.  I could do ? and get some output.  I was able to see that I had the correct IOS.  I also saw another command to boot.  I did that and it said it was booting up, and started to go through the normal steps, but came right back to the same prompt within 5 seconds.

Anyone see this before, and what did you do to resolve it?

[Jan Rolny]

Hello Rick,

i never saw this before, but what i would do is:

1) check stacking cables if they are connected properly

2) console on master switch and check if you will see this switches as member

3) disconnect this two switches from stack, reload them, console to these switches and look if you will get correct prompt

4) disconnect power stack cables and try to connect switches directly to power

Best Regard,

Jan

[Rick Morris]

Stacking cables were seated well.

Master switch did not see the switches in the stack.

Removed switches from stack and reloaded to factory default and still had same issue.

I added two new switches using the same cables and the two new switches worked just fine, so I know it was not a stacking cable issue.

[Jan Rolny]

Hi Rick,

i just want to know if this "weird"switches works and you can console and see proper prompt when they are alone, not stacked.

Next what I would try is connect just this two switches to stack and check if prompt is still wrong or good.

I suppose that IOS images are the same on all switches.

What about licence version? Are same on all switches?

Jan

[Rick Morris]

The switches will not join a stack, which was the reason I removed them, defaulted them, and attempted to log in independant of the stack.

No matter if the switches are stacked or not the prompt does not change.  All attempts were done via console.

[Jan Rolny]

OK, I see,

in this case I would try:

Switch Displays the Switch: Prompt or "Error Loading Flash:"

• The switch: prompt indicates that the switch has not booted completely and requires the user to complete the boot process.

  
  

• The error loading flash: message indicates that the switch failed to load an image because of a corrupt or missing image.

  The corrupt or missing image can be the result of a failed download. In this case, the image has a bad checksum or a failed software upgrade, and the upgrade procedure was not followed properly. There is the possibility that the user deleted the image but did not replace the image. A boot variable can have been set incorrectly.

  
  

With a console session open, you see an error message that is similar to this:

Error loading "flash:c2950-i6q4l2-mz.121-12c.EA1.bin"

Normally, the switch attempts to automatically boot the next valid image in the Flash file system. Here is an example:

Error loading "flash:c2950-i6q4l2-mz.121-12c.EA1.bin" Interrupt within 5 seconds to abort boot process. Loading "flash:/c2950-i6q4l2-mz.121-13.EA1.bin"...###### ######################################################## !--- Output suppressed.

If there is no valid backup image from which to boot, the boot process fails completely. Here is an example:

Error loading "flash:c2950-i6q4l2-mz.121-12c.EA1.bin" Interrupt within 5 seconds to abort boot process. Boot process failed...

Please see

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/switches/ps607/products_tech_note09186a0080094955.shtml

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/switches/ps628/products_tech_note09186a0080169696.shtml#subtopic1a

I would say that procedure for 3750-X will be similar.

Regards,

Jan

[Jan Rolny · Accepted solution]

Finally I found that switch: indicates boot loader command-line prompt

Please see this document which describe boot loader commands for 3750-X switches

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/switches/lan/catalyst3750x_3560x/software/release/12.2_58_se/command/reference/bootldr.html

[Rick Morris]

Found the procedure on what is needed.

The result of a switch: prompt is the switch loads into a bootloader state.  This is similar to rommon.  One cause is missing or corrupt IOS.

You need to xmodem the file to the device.

In order to perform an xmodem function you will need a console application that will transfer xmodem data.  I found SecureCRT was able to do this.

From the switch: prompt perform the following:

switch: copy xmodem: flash:

after you hit enter you will need to go to SecureCRT and click transfer > Send Xmodem then browse to find the IOS file and click open.

The process does take a long time but is the only way I have found to perform the function.

I also found a YouTube link on a how to xmodem.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxTO5qxti-I

Hope this helps someone else who has had a similar issue