How To Update Cisco Switch Firmware

Anytime Cisco releases a new IOS image for its network switch (or router), it is recommended that yous upgrade information technology.

This article explains 7 easy steps to upgrade IOS image on a cisco switch or router.

Since y'all'll be upgrading the IOS image, make sure yous have concrete access to the switch and you are in front of it. Use a console cable to connect to the switch.

Please note that the steps given below will be similar to both switches and routers. However this examples shows how to upgrade ios image on a cisco catalyst switch.

1. Verify Current IOS Version

After you login, get to enable fashion, past entering the enable password. This example uses two cisco catalyst 3750 switches configured in stack fashion equally shown beneath. So, while upgrading you should upgrade the prototype on both the wink cards.

# show switch Switch/Stack Mac Address : 0012.abcd.1234                                            H/W   Current Switch#  Role   Mac Address     Priority Version  State ---------------------------------------------------------- *ane       Master 0012.abcd.1234     10     0       Ready  2       Member 0012.abcd.2345     1      0       Set

If you have only one cisco catalyst switch (not stack style), follow all the steps mentioned in this document, but you'll be doing it only on one flash card.

Starting time, verify the content of the wink cards, using "dir flash1:" command.

# dir flash1: c3750-ipbasek9-mz.122-35.SE5.bin  # dir flash2: c3750-ipbasek9-mz.122-35.SE5.bin

As you lot run into above, both the flash cards contains the electric current IOS prototype file, which is version "122.35.SE5"

Verify what version of IOS image your switch is currently running. Well-nigh likely this will be same every bit the electric current IOS image file that you come across in your wink card. As you lot meet below, it is using "12.3(35)SE5"

# bear witness ver Switch Ports Model              SW Version            SW Paradigm ------ ----- -----              ----------            ---------- *    one 24    WS-C3750G-24T      12.ii(35)SE5           C3750-IPBASEK9-M      ii 24    WS-C3750G-24T      12.two(35)SE5           C3750-IPBASEK9-M

2. Download Latest IOS Epitome from Cisco Website

Download the latest IOS epitome for your cisco website
Go to cisco.com -> IOS Software -> Select your Siwtch (for example: Cisco Catalyst Switch 3750G-24T) -> Click on "Download IP Base of operations" -> Select the latest version that you want to download (for example: 12-2.55.SE1).

While you lot are on this download page, re-create/paste the MD5 given to your system. After we download the IOS prototype and motion it to the switch, we'll verify the MD5 checksum earlier installing the paradigm.

3. Delete Old IOS Software Prototype from Flash

Since we'll exist downloading the new ISO image and moving it to the wink card, we demand some infinite. Then, delete the current one-time paradigm from the flash card.

# delete /f /r flash1:c3750-ipbase-mz.122.35-35.SE5  # delete /f /r flash2:c3750-ipbase-mz.122-35.SE5  # dir flash1:  # dir flash2:

In the above delete control, /f stands for force, and /r stands for recurssive.

On a side note, yous should exist using some software to monitor your switch status. If you are non doing it install Nagios, and monitor your switches.

four. Copy the IOS image to Cisco Switch

To transfer the IOS image from your laptop to Cisco Switch, you should run a TFTPserver on your laptop (or on the system where you've downloaded the IOS image).

If you are running a TFTPserver on your laptop, and connected to the switch using a console cable, assign a ip-address to your laptop, and put your laptop on the same network every bit the switch.

Copy the ISO paradigm to the flash as shown below using the "copy command". This will ask you to enter the address of the remote host (which is your laptop in this case), and the source filename that needs to be transferred (which is the ISO prototype you downloaded from cisco website).

# re-create tftp flash1 >Address or proper noun of remote host? 192.168.1.x >source filename? c3750-ipbasek9-mz-122-55.SE1.bin >Destination filename? c3750-ipbasek9-mz-122-55.SE1.bin

One time you've copied information technology, brand sure the file is there on the flash card.

# dir flash1: c3750-ipbasek9-mz-122-55.SE1.bin

Just to brand sure cypher went wrong during the copy, do a MD5 bank check-sum on this, and compare with the MD5 that you noted downward from cisco website while downloading the IOS paradigm. To create MD5 checksum of a file in Cisco catalyst switch, use the "verify" command every bit shown below.

# verify /md5 flash1:c3750-ipbasek9-mz-122-55.SE1.bin

If you are running two switches in stack configuration, do the same on the second flash carte du jour.

# copy tftp flash2: # dir flash2: # verify /md5 flash2:c3750-ipbasek9-mz-122-55.SE1.bin

5. Modify Switch Kicking path-list

Now information technology is time to tell switch cisco to use the new ISO paradigm to boot from. Before changing the boot information, verify the current configuration, and change it using the "boot system" command equally shown below.

# evidence boot  # config t # kick organization switch all flash:c3750-ipbasek9-mz-122-55.SE1.bin

6. Save Config and Restart the Switch

Verify the current boot information, salve the current configuration, and reboot the cisco switch equally shown beneath.

# evidence boot  # write mem  # reload

7. Concluding Verification after IOS Upgrade

Finally verify the current IOS version of the switch, afterwards the upgrade, information technology should display the new version as shown beneath.

# show ver Switch Ports Model              SW Version            SW Image ------ ----- -----              ----------            ---------- *    1 24    WS-C3750G-24T      12.2(55)SE1           C3750-IPBASEK9-Chiliad      2 24    WS-C3750G-24T      12.2(55)SE1           C3750-IPBASEK9-Chiliad

Make sure to verify your interface and vlan status, to make sure everything is running properly without whatever issues.