19 replies to this topic

[Snorty]

Hello Community,

 

I try out different PXE softwares at the moment. I've installed now the tftpd32 and configured it. When I boot a workstation and it comes to PXE boot, a message appears which says that my workstation didn't get a DHCP offer. When I take a look in my tpftd32 (DHCP server), I see an entry from my workstation, which means that my workstation can connect to the host/server. There are also some informations in the log viewer, but I can't imagine what the fault is. Maybe you can:

 

Rcvd DHCP Discover Msg for IP 0.0.0.0, Mac 00:03:1D:05:B4:81 [27/02 13:28:57.381]
Client requested address 0.0.0.80 [27/02 13:28:57.381]
Suppress pingable address 192.168.100.3 [27/02 13:28:57.381]
DHCP: proposed address 192.168.100.4 [27/02 13:29:09.128]
Rcvd DHCP Discover Msg for IP 0.0.0.0, Mac 00:03:1D:05:B4:81 [27/02 13:29:09.128]
Client requested address 0.0.0.80 [27/02 13:29:09.128]
DHCP: proposed address 192.168.100.4 [27/02 13:29:21.125]
Rcvd DHCP Discover Msg for IP 0.0.0.0, Mac 00:03:1D:05:B4:81 [27/02 13:29:21.125]
Client requested address 0.0.0.80 [27/02 13:29:21.125]
DHCP: proposed address 192.168.100.4 [27/02 13:29:33.121]
Rcvd DHCP Discover Msg for IP 0.0.0.0, Mac 00:03:1D:05:B4:81 [27/02 13:29:33.121]
Client requested address 0.0.0.80 [27/02 13:29:33.121]
DHCP: proposed address 192.168.100.4 [27/02 13:29:45.133]
2372 Request 2 not processed [27/02 13:29:45.133]
Rcvd DHCP Discover Msg for IP 0.0.0.0, Mac 00:03:1D:05:B4:81 [27/02 13:29:45.133]
Client requested address 0.0.0.80 [27/02 13:29:45.133]
DHCP: proposed address 192.168.100.4 [27/02 13:29:57.129]
2372 Request 2 not processed [27/02 13:29:57.129]
2372 Request 2 not processed [27/02 13:29:57.129]
2372 Request 2 not processed [27/02 13:29:57.129]
2372 Request 2 not processed [27/02 13:29:57.129]

 

This is from my try to boot the workstation with PXE.
It seems like it gets into a loop, doesn't it?

 

I hope that someone could give me an advice or something like this, at the moment, I really don't see what I have to do to make it work correctly.

 

Thank you!

 

Cheers

Edited by Snorty, 27 February 2013 - 12:55 PM.

[steve6375]

DHCP: proposed address 192.168.100.4 [27/02 13:29:09.128]

Doesn't this mean that your server tftpd32 is offering 192.168.100.4 as an IP address but your workstation (for whatever reason) is ignoring it?

Do you have another DHCP server on your network anywhere (like a router or a server PC)? If so, can you disable DHCP on it?

[Snorty]

Yes, that's what I don't understand. 192.168.100.4 is a IP from the DHCP pool, so this would be correct. But as you said, the workstation won't get this IP for whatever reason.

I have split the network with a Netgear VPN Firewall, because I don't want to interrupt the primary DHCP on our company. On the Netgear, I have DHCP disabled, so there should only be the DHCP from the tftpd32. It's pretty weird. I don't get it why my workstation won't get the proposed address from the DHCP..

[steve6375]

Can you attach a Windows notebook/PC to the same ethernet wire, boot it up and see if that gets a DHCP address? Are you sure that the packets are getting through?

What is there between the tftpd32 system and the worktstation?

[Snorty]

Hello,

 

I have attached a Windows PC, he gets an IP from the DHCP (192.168.100.4). I can also ping google and all that stuff.

Between the tftpd32 and the workstation is the Netgear VPN Firewall to isolate my test network. That's all. I've connected the internet with my Netgear (WAN port) and attached the tftpd32 system and the workstation into a LAN-port. So they are in the same network.

[steve6375]

Could be a enet speed issue. Is the Netgear set to auto negotiate on enet speed? Can you see any logs on the Netgear?

[Snorty]

Hello,

 

Unfortunately, I didn't find aynthing about enet speed in the routers' config. But I think this won't be the problem, when I surf in the internet, ping something and so on, it's pretty fast.

In the BIOS settings, you normally only have to change the boot order to boot from the network card, don't you? To me, it still seems that my workstation won't get the DHCP address which is proposed by the DHCP, I just don't know why it won't get it. I've also turned off the firewall, same result.

 

I use tftpd32 ond a 64bit OS, do you think this is a problem? I used tftpd64 first, but this didn't work too. Then I've read somewhere that it's sometimes better to use the 32, even with a 64bit OS.

[steve6375]

I mean ethernet speed. Ethernet can be 10, 100 or 1000mb/s physical speed. If your Netgear or server is fixed at 1000 and your workstation can only receive 100mb/s packets it won't see any packets. Can you see if a link has been established during PXE boot by looking at the lights on the workstation and PC and Netgear ports - you should see a link light and often a speed/traffic see manual for detials, often they show different colours for different speeds.

