TFTP Netbooting with Microsoft Windows 95

UPDATED: August 31, 1999

SUMMARY:
 

Lucent  products support netbooting over tftp which is booting off an image file located on another host using tftp (trivial file transfer protocol) to actually move the file from the host to the Lucent box. This technote details how to netboot using Microsoft Windows 95.

QUICK STEPS:
 

  • Download a netboot image

  • Install TFTP on MS-Windows 95 host.
  • Start the TFTP Server application
  • Turn off the PortMaster (TM)
  • Raise dipswitches 1 and 2
  • Connect the PortMaster to a console via a null modem cable
  • Power on the PortMaster
  • Press 'ESC' to get prompt and give the PortMaster an ip address '> address xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx'
  • TFTP the image from MS-Windows 95 host '> tftp yyy.yyy.yyy.yyy' The y's being the ip address of the MS-Windows 95 host.

BEFORE YOU START:
 

  1. Install a tftp server onto your Windows 95 host.
  2. An ethernet connection between the Win95 host and the PortMaster
  3. An binary image file to boot with from Lucent's ftp site:
ftp.ra.lucent.com/pub/le/netboot

PREPARING THE WINDOWS 95 HOST FOR NETBOOT:

  1. From Lucent's FTP site download a generic image as a binary file. For best results be sure to double check the byte count between the downloaded file and the file on the ftp site. 
  2. ftp.ra.lucent.com/pub/le/netboot
  3. Start the Walusoft TFTP server.

  4. Single-Click the "Start" button, then go to "Programs", then "Walusoft" and click on "TFTP Server"
     

  5. With "TFTPServer32" running select "System" from the menu-bar, then "Setup" from the sub-menu, then click on the "Outbound" tab and enter the place you want tftp files to be sent from under the field labeled "Outbound file path".

PREPARING A CONSOLE FOR NETBOOT:
 

In order to netboot you must issue at least two commands from a console connected to S0.

  1. Turn off the PortMaster
  2. Set dip switches 1 and 2 on/up.

  3. The bank of 5 dip switches is found on the back of the Lucent box  next to a single green LED and are numbered from left to right.

    (1) Set dip switch 1 on or up.

    - This forces port S0 into 9600,8,N,1 which will allow you to connect to S0 over the null modem cable to issue commands to the portmaster.

    (2) Set dip switch 2 on or up
    - This forces the Lucent box  to boot in Netboot mode.

  4. Connect the PortMaster's S0 port to a serial port or COM port on the machine being used as a console with a NULL modem cable.
  5. On the Machine being used as a console configure a terminal program to 9600,8,N,1.

Example: Setting Hyper Terminal that comes with MS-Windows 95 and MS-Windows NT 4.x

- Click on the "Start" Button

- Select "Programs" then "Accessories" then "Hyper Terminal" from the menus.

- Once Hyper Terminal is running you see a window labeled "Connection Description". Here pick a name and icon of your choice.

- After clicking "OK" you'll have a window labeled "Phone Number". At the bottom from the option labeled "Connect Using" select "Direct to Com x" and click "OK".

- The next window "COM Properties" configure to the following and the click "OK".

Bits per second - 9600
Data bits - 8
Parity - None
Stop bits - 1
Flow Control - Hardware

Example: Setting MS-Windows 3.x Terminal program found under the "Accessories" group.

- Start the Terminal program

- Select "Settings" from the menu-bar and then "Communications" from the sub-menu.

- Select the COM port you have connected the NULL modem to on your PC.

- Change the speed from 1200 (default) to 9600

- Click "OK", all other settings should work with their default settings.

