1. Create a console connection with the default settings (9600 baud, 8 databits, 0 parity bits, 1 stop bit, no flow control).
2. Change the baud rate of the console port to its maximum 115,200
Router#set baud = 115200
3. Reset the console port
Router#reset
Now you will not get anymore output on the screen until you finish step 3.
4. Change the connection speed of the HyperTerminal. Disconnect and reconnect with the baud rate of 115200 with all the rest of the settings mentioned in step 1.
5. Prepare the router for the reception of the new IOS file
Router#upload xmodem
Now you will have the following message,
Ready for X/Modem upload ...
[note: no status bar for xmodem transfers,
abort with Control-X or break]
6. Send the file from your terminal emulation software. This is done by selecting Transfer from the upper menu of HyperTerminal and then Send File. In the Send File dialog box, choose the new IOS file using the Browse button, choose Xmodem as the protocol, and then press Send.
The sending operation may take a long time, and there is no progress indicator in the router, but you will have a progress indicator in the HyperTerminal. After the copying is finished, you will receive a message,
upload: succeeded (XXX seconds)
Now the new IOS file is in the router’s RAM.
7. If you don’t have enough space in the router’s flash for the old and new files, delete the old IOS file (this is not recommended though),
Router#delete flash:OLD_IOS_FILE.bin
8. Save the new IOS file to the flash,
Router#save file = NEW_IOS_FILE.bin
the NEW_IOS_FILE.bin is a name of your choice for the new IOS file.
9. Direct the router to load the new IOS file at the next startup,
Router(config)#no boot system
Router(config)#boot system flash NEW_IOS_FILE.bin
Router boot process
Analyzing the Boot Process of a Cisco IOS Router
You can learn a lot about a router by watching it power-up / boot-up. When the router boots, you can learn how fast it is, how much RAM it has, how much storage it has, how many interfaces it has, what type of interfaces, and much more. Many administrators don’t think about the boot-up process because they may not boot-up a router every day. In this article, we will boot a router and analyze the boot process. By knowing what to look for, you will quickly know what is normal and what is not.
Router Boot-up Part 1
You have just turned on the power switch of your router. You are connected to the console power with a terminal emulator. The screenshot below shows the first part of the router boot-up (power-on).
In this first part of the boot process, I’d like to point out three things. First, you see that this router has a “2500 processor”. In other words, this router is part of the Cisco 2500 series of routers.
Next, it says “with 16384 Kbytes of main memory”. This means that this router has 16Mb (16384Kb) of RAM. The RAM is where the operating system (the IOS) is loaded in when the router is running. The RAM is also used to process packets. Just like a PC, RAM is a very necessary thing, and the more you have the better.
Lastly, I’d like to point out that this is IOS 2500 Software, series C2500-IS-L. More specifically, it is Version 12.3, patch level 12.
From this small portion of the boot-up process, you learned your router’s architecture, amount of RAM, and operating system version. This is very important information for any administrator to know.
Router Boot-up Part 2
Now the router boot-up process continues. The information keeps scrolling. Here is a screenshot of the next part of the process:
In this part of the process, we learn a few more things about this router. First, this router is a 2509 and it has a 68030 processor. This processor is a Motorola processor that is built into the motherboard. Again, you are told how much RAM the router has.
In the next section, you learn some very important information about the router’s interfaces:
- Ethernet Interfaces: this router has 1 Ethernet interface. This isn’t a Fast Ethernet interface, just a regular 10Base-T Ethernet interface. Ethernet interfaces are used to connect to the local area network (LAN).
- Serial Interfaces: this router has 2 Serial network interfaces. These interfaces usually connect to a CSU, and would be used to connect to a WAN circuit.
- Terminal Lines: this router has 8 terminal lines. These are serial lines used to connect to modems, dumb terminals, printers, or the console port of other devices. These lines make this router able to be a “terminal server”.
After you learn about your interfaces, you learn more about the router’s storage:
- Non-Volatile Memory: this router has 32Kb of non-volatile RAM. This is also called NVRAM. NVRAM is where your configuration files (such as your startup-configuration) are stored. NVRAM holds what is stored on it when the router is turned off. However, it is only large enough to store your configuration files.
- Flash Memory: this router has 16384Kb of flash memory. This equates to 16Mb of flash. The flash memory is similar to the hard disk on a PC or server. In other words, when your router is powered off, the contents of the flash memory are not lost. The Flash memory is generally where the IOS (operating system) is stored.
Router Boot-up Part 3
Now the router boot-up process continues. The information keeps scrolling. Here is a screenshot of the next part of the process:
After you see the information on the interfaces, NVRAM, and flash, you are on the lookout for the message “Press RETURN to get started!” This means that the boot-up process has completed. At this point, console messages from the boot-up process begin scrolling across the screen. You will see some of the same messages you saw in the boot-up process (but not all the same messages). You will also see some new messages scroll by. For example, notice the message that says “ChicagoRouter is undergoing a cold start”. This means that the router was actually powered off and powered back on using the power switch. The router could have also restarted because it panicked or because it was reloaded (warm start).
