The concept of "netboot" on Cisco routers is one of the most misunderstood CCNA/ICND topics. If you look in the ICND courseware, there is a block diagram that explains the boot process (along with netboot) and it is about as clear as mud. To answer your direct question, the reason that the netboot failed is that it was never triggered. In order to get it to trigger, you need to remove the "boot system tftp imagename IP" command in your startup config. Leave your config register set to 0x2102 and keep the flash empty on your router. make sure you have a valid image in the root of your tftp server with the *exact* name that your router is looking for. It appears that the last one you entered, namely "Cisco2-4000" is the name your router is looking for. If in doubt, put a sniffer on the wire and you will see the *exact* name it is looking for. In order to understand why it did not attempt a net boot, you need only look as far as where it did attempt to go. If you could not access your image under the valid first choice of doing an *explicit* boot from a network TFTP server, why would you expect the router to attempt a last ditch effort at locating an image with a generic name? It will attempt a netboot when it cannot find an image in flash and there are no boot system commands present. HTH, Paul Werner p.s. If you get it to only boot to a certain point and you get a "buffer overflow" error, you do not have enough RAM to boot the image from any kind of network based boot. > "If there are no boot commands in the configuration file, the router > attempts to boot the first file in system Flash memory. If no file is > found > in system Flash memory, the router attempts to netboot a default file > whose > name is derived from the value of the boot field (for example: > cisco2-4000). > If the netboot attempt fails, the boot helper image in boot Flash will > boot > up" > > > QUESTION: > > Why is not netboot working the way it is suppose to? > > WHAT I DID: > > My virtual configuration setting register is set to 0x2102. (Which means > I > am allowing netboot in case of failure) > In my startup-config I have told the router to load the IOS from the > TFTP > server (located on e0) > I have removed the IOS from the TFTP server and I have erased flash. (To > force netboot) > I have put a renamed copy of my IOS at the root of the TFTP server. > Since I > am using 0x2102, the name the router will search during netboot will be > cisco2-4000.bin. (Just in case I copied the IOS as: cisco2- 4000.bin and > Cisco2-4000) > > > WHAT I GOT: > > Copyright (c) 1986-1994 by cisco Systems > 4000 processor with 32768 Kbytes of main memory > > Illegal IP keyword - classless > Booting c4000-js-mz.120-2a.bin ..... [File not found] > Network load failed > > INTERPRETATION: > > The netboot failed or was never attempted!?? > > ***************************Can you Help: did I miss something? did the > router actually tried netboot? I have no clues... > > THANKS ________________________________________________ Get your own "800" number Voicemail, fax, email, and a lot more http://www.ureach.com/reg/tag _________________________________ FAQ, list archives, and subscription info: http://www.groupstudy.com/list/cisco.html Report misconduct and Nondisclosure violations to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
