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Catalyst 6500 Series Switch Cisco IOS Software Configuration Guide—Release 12.1 E

78-14099-04

Chapter 3 Configuring the Switch for the First Time

Configuring the Switch

Configuring a BOOTP Server

The Bootstrap Protocol (BOOTP) automatically assigns an IP address by adding the MAC and IP

addresses of the interface to the BOOTP server configuration file. When the switch boots, it

automatically retrieves the IP address from the BOOTP server.

The switch performs a BOOTP request only if the current IP address is set to 0.0.0.0. (This address is

the default address for a new switch or a switch that has had its startup-config file cleared using the erase

command.)

To allow your switch to retrieve its IP address from a BOOTP server, you must first determine the MAC

address of the switch and add that MAC address to the BOOTP configuration file on the BOOTP server.

To create a BOOTP server configuration file, follow these steps:

Step 1 Install the BOOTP server code on the workstation, if it is not already installed.

Step 2 Determine the MAC address from the label on the chassis.

Step 3 Add an entry in the BOOTP configuration file (usually /usr/etc/bootptab) for each switch. Press Return

after each entry to create a blank line between each entry. See the example BOOTP configuration file

that follows in Step 4.

Step 4 Enter the reload command to reboot and automatically request the IP address from the BOOTP server.

This example BOOTP configuration file shows the added entry:

# /etc/bootptab: database for bootp server (/etc/bootpd)

# Blank lines and lines beginning with '#' are ignored.

# Legend:

# first field -- hostname

# (may be full domain name and probably should be)

# hd -- home directory

# bf -- bootfile

# cs -- cookie servers

# ds -- domain name servers

# gw -- gateways

# ha -- hardware address

# ht -- hardware type

# im -- impress servers

# ip -- host IP address

# lg -- log servers

# lp -- LPR servers

# ns -- IEN-116 name servers

# rl -- resource location protocol servers

# sm -- subnet mask

# tc -- template host (points to similar host entry)

# to -- time offset (seconds)

# ts -- time servers

#########################################################################

# Start of individual host entries

#########################################################################

Router: tc=netcisco0: ha=0000.0ca7.ce00: ip=172.31.7.97:

dross: tc=netcisco0: ha=00000c000139: ip=172.31.7.26: