How do I upload a Firmware update to my cisco router

Discussion in 'General Cisco Certifications' started by Stoney, Oct 25, 2007.

  1. Stoney

    Stoney Megabyte Poster

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    Hi all,

    I need to upload an ADSL firmware update to my cisco 857w and i'm a little unsure of how to go about this. :oops:

    The firmware documentation says to copy the firmware file to the flash and then reboot the router.

    I'm thinking I need to access the ROM monitor to do this and just use the copy command.

    Could someone please confirm if this is the right thing to do or not?

    Cheers
     
    Certifications: 25 + 50 metre front crawl
    WIP: MCSA - Exam 70-270
  2. Spice_Weasel

    Spice_Weasel Kilobyte Poster

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    Updating your IOS image is fairly easy and is normally done from the enable mode command prompt. Here is a quick set of instructions, if you need more detail just ask:

    - Get the IOS image you intend to use, and make sure it is suitable for your router and requirements. I will assume you have a CCO account that permits you to download the image or have obtained a copy on disk.

    - Install a tftp server on a computer that the router can reach, ideally on the local internal network.

    - Back up your configuration. Back up your existing IOS. Use the copy flash tftp command to back up your IOS image. Depending on the router there may be a few other files to back up, e.g. sdf files, tar files, etc.

    - Use show flash to see all the files in your flash, how large they are, and how much free space there is in your flash. It is likely that you will need to delete the existing IOS image before you copy the new one as there probably is not enough space in the flash to hold both IOS images.

    - If there is enough space for both images then copy the new image over. If not, then make sure everything is ready (tftp server, etc.) and delete the current IOS from your flash, e.g.:

    delete flash:c870-advipservicesk9-mz.124-9.T.bin

    - Then copy the new IOS image to the router, e.g.:

    copy tftp flash

    You will be prompted for the tftp server address and file name. Once the copying is done use show flash to see the contents of the flash. If you have the md5 hash you can verify the file if you want.

    Otherwise, if all looks good, reload the router. Check the config first in case there is a boot system command that selects the IOS image to be loaded; if so, change it to the new image before reloading.

    If you have any questions or doubts please ask - you don't want to make a mistake and end up having to recover from rommon.

    Finally, search on cisco.com for ios upgrade instructions - everything is there, Cisco has quite good documentation, it is worth learning how to find things on their website.

    Spice_Weasel
     
    Certifications: CCNA, CCNP, CCIP, JNCIA-ER, JNCIS-ER,MCP
    WIP: CCIE
  3. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    Why wouldn't you believe Cisco's own documentation?

    From here:

    So, yes, the normal way to do it is to copy the IOS to flash.
     
    Certifications: CISSP, MCSE+I, MCSE: Security, MCSE: Messaging, MCDST, MCDBA, MCTS, OCP, CCNP, CCDP, CCNA Security, CCNA Voice, CNE, SCSA, Security+, Linux+, Server+, Network+, A+
    WIP: Just about everything!
  4. Stoney

    Stoney Megabyte Poster

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    Hey guys, thanks for the replies.

    I don't actually want to upload a new IOS, I just want to put a firmware update on the router for the ADSL. It's a .bin file that the IOS looks at when it loads. I think it's to do with the ADSL hardware in the router.

    If you run show dsl interface atm0 on the router it gives details of the firmware used in these sections:

    Init FW:
    Operation FW:
    FW version:

    I have been advised to update the ADSL Firmware, but as previously mentioned i'm unsure how and where to stick the file. All the documentation I have read details how to upload an IOS, but is this the same procedure for a Firmware update?

    Boson: I have that documentation already and that's what confused me. I would have thought I would used the copy command within the ROM monitor to upload the file, but the command is not particularly clear in it's application and how do you specify a directory on the router?

    The only other command that I thought may work would be "dnld", but the way I interpret the cisco documentation is that a download is actually putting a file on to the router. :blink I've always thought downloading meant getting a file, not putting! I may have mis-understood this but I don't really want to download something off the router if it's going to cause a problem.

    I do have the cisco documentation for the firmware update and it helpfully reads "Copy the firmware file to the flash." That's it.