NETBOOTING:
 

  1. With console connect boot up the PortMaster which will look similar to the following. 
  2. Livingston Enterprises, Inc. Boot Prom Rev M
     
    Testing Low Memory....
    Testing System Clock....
    Testing System Memory.... 1024K
    Checking Boot Rom....
    Calibrating.... 33MHz
    Starting Net Boot.....
  3. When you see the RARP's (Reverse Arps) press the 'Esc' key and you will be given a prompt.
  4. Sending RARP request for 0:c0:5:1:61:a7
    Sending RARP request for 0:c0:5:1:61:a7
    Sending RARP request for 0:c0:5:1:61:a7
  5. From the prompt you can set gateway, netmask and ip address (syntax below) but you only need to give the portmaster an ip address if you are doing the netboot from the same Ethernet segment. 
  6. > address [ip address for the PortMaster]
    > netmask [netmask in dotted decimal]
    > gateway [ip address of gateway router]
  7. Next transfer the image from your Windows 95 host. 
  8. > tftp [ip address of Windows 95 host]

The PortMaster will first look for a filename using its ip address translated into hex. If that is not found it will then look for GENERIC.PM2. Upon successfully netbooting the PortMaster will automatically reboot itself. 

> address 10.0.0.9              
# assigned the portmaster an ip off 10.0.0.9
OK
> tftp 10.0.0.10                
# net booting of Win95 host found at 10.0.0.10
Starting tftp...
Requesting tftp of A000009.PM2 from server a00000a
Request failed - 1   File not found
Requesting tftp of GENERIC.PM2 from server a00000a
Loading Image at 0fff0000
336496 tftp complete
Verifying Load Module Checksum...
Starting Load Module ...
Sizing Physical Memory ... 1Mb
Testing High Memory ... . 1024K
Found 11 ports....
Running ComOS...
 
 
PortMaster Console login:

CLEANUP:

* In most cases after netbooting you will want to upgrade the PortMaster using PMConsole (TM) or PMInstall (TM) to have a more permanent version of the ComOS.

* Be sure to put dip switch 2 back down so you don't go into netboot mode each time the unit is powered up.

TROUBLESHOOTING:

* PORTMASTER DOES NOT REBOOT AFTER NETBOOT

- Wait it can take a few minutes sometimes.

- Verify the byte count of the image file vs. the file on the ftp site.

- Download it again as a binary file.

* SOLID LED ON OR OFF.

IF the green LED next to the dip switches not flash off once every 5 seconds call Lucent technical support and keep your phillips screwdriver handy.

* NOTHING SEEN ON THE CONSOLE

- Make sure the Lucent box  is on, plugged in with the Null modem firmly attached to S0 and the other end of the cable firmly connected to the terminal.

- Make sure dip switch 1 is On/Up. Try turning off the Lucent box and flipping dipswitch 1 up and down a few times and then reboot with dipswitch  1 On/Up.

- Make sure you have the right COM port selected on your PC.

- Make sure the single green LED next to the dip switches flashes off once every 5 seconds.

- Swap the Null modem cable

- Swap the COM port on the terminal

- Try another terminal program

- Try another hardware device as your console.

- Program a modem for 9600,8,N,1 and for auto-answer and try dialing into the port.

- If you have other Lucent  products try connecting your terminal to those devices and then swing the console over to the terminal. If it works on another Lucent  product but not this one call Technical Support.

* CAN SEE THE PORTMASTER BOOT AND THE PROMPT BUT CAN'T TYPE

- Swap the NULL modem it is probably bad

- It is possible that the serial port or COM port is bad, but chances are its the cable.

* GETTING GARBAGE ON THE CONSOLE

- DTE speed mismatch. Make sure that your terminal is set to 9600 baud.

- IRQ mismatch. If you have another device that is using the IRQ of your COM port you'll see garbage from the other device.

- Use a different COM port.

- Swap NULL modem cable.

- Try another hardware device for your terminal.

* ERROR MESSAGE ON BOOT UP, "PANIC WATCHDOG ERROR"

- Call Lucent Technical Support. Have your console ready on S0. This may be a problem with the NVRAM.

* ERROR MESSAGE ON BOOT UP, "SHARED MEMORY ERROR"
- Call Lucent Technical Support. Have your console ready on S0.