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Cisco CCNA Exam Tutorial: Using Trivial File Transfer Protocol (FTP) |
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One of the first things you do when you start studying for
the CCNA exam is memorizing a list of port numbers and the
protocols that run on those ports. If you're an experienced
networker, you know most of the protocols that are mentioned
- DNS, DHCP, FTP, SMTP, and so on. But there's one protocol
that you might not have experience with, but is actually vital
for CCNA exam success and success in working with Cisco routers
and switches, and that's TFTP - Trivial File Transfer Protocol.
TFTP is basically FTP's non-secure relative. There are no
passwords, no authentication scheme, no nothing! As someone
once told me, "If I'm transferring my files, there's
nothing 'trivial' about it."
Great. So you’re thinking, “What the heck do we
use TFTP for, anyway?”
TFTP is used in the Cisco world to perform IOS upgrades and
to save configs to a TFTP Server. Cisco routers can themselves
serve as TFTP servers, or you can use a workstation to fill
that role.
If you needed to copy an IOS image to a router, for example,
you could do so easily by connecting your PC to the router’s
console port (via a rollover cable, right?). Your PC would
need to run TFTP server software. There are quite a few free
TFTP server software programs that work quite well –
just enter “free tftp server” into Google or your
favorite search engine and you’ll see what I mean.
Using TFTP in this fashion is a great way to have backup
copies of IOS images or router configs right on your laptop.
And take it from me, when the day comes that you need those
backups, you’ll be glad you did!
Remember that when using the copy command, you first indicate
where you’re copying from, then where you’re copying
to:
R1#copy flash tftp
Source filename []? Example
Address or name of remote host []?
When performing such a copy, you’ll need to name the
file you’re copying, as well as the IP address of the
device you’re copying to.
Using TFTP to perform IOS upgrades takes a little getting
used to, especially the syntax of the copy command. But knowing
that syntax and how to use TFTP will indeed get you one step
closer to the CCNA!
About the Author:
Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage,
home of free CCNA and CCNP tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study
Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages.
For a FREE copy of his latest e-books, “How To Pass
The CCNA” and “How To Pass The CCNP”, visit
the website and download your free copies. You can also get
FREE CCNA and CCNP exam questions every day! Get your CCNA
study guide with The Bryant Advantage!
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