Mailing List Archive: problems with tftp-hpa timing out.

problems with tftp-hpa timing out.

Feb 22, 2002, 8:52 AM

Post #1 of 5 (1846 views)

I'm difficulty diagnosing a tftp-hpa problem. Specfically, when
performing a PXE boot, the machine hangs at the "TFTP...." and times out.

This is only occuring at one network location (we'll call it network A).

Now on network B, the computers on network can tftp boot no problem.

If I run a tftp client from my workstation to connect to the tftp-hpa
server on network A, I can retrieve a file with no problems.

If I change the tftp server on newtork A to the generic Sun tftp server,
it attempts to download pxelinux.0, but fails because of the missing
blksize options, as expected.

I can boot from network A to a tftp-hpa server in network B, but can't
TFTP boot from network B to network A.

(Sorry this sounds like one of those "2 trains travelling at 50mph.."
story problems from 5th grade math).

My assumption is that the tftp-hpa server works fine in network A
because I can make a tftpclient connection to it from my workstation.
My assumption that the server I'm trying to boot in network A works fine
because it can connect to the tftp-hpa server in network B. My issue is
that I can't figure out why the network A PXE client would connect to
the sun tftpd and actually start to download pxelinux.0, but not be able
to do anything with the tftp-hpa. Can anyone offer some additional
advice/insight?

Thanks,

James

problems with tftp-hpa timing out. [ In reply to ]

hpa at zytor

Feb 23, 2002, 8:08 PM

Post #2 of 5 (1802 views)

Permalink

James S. Martin wrote:

> I'm difficulty diagnosing a tftp-hpa problem. Specfically, when
> performing a PXE boot, the machine hangs at the "TFTP...." and times out.
>
> This is only occuring at one network location (we'll call it network A).
>
> Now on network B, the computers on network can tftp boot no problem.
>
> If I run a tftp client from my workstation to connect to the tftp-hpa
> server on network A, I can retrieve a file with no problems.
>
> If I change the tftp server on newtork A to the generic Sun tftp server,
> it attempts to download pxelinux.0, but fails because of the missing
> blksize options, as expected.
>
> I can boot from network A to a tftp-hpa server in network B, but can't
> TFTP boot from network B to network A.
>
> (Sorry this sounds like one of those "2 trains travelling at 50mph.."
> story problems from 5th grade math).
>
> My assumption is that the tftp-hpa server works fine in network A
> because I can make a tftpclient connection to it from my workstation. My
> assumption that the server I'm trying to boot in network A works fine
> because it can connect to the tftp-hpa server in network B. My issue is
> that I can't figure out why the network A PXE client would connect to
> the sun tftpd and actually start to download pxelinux.0, but not be able
> to do anything with the tftp-hpa. Can anyone offer some additional
> advice/insight?
>

What PXE stack does your clients use (the working ones, and the
nonworking ones.) "TFTP..." sounds like a "0.99" PXE client, several of
which had problems with blksize options. Use the -r blksize option to
tftp-hpa to disable the blksize option.

-hpa

problems with tftp-hpa timing out. [ In reply to ]

james.martin at digex

Feb 25, 2002, 9:18 AM

Post #3 of 5 (1787 views)

Permalink

>
> What PXE stack does your clients use (the working ones, and the
> nonworking ones.) "TFTP..." sounds like a "0.99" PXE client, several of
> which had problems with blksize options. Use the -r blksize option to
> tftp-hpa to disable the blksize option.
>
> -hpa
>
>

The funny thing is, there is only one client, and that client only works
when connecting from network A to network B. We are booting with Intel
Boot Agent Version 3.0.05, PXE 2.0 build 083. I will try the -r
blksize. If that does work, it would seem to be something configured on
the routers/switches that would let the blksize through on one network,
but not on the other. I'll keep you posted, thanks.

James

problems with tftp-hpa timing out. [ In reply to ]

hpa at zytor

Feb 25, 2002, 9:50 AM

Post #4 of 5 (1784 views)

Permalink

James S. Martin wrote:

>
> The funny thing is, there is only one client, and that client only works
> when connecting from network A to network B. We are booting with Intel
> Boot Agent Version 3.0.05, PXE 2.0 build 083. I will try the -r
> blksize. If that does work, it would seem to be something configured on
> the routers/switches that would let the blksize through on one network,
> but not on the other. I'll keep you posted, thanks.
>

That's very odd. I don't know of any problems with that particular PXE
stack, in fact, in all my tests it has been very well behaved.

-hpa

problems with tftp-hpa timing out. [ In reply to ]

james.martin at digex

Feb 25, 2002, 12:30 PM

Post #5 of 5 (1781 views)

Permalink

H. Peter Anvin wrote:
> James S. Martin wrote:
>
>>
>> The funny thing is, there is only one client, and that client only
>> works when connecting from network A to network B. We are booting
>> with Intel Boot Agent Version 3.0.05, PXE 2.0 build 083. I will try
>> the -r blksize. If that does work, it would seem to be something
>> configured on the routers/switches that would let the blksize through
>> on one network, but not on the other. I'll keep you posted, thanks.
>>
>
>
> That's very odd. I don't know of any problems with that particular PXE
> stack, in fact, in all my tests it has been very well behaved.
>
> -hpa
>
>

After all this debugging, it turns out one of the cards on the switch
was flaking out... Once it was replaced, everything was ok. Good thing
the card completely failed or I would be trying to figure it out for
weeks :).

James