Boot helper on the routers

[Richard Murden]

We are trying to put a boot helper on our routers so that we can avoid using the boot tape or having another HP-UX server as a boot helper. We have attached a boot helper file to our Cisco router and testing is going well. Here are a few things that I need help with:

1. any machine (any flavor, device, ct scan etc.) with a MAC address that forward a bootp request to the Ignite server that I don't want, is there a way I can drop it. What will the Ignite server do with such a request?

2. Would the Ignite Server recognize my MAC address and discard one's that it's not familiar with? Is there a list of allowed MAC's and to reject or ignore all other that I can have the Ignite server use?

3. We would like to use port 67 because it has to be that for our router to communicate back to it?

4. Is port 67 incoming and 68 outgoing?
Thanks,
Richard

[Steven E. Protter · Accepted solution]

1. /var/adm/inetd.sec on the Ignite server can be used to block inetd type protocols by host name. That will help with security.

2. If you stop the boot as recommended in item 1, this is not an issue.

4. From /etc/services
bootps 67/udp # Bootstrap Protocol Server
bootpc 68/udp # Bootstrap Protocol Client

Based on the unix self documentation, I'd say you are right.

3. I almost never mess with ports below 1024 because they are privledged and the payback has never seemed worth it.

SEP