Using a Cisco Device as a TFTP Server

Fryguy — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 13:00:01 +0000

The other day I mentioned about using a router as a TFTP server to upgrade other devices. Since I did mention that, it makes sense to post on how to use a router for this functionality.
Have you ever need to upgrade the IOS on a remote device? Happened to have more then one of those at a remote site? Have multiple devices at a site to upgrade? I am sure we have all been there at one time or another with one or all of these scenarios. Most of us tend to pre-load the code on the devices in preparation for the upgrade, but what happens when you have insufficient space on the device you need to upgrade? Typically that means performing the IOS transfer when you are doing the upgrade and not before – that is usually during sleeping hours and not business hours.
What happens if you could A) send a USB drive to the site and have someone plug it in or B) Copy the files necessary to another device and use that to copy the files from? Both of these sound much better then having to upload code in the middle of the night. Well, but configuring your router to act as a TFTP server, you might allow yourself some sleep time instead of watching the !!!!! – and the occasional 000 – go across the screen.
For this blog, lets use this topology:

Ios Upgrade - Tag - Fryguy's Blog

Using a Cisco Device as a TFTP Server