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Bootp Forwarding

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9 replies

by tflowers

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Hi all,
Here's my question. How can I get my Linux bootp server to serve systems on different subnets? I've tried editing my bootptab file and creating an entry specifically for systems on different subnets but that doesn't seem to work at all. Did I miss something? I'm sure I did and I would appreciate any input. Thanks!

9 replies

by cpfeiffe

bootp should have no problem with different subnets. I have a bootp server that manages printers for all of my client's sites in America (about 150 different subnets). Your problem could be elsewhere. Are you at least able to ping the machines onthe different subnets? I suspect that you have a firewall and/or routing issue. If you are able to ping that proves that routing is good and that the firewall is letting ping between the subnets. You may still want to make sure that the firewall is allowing bootp (ports 67 and 68). If this doesn't help feel free to email my alias and I'll try to look at some more possible problems.

by tflowers

Thanks for the response. I am able to ping the devices residing on the different subnets from the bootp server, we have also set bootp forwarding on our router and we are still getting the same result.

by meg7

Bootp and DHCP are not routable without using router helper to route the Bootp/DHCP request. Are your routers configured to forward the Bootp/DHCP request. I hope this helps.

by tflowers

Thanks for your answer, We have bootp forwarding set on the router and we are still getting the same result.

by ryan

Could be a switch thing. Do you have any of this stuff plugged into a switch? You could possibly have a switch that's dropping that type of broadcast traffic. Just something to look at.

-goat

by paulo.sedrez

You said "bootptab"? This must be and old system, using bootp-2.4.3 - it is not beeing maintened since 1998.

First of all, check if the bootp requests are reaching the server. "tcpdump -n 'udp port ( bootpc or bootps)'" shall do the trick.

Another source of problems is if your bootp client or forwarder sets the "broadcast flag", which is not supported by bootpd. The documentation shows a simple work-around, add ":ra=255.255.255.255:" for clients in that subnets.

In any case, you shouldupgrade for an bootp/DHCP server activelly being supported. I sugest the ISC DHCP server.

--Sedrez

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