How to boot laptop Via TCP/IP(3com NIC) from TFTP server

Question

How to set up TFTP server and boot from client(dell latitude) Via TCP/IP network. BOOT from NIC? yes, you can! so here is what I've learned from 8 hours of experimenting with the laptop. What hardware do you need? 1. Dell laptop with NIC boot option 2. Another Destop/laptop PC already connected to a network (home network/router, etc..) What software do you need? 1. boot disc img file (I use windows 98SE img) http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm 2. 3com Edit file http://support.3com.com/infodeli/tools/nic/mba.htm 3. virtual Floppy (floppy simulator) http://www.freewarereview.info/2006-03/virtual_floppy_drive_-_floppy_disk_imaging_and_virtualization_part_ii.html 4a. Winagents (TFTP/BOOTstrap server) http://www.winagents.com/en/downloads/index.php 4b. Winagents firewall config (if you are using firewall) http://www.winagents.com/en/solutions/tftp-over-firewall.php 5. DCHP server (only needed for DCHP startup) http://www.hanewin.net/dhcp-e.htm How did I do it? 1. Setup from Desktop/Laptop PC, for this purpose I'll call it a server. You 1st need to make an image about 500k or smaller because Dell Latitude takes only about 522k boot image file (unless you can make extended memory boot but I'm not discussing that here). 2. Download windows 98se boot image (Win98se.img) file: http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm it's 1.44 mb, regardless how many tools it included. You need to resize it to 500K or less. 3. Making Image file -Download virtual Floppy (floppy simulator) from http://www.freewarereview.info/2006-03/virtual_floppy_drive_-_floppy_disk_imaging_and_virtualization_part_ii.html and -Download 3com image tool from http://support.3com.com/infodeli/tools/nic/mba.htm -Open 3Com image editor MBAUTIL\IMGEDIT\imgedit.exe -Click 'Edit an existing file...' and browse to edit Win98se.img. Remove everything except 3 files (command.com, io.sys, dos.sys). Close program! -at this point, Win98se.img is still 1.44 mb but only contains about 130kb of files. -Open Virtual Floppy and mount Win98se.img to drive B -Flip over to 3Com image editor and Click on 'Create a TCP/IP or PXE image file...' -Browse to where you want to save the new file and name it 'mba.img' -Select Drive B as source and Click 'OK' button to make the file -now the new image file 'mba.img' is only about 130K; ready for boot! 4. Set Up TFTP server. -Download DCHP server from haneWIN DCHP: http://www.hanewin.net/dhcp-e.htm -Run set up for DCHP and exit, you can use it to SERV DCHP but I am not recommended -Downoad Winagents from http://www.winagents.com/en/downloads/index.php -Run set up and config the Root Directory to somewhere easily remember (i.e. C:\TFTPserv) -Copy/move mba.img to C:\TFTPserv -Now on Winagent you should see mba.img -If you have firewall go to http://www.winagents.com/en/solutions/tftp-over-firewall.php to configure your UDP port. I perfer you shut it down while running boot to ease the trouble. 5. Now that you have the TFTP server is running with mba.img in place, let's boot it from the dell latitude. -Connect the laptop NIC to your router/network. -Turn on the laptop. While in BIOS spash screen, press F12 to boot from MENU -In boot menu slect On Board NIC -Hold down Ctrl+Alt and Press B to configure the network -In MBA menu, Select TCP/IP; go to next line and select BOOTP; and then Press F10 to save just wait and see it boots to dos

jcn77056 · Answer

Thanks for posting this.  I've always wondered if that would work.  Now I know.

Locked Topics – Laptops General

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