Router prompt showing router(boot)

[froggerdata7]

I fired up an old 2522 Frame Relay router for one of my labs.  For whatever reason, it's now booting into the prompt router(boot).  What exactly causes this issue?  Did the IOS somehow become corrupt?  I've verified that the config-register is set to the default value of 0x2102, but I'm still ending up at the router(boot) prompt.  Before I go and reload the IOS, I just wanted to get other opinions about this issue.

Cheers,

[InayathUlla Sharieff]

A router may be stuck in boot mode because the configuration register is set incorrectly. This is the prompt reached by the router:

router(boot)>

If the configuration register has been misconfigured, no errors will be logged to the console during the boot sequence.

Resolution

To resolve this issue, perform these steps:

1. Check the configuration register value by issuing the show version command.  The configuration register is found in the last line of the command output, as shown in this example:

   router(boot)>show version
   Cisco Internetwork Operating System Software 
   IOS (tm) 3000 Bootstrap Software (IGS-BOOT-R), Version 11.0(10c), RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1)
   Copyright (c) 1986-1996 by cisco Systems, Inc.
   Compiled Fri 27-Dec-96 17:33 by loreilly
   Image text-base: 0x01010000, data-base: 0x00001000
   
   ROM: System Bootstrap, Version 11.0(10c), SOFTWARE
   
   router uptime is 4 minutes
   System restarted by reload
   Running default software
   
   cisco 2500 (68030) processor (revision N) with 14336K/2048K bytes of memory.
   Processor board ID 24554515, with hardware revision 00000000
   X.25 software, Version 2.0, NET2, BFE and GOSIP compliant.
   1 Ethernet/IEEE 802.3 interface.
   2 Serial network interfaces.
   32K bytes of non-volatile configuration memory.
   16384K bytes of processor board System flash (Read/Write)
   Configuration register is 0x2001

2. Change the value back to the default value of 0x2102, as shown in this example:

router(boot)>enable
router(boot)#config term
router(boot)(config)#config-register 0x2102
router(boot)(config)#exit
router(boot)#

For more information on the configuration register, refer to Use of the Configuration Register on All Cisco Routers.

• To verify the configuration register change, issue the show version command at the router(boot)# prompt, and review the output again. Look for the configuration register setting, which should show a new value upon the next reload.

router(boot)>show version 
Cisco Internetwork Operating System Software 
IOS (tm) 3000 Bootstrap Software (IGS-BOOT-R), Version 11.0(10c), RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1)
Copyright (c) 1986-1996 by cisco Systems, Inc.
Compiled Fri 27-Dec-96 17:33 by loreilly 
Image text-base: 0x01010000, data-base: 0x00001000 

ROM: System Bootstrap, Version 11.0(10c), SOFTWARE 

router uptime is 5 minutes 
System restarted by reload 
Running default software 

cisco 2500 (68030) processor (revision N) with 14336K/2048K bytes of memory. 
Processor board ID 24554515, with hardware revision 00000000 
X.25 software, Version 2.0, NET2, BFE and GOSIP compliant.
1 Ethernet/IEEE 802.3 interface.
2 Serial network interfaces.
32K bytes of non-volatile configuration memory.
16384K bytes of processor board System flash (Read/Write)
Configuration register is 0x2001
!-- This will be 0x2102 at the next reload.

• Once the router is reloaded, the new configuration register setting becomes active. This is an example of how to reload your router:

  Note: Do not save the configuration while the router is in boot mode. Avoid using the save commands (write memory or (copy running-config startup-config), and answer no to any prompt suggesting that you save your current configuration. If you save the configuration while the router is in boot mode, the configuration may be partially or completely erased. The config-register command is the only Cisco IOS  Software configuration command which does not get saved in NVRAM. It changes the configuration register immediately, but this takes effect only during the next boot.

  router(boot)#reload
  System configuration has been modified. Save? [yes/no]: n
  Proceed with reload? [confirm]

[froggerdata7]

I already tried that, and modified the config-register.  I tried both 0x2001 and 0x2102, but I still end up at the router(boot) prompt.

[InayathUlla Sharieff]

Then it looks like IOS got somehow corrupt.

[froggerdata7]

Now I can't even get a new IOS image installed.  I went ahead and erased the corrupt IOS, and tried to install a fresh IOS.  Well, not so much fresh as this thing is really old.  When I attempt to run 'copy tftp flash' I get through all the commands, but then I get an error stating [File Not Found] failed.  I know the file is for sure in the correct location of the TFTP server.  On the Solarwinds TFTP logs I see 'Transmission failed: Could not find file router-config' and another error after that 'Transmission failed: Could not find cisconet.cfg'. 

I'm currently logged into the router, and I keep seeing 'Loading router.cfg ....[Timed out] and 'Loading cisconet.cfg .... [Timed out].

I've never come across something like this before.  Anybody have an idea of what exactly is going on with this router?

Cheers,

[froggerdata7]

It looks like it was a TFTP issue on my Windows 7 machine using Solarwinds TFTP.  I tried using TFTPServer on my Mac and it worked like a charm.

Gosh, I forgot how slow the 2522 router runs.  What do you guys run for your frame relay router in the lab?  I was thinking about dropping a quad serial module in one of my 2600s, but I don't think I'll pickup that much more speed.  I know it's just the lab, but wow the 'sh run' takes some time to display.

[Richard Burts]

It is interesting that the issue was something with TFTP using Solarwinds on Windows 7. Glad that you got it worked out. You mention that the 2522 was a Frame Relay router but it is not clear whether it is functioning as the Frame Relay switch or as a Frame Relay end point.

The 2522 is pretty slow with commands like show run (where it must translate the running data structure into readable text) but for forwarding packets or doing Frame Relay switching it should be reasonably quick.

HTH

Rick