tftp retry timeout exceeded

Question

My issue is retry count exceeds when I download kernel image to Econa processor board (Econa is ARM based processor) via TFTP as shown below

CNS3000 # tftp 0x4000000 bootpImage.cns3420.uclibc 
MAC PORT 0 : Initialize bcm53115M 
MAC PORT 2 : Initialize RTL8211 
TFTP from server 192.168.0.219; our IP address is 192.168.0.112 
Filename 'bootpImage.cns3420.uclibc'. 
Load address: 0x4000000 
Loading: T T T T T T T T T T 
Retry count exceeded; starting again 

Following are the points which may help you in finding the cause of this error.

1. Ping response is OK

   CNS3000 # ping 192.168.0.219 
   MAC PORT 0 : Initialize bcm53115M 
   MAC PORT 2 : Initialize RTL8211 
   host 192.168.0.219 is alive 
   

2. When I tried to verify TFTP is running, I tried as shown below. It seems TFTP server is working. I placed a small file in /tftpboot:

   # echo "Hello, embedded world" > /tftpboot/hello.txt"
   

   Then I did localhost

   # tftp localhost
   tftp> get hello.txt
   Received 23 bytes in 0.1 seconds
   tftp> quit
   

3. Please note that there is no firewall or SELinux on my machine.

4. Please verify location of these files are OK. I have placed kernel image file bootpImage.cns3420.uclibc in /tftpbootTFTP service file is located in /etc/xinetd.d/tftp.

5. My TFTP service file is:

   service tftp
   {
   socket_type =dgram
   protocol=udp
   wait=yes
   user=root
   server=/usr/sbin/in.tftpd
   server_args=-s /tftpboot -b 512
   disable=no
   per_source=11
   cps=100 2
   flags=ipv4
   }
   

6. printenv response in U-boot is:

   CNS3000 # printenv 
   bootargs=root=/dev/mtdblock0 mem=256M console=ttyS0 
   baudrate=38400 
   ethaddr=00:53:43:4F:54:54 
   netmask=255.255.0.0 
   tftp_bsize=512 
   udp_frag_size=512 
   mmc_init=mmcinit 
   loading=fatload mmc 0 0x4000000 bootpimage-82511 
   running=go 0x4000000 
   bootcmd=run mmc_init;run loading;run running 
   serverip=192.168.0.219 
   ipaddr=192.168.0.112 
   bootdelay=5 
   port=1 
   bootfile=/tftpboot/bootpImage.cns3420.uclibcl 
   stdin=serial 
   stdout=serial 
   stderr=serial 
   verify=n 
   

   Environment size: 437/4092 bytes

Regards Waqas

Answer 1

Loading: T T T T T T T T T T

Means there is no transfer at all; this can be caused by wrong interface setting i.e. u-boot is configured for 100Mbit full duplex, and you try to connect via half duplex or 10Mbit (or some mix of it). Another point is the MTU size, should be 1500 (u-boot cannot handle packet fragmentation)

Hint for windows/vmware users:

tftp timeouts from u-boot are caused by windows ip-forwarding.

1) If you have a home network : switch it of. 2) You are running Routing and Remote Access service : shut down service 3) check registry for ip forwarding:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\IPEnableRouter

set value to 0 (and maybe reboot)