    So i'm still a little confused about the whole procedure. :blink
     
    Certifications: 25 + 50 metre front crawl
    WIP: MCSA - Exam 70-270
  5. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    dude... the firmware IS the IOS. :oops:
     
    Certifications: CISSP, MCSE+I, MCSE: Security, MCSE: Messaging, MCDST, MCDBA, MCTS, OCP, CCNP, CCDP, CCNA Security, CCNA Voice, CNE, SCSA, Security+, Linux+, Server+, Network+, A+
    WIP: Just about everything!
  6. Stoney

    Stoney Megabyte Poster

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    Ok, if that's the case then fine, I accept I have been a pleb!

    But this is the documentation that comes with the update:

    1. Firmware file details and purpose

    The Firmware file version (3.0.10) resolves some of the specific ADSL interoperability issues (Refer to Caveats). IOS release 12.4(6)T is recommended with this firmware version. I am using 12.4(6)T

    Refer individual platform data sheets for complete DSLAM interoperability details

    2. Target Platforms

    Loading of the firmware file from flash separate from IOS is supported on all the Fixed ADSL Integrated Services Routers. Following is the list of platforms supported:

    1 .Cisco 857 I have one of these
    2. Cisco 876, Cisco 877
    3. Cisco 1801, Cisco 1802
    4. HWIC-1ADSL1, HWIC-1ADSLI, HWIC-ADSL-B/ST, HWIC-ADSLI-B/ST




    3. Instructions for upgrading the firmware file

    1. Download the file and rename the file "adsl_alc_20190.bin".
    2. Copy the firmware file to the flash:
    3. For the new firmware to take effect, reboot the device.
    4. The “show dsl interface atm 0” output gives the details of the firmware file in use



    Snapshot example taken from the output of “Show dsl interface atm 0” command

    Firmware file embedded in IOS is used
    Init FW: embedded
    Operation FW: embedded
    FW Version: 2.5.42

    Init FW: init_AMR-3.0.010.bin
    Operation FW: AMR-3.0.010.bin
    FW Version: 3.0.10

    Note:

    - The firmware file should not be renamed when being copied to the flash , Since the router looks for the presence of file named "adsl_alc_20190.bin" to initiate the flash upgrade process
    - If IOS is now able to find a valid firmware in the flash then it would always use that rather than the firmware embedded in IOS .If users want to use the embedded firmware, they have to ensure that there is no valid firmware file in flash.



    That doesn't read to me like I'm upgrading the IOS.
     
    Certifications: 25 + 50 metre front crawl
    WIP: MCSA - Exam 70-270
  7. Spice_Weasel

    Spice_Weasel Kilobyte Poster

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    Yes, you can load a separate dsl firmware. There is a dsl firmware included in each IOS release - link below gives you a list of firmware version contained within a particular IOS.

    http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/routers/ps221/prod_bulletin0900aecd801d5c4c.html

    If you want to use a seperate dsl firmware just copy the file (with the correct filename) into your flash and reload - the router will automatically use the seperate firmware file in place of the one contained within the IOS.


    copy tftp flash will do the trick. Do not delete any files. Compare the dsl firmware version before and after to ensure the new one is being used.


    Spice_Weasel
     
    Certifications: CCNA, CCNP, CCIP, JNCIA-ER, JNCIS-ER,MCP
    WIP: CCIE
  8. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    Mmm, perhaps an 857 is different from the higher-end Cisco devices I'm used to working on... I've never used an 850-series router. Spice, you got any input on this?

    EDIT: yep, looks like you do!
     
    Certifications: CISSP, MCSE+I, MCSE: Security, MCSE: Messaging, MCDST, MCDBA, MCTS, OCP, CCNP, CCDP, CCNA Security, CCNA Voice, CNE, SCSA, Security+, Linux+, Server+, Network+, A+
    WIP: Just about everything!
  9. Stoney

    Stoney Megabyte Poster

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    Cheers SpiceWeasel. That makes the task at hand a lot clearer now. 8)


    No problem, thanks for your input anyway :thumbleft
     
    Certifications: 25 + 50 metre front crawl
    WIP: MCSA - Exam 70-270
  10. Spice_Weasel

    Spice_Weasel Kilobyte Poster

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    Glad we could help - updating just the dsl firmware is an obscure feature - I've never needed to do it myself.

    Spice_Weasel
     
    Certifications: CCNA, CCNP, CCIP, JNCIA-ER, JNCIS-ER,MCP
    WIP: CCIE

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