Also, please list what error messages you see on the workstation when trying to PXE boot.

[Snorty]

when I'm trying to PXE boot, first there comes "Initializing and establishing link..."

Then there comes a message: "PXE-E61: Media test failure, check cable".

"PXE-M0F: Exiting Intel Boot Agent".

 

But then it comes again with the Client MAC address and GUID, and then DHCP.

DHCP appears for about 20secs, then the message "PXE-E51 No DHCP or proxyDHCP offers were received" appears.

In the time the DHCP message is displayed, I see in the tftpd32 that he adds an entry in the DHCP section, and is writting in the Log viewer.

 

Well I've checked it again, in the Netgear configuration (WAN Setup) I have a "Port Speed" entry which is set to "AutoSense".

When I open the dropdown, I have 4 entries:

- 10Base T Half_Duplex

- 10Base T Full_Duplex

- 100Base T Half_Duplex

- 100Base T Full_Duplex

[steve6375]

Media test failure - check cable sounds like there is no link established - what about the lights on the back of the workstation enet port?

Is the lights flashing on the workstation or Netgear port?

Do you have more than one enet port or enet card in the workstation?

[Snorty]

Hmm interesting. The light on the workstation port is permanently, not flashing. It's yellow and a little piece is orange. When it comes to establish the link (when I boot PXE) nothing happens. when it changes to DHCP, the light shortly stopps (no light anymore for about 1 second) and then the light comes again, the yellow light is agani pemanently, but the orange piece is now flashing. Maybe because he interacts with the DHCP server, dunno. On the Netgear the only light flashing is "LINK/ACT (Internet). All the others are pemanent.

 

Yes, there are 2 network cards in the workstation, respectively 2 ports, COM1 and COM2

I've tried both some far, there is only one difference: When I put the RJ-45 in the COM1, the "Initializing and Establishing link..." message doesn't appear, it goes straight to the DHCP. When I put the cable in COM2, all the messages appear which I've listed in the post above.

Edited by Snorty, 01 March 2013 - 11:53 AM.

[steve6375]

You need to look in the manual, but yellow probably means a link is established (physical connection) and orange means packet activity (the colour may indicate the speed 10/100/1000mb/s - the manual will tell you).

The BIOS obviously tries COM1 first - see no cable and then tries COM2. 

So it looks like it is trying to communicate.

Can you try to PXE boot a notebook from the same enet cable or some other device?

[Snorty]

Yes I think you're right with the COM1 and COM2. Just strange (in my opinion) that he tries the COM1 first, I thought there should be something like a sensor which checks if there is a cable. If not, don't even try. But yeah, whatever

 

I'll try to organize a notebook and test PXE boot then. I may write again in about an hour.

[Snorty]

OK, I've tested another system. Exactly the same error. Is it normal that the GUID always consists of FFFFF....?

Moreover, could this DHCP error also be a problem with the TFTP server? Or is it, in this cyclus, only the DHCP that is doing something?

 

Cheers

[steve6375]

Did you test with a completely different system (different make/model - preferably an off-the-shelf notebook) or was the just an identical model to the one you tried peviously?

A GUID of FFFF.. is bad - it indicates a badly flashed BIOS.

 

P.S. Please try to be specific about what equipment you are using and what you test and how you test it. For instance, 'I've tested another system'  is not as helpful as 'I used a new unmodified Samsung XYZ notebook on the same cable that the workstation was attached to and I got exactly the same error messages on POST/PXE with a GUID of FFFFFFFFFFFF reported'  

[Snorty]

Hello,

 

The systems we have are unique/modified, so it's not that easy to be specific. But yes, both systems got the same PXE error "no DHCP or proxy DHCP offers received". Also, both system have had a GUID of FFFF...FFF......and so on.

 

I've set the tftpd32 up with a guidance from the PING project. So I'm not sure, if all is as it should be. I have a directory "D:\PXE\i386\templates" where I have a initrd.gz, a kernel.txt and a pxelinux.0. I also have a directory there called pxelinux.cfg and in this directory, there's a default.txt with the following text:

 

DEFAULT rescue
PROMPT 0
LABEL rescue
KERNEL kernel
APPEND vga=normal devfs=nomount pxe ramdisk_size=33000 load_ramdisk=1 init=/linuxrc prompt_ramdisk=0 initrd=initrd.gz root=/dev/ram0 rw noacpi noapm pci=noacpi lba acpi=off apm=off

 

So in the tftpd32, I've set the current directory as D:\PXE\i386\templates.

[Shahzaib]

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http://reboot.pro/to...xisoservagrldr/

[Snorty]

Hey,

 

I've already read about Serva, it really looks good. But, can I use it only for tftp and DHCP server? The program for cloning or anything like this will be PING I think, so I only need a tftp and DHCP server.

Edited by Snorty, 06 March 2013 - 03:06 PM.

[Shahzaib]

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[Shahzaib]

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