tftp configuration

I'm trying to set up a TFTP server on my machine (Ubuntu 13.04 LTS I
think, or maybe 12.04 LTS). It's hpa-tftp, run by xinetd. I need it to
download the firmware loader into a router so I can put DD-WRT on it.
How do I configure the server? Is there some file that maps a MAC
address to a given file? Does the client identify itself somehow and
the image needs to be named a certain thing or in a certain place to
go to that client? Does the server log something on success? Do I have
to do something to hosts_allow to enable it? Curious minds, etc.

Oh, the xinetd control file I have is:

{
socket_type = dgram
protocol = udp
wait = yes
user = root
server = /usr/sbin/in.tftpd
server_args = -s /var/lib/tftpboot
}

Does that look reasonable? Thanks

 

It's hard to say. Show us - How recovery procedure looks like?
Is device dead?

The most common way is usually hard reset of the device or bricked
device sends broadcast packets with DHCP discover with selected option 60.

Then device starts bootstrap and tries to download a file from TFTP
server. You will see that in logs, I mean who want to download what
and if it succeed. It's very big shortcut. Go there to read more how
PXE-DHCP Handshake looks like:
http://blogs.technet.com/b/dominikheinz/archive/2011/03/18/dhcp-amp-pxe-basics.aspx

DHCP server must be configured for this. My config looks like:

# DHCP server network
subnet 10.1.1.0
# network mask
netmask 255.255.255.224
{
authoritative;
range 10.1.1.21 10.1.1.30;
option broadcast-address 10.1.1.31;
option routers 10.1.1.1;

option netbios-name-servers 10.1.1.1;
range dynamic-bootp 10.1.1.15 10.1.1.17;
option domain-name-servers 10.1.1.1,62.179.1.62,62.179.1.63;
use-host-decl-names on;

### Begin of PXE part ###
if substring (option vendor-class-identifier, 0, 9) = "PXEClient"
{
filename "pxe/pxelinux.0";
}
### End of PXE part ###
}

Yes, add "-vvv" to arguments to get more noise about tftpd actions.

 

Dunno. How do I tell? When I power it up, the power light blinks for a
while and eventually turns green. No other light turn on. If I then
connect its WAN port to my other router, the "WAN Ethernet" light turns
green and flickers every few seconds, and the "Internet" lights turns
orange.

I've given it a 30/30/30 reset. The DHCP server (the other router) lists
several devices to which it has given addresses in the last few hours,
but none are this router. I thought maybe it gave up on DHCP before the
ethernet was connected so I power-cycled it with the ethernet hooked up;
same story, no go.

Thanks. It doesn't like this machine (or me in particular), as neither
Firefox nor Chrome can log in. I'll have to try it elsewhere.

I guess I need to implement that in the router's DHCP server. Where does
one get pxelinux.0 and where does it go?

Thanks.

 

Most of devices has recovery procedure(s). You should study your
device's user manual. You didn't even write its name.

If the device doesn't have recovery procedure then most likely there is
also an option to connect service console port and upload firmware via
so called zmodem protocol using that console serial connection.

Please study documentation:
http://www.syslinux.org/wiki/index.php/PXELINUX
http://www.debian-administration.org/article/478/Setting_up_a_server_for_PXE_network_booting

 

I bought it used. Didn't get a manual. It may be online, but odds are
it wouldn't say jack about how to configure a TFTP server.

That's because my question was "how do you configure a TFTP server", not
something about this router or DHCP. It's an Actiontec MI424-WR rev D,
BTW. I mean, step 4 of the DD-WRT installation instructions at
http://dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/MI424WR is "Prep a TFTP server or
install one for use.". Installation and (re)starting one I got.

The JTAG port was removed in rev D. If I brick it, looks like I'm hosed.

 

It looks that way... Use Wireshark and confirm that router does not
sends nothing @ broadcast. If not and you're not able to find another
way to connect to serial console then I don't see any other way.

 

Try to scan also "popular" IP ranges for ICMP echo replay:
192.168.*/16
172.16.*/12
10.*/8
169.254.*/16

nmap -sP -n subnet1_address/mask subnet2_address/mask

 

Another idea, try to power it up with pressed reset button, release it
after 30 sec. Watch at Wireshark output in meantime.