How to configure DHCP Auto Install to let switch get configuration file and image from TFTP server

Contents

Objective

Requirements

Introduction

Configuration for modifying configuration files individually

Configuration for upgrading the image file and configuration file simultaneously

Verification

Conclusion

FAQ

Objective

This article describes how to configure DHCP option using Omada Gateway to allow the switch to obtain image files and configuration files through the DHCP Auto Install feature.

Requirements

• Omada Smart / L2+ or L3 series switches
• Omada Gateway (as DHCP server)

Introduction

If an enterprise or organization needs to deploy a large number of new devices, you can use DHCP Auto Install to quickly configure network settings for these devices. The DHCP Auto Install function can automatically download configuration files and firmware updates from the TFTP Server, reducing the workload of network administrators and improving the efficiency of network management.

The following topology shows that the Omada Gateway is used as the DHCP Server to deliver DHCP options to switches on the network. The switch on the network automatically downloads the specified image file and configuration file from the TFTP Server through the DHCP Auto Install function to complete the configuration and firmware upgrade.

The following takes SG2428P and ER8411 as an example to configure DHCP Auto Install.

Configuration for modifying configuration files individually

Step 1. TFTP Server configuration. Your TFTP Server should have configuration file. The configuration file must have a type of *.cfg, for example, tplink.cfg.

Step 2. Configure the DHCP options on Omada Gateway. Log in to the gateway via web browser, go to Networks >LAN >Edit.

Open Advanced Settings and enter tplink.cfg in DHCP Network Boot (Option 67). Enter the IP address of TFTP Server in Option150. When you are finished typing, click OK.

Step 3. Enable DHCP Auto Install on the target switch. Log in to the switch via web browser, go to System >System Tools >DHCP Auto Install and Enable DHCP Auto Install.

Click Apply and you can view the switch status through Auto Install State.

Step 4. Switch downloads the configuration file automatically. With Auto Save Mode enabled, the downloaded configuration file will be saved as the startup configuration file. The downloaded configuration will be effective after the next reboot. And if the Auto Reboot Mode is enabled, the switch will reboot to complete the configuration modification automatically. If the Auto Reboot Mode is disabled, you need to reboot the switch manually to update configuration.

Note: Auto Save Mode and Auto Reboot Mode are enabled by default.

Configuration for upgrading the image file and configuration file simultaneously

Step 1. TFTP Server configuration. Your TFTP Server should have configuration file, ini file and Image file.

• Configuration file: The configuration file of Switch, here is tplink.cfg.
• ini file: The file to save the name of Image file. In ini file, you need to write the name of image file, and save as ini file format. Here is SG2428P.ini.
• Image file: The firmware file of Switch, here is SG2428P.bin.

Note: All the file’s name can be named as your requirement.

As the following picture, there are three files in the TFTP server and the Image file’s name (SG2428P.bin) write in the ini file (SG2428P.ini).

Step 2. Configure the DHCP options on Omada Gateway. Log in to the gateway via web browser, go to Networks >LAN >Edit.

Open Advanced Settings and enter tplink.cfg in Network DHCP Boot (Option 67). Enter the IP address of TFTP Server in Option150. Click Add button to add DHCP Option125.

Option 125: Enter 125 to Code, choose Hex Array for Type, and enter hexadecimal for Value, i.e. 00:00:2e:57:0d:05:0b:53:47:32:34:32:38:50:2e:69:6e:69. The meaning of Option125’s value is described in the following figure:

• vendor-value: The vendor's registered 32-bit Enterprise Number. tp-link is 11863 (Decimal).
• Length: The total length of the following data.
• sub-type: Defined by the vendor which identified in the Vendor-value field. Here TP-LINK define it as 5.
• sub-length: The length of value.
• value: The data of Sub-type option. Here we need to fill in ini file’s name.

After configuring DHCP Option, click OK to deliver the configuration.

Step 3. Enable DHCP Auto Install on the target switch. Log in to the switch via web browser, go to System >System Tools >DHCP Auto Install and Enable DHCP Auto Install.

Click Apply and you can view the switch status through Auto Install State.

Step 4. Switch downloads the image file and configuration file. After the image file and configuration file have been downloaded, if the Auto Reboot Mode is enabled, the switch will reboot to complete the configuration update and firmware upgrade automatically. If the Auto Reboot Mode is disabled, you need to reboot the switch manually.

Verification

The following is an example of upgrading the image file and configuration file at the same time to verify the effectiveness of the DHCP Auto Install feature (to upgrade the configuration file alone, you can refer to Step2 below to see if the configuration has been changed).

Step 1. Check the firmware version before and after the switch reboot. Log in to the switch via web browswe, and go to System >System Summary >System Info and check Firmware Version.

Before reboot:

After reboot:

Step 2. Check switch configurations before and after the switch reboot. Here we can see that after the switch is rebooted, the VLAN configuration is updated according to the configuration file in the TFTP Server.

Before reboot:

After reboot:

Conclusion

You have successfully configured the firmware upgrade and configuration of the switch by configuring DHCP Option through the Omada Gateway.

Get to know more details of each function and configuration please go to Download Center to download the manual of your product.

FAQ

What should I do if fail to download files from TFTP Server.

Re: Check whether the switch gets the corresponding DHCP Option configuration from the DHCP Server. You can change the VLAN Interface to static mode and then to DHCP mode in order to reacquire the DHCP Option.