HP Jetdirect 250M User Manual page 114

Using BOOTP/TFTP
BOOTP (Bootstrap Protocol) and TFTP (Trivial File Transfer
Protocol) provide a convenient way to automatically configure
the HP Jetdirect print server for TCP/IP network operation.
When powered on, the Jetdirect print server sends a BOOTP
request message onto the network. A properly configured
BOOTP server on the network will respond with a message
that contains basic network configuration data for the
Jetdirect print server. The BOOTP server's response may also
identify a file that contains extended configuration data for the
print server. The Jetdirect print server downloads this file
using TFTP. This TFTP configuration file may be located on
the BOOTP server, or a separate TFTP server.
BOOTP/TFTP servers are typically UNIX or Linux systems.
Windows NT/2000 and NetWare servers can respond to
BOOTP requests. Windows NT/2000 servers are configured
through Microsoft DHCP services (see
However, Windows NT/2000 systems may require third-party
software for TFTP support. For setup of NetWare BOOTP
servers, refer to your NetWare documentation.
Note If the Jetdirect print server and BOOTP/DHCP server
are located on different subnets, IP configuration may
fail unless the routing device supports "BOOTP Relay"
(allows the transfer of BOOTP requests between
subnets).
Why Use BOOTP/TFTP?
Using BOOTP/TFTP to download configuration data has the
following benefits:
• Enhanced configuration control of the HP Jetdirect print
server. Configuration by other methods, such as a printer
control panel, are limited to select parameters.
• Ease of configuration management. Network
configuration parameters for the entire network can be in
one location.
• Ease of HP Jetdirect print server configuration. Complete
network configuration can be automatically downloaded
each time the print server is powered on.
Note BOOTP operation is similar to DHCP, but the
resulting IP parameters will be the same over power
cycles. In DHCP, IP configuration parameters are
leased and may change over time.
When in its factory-default state and powered on, the HP
Jetdirect print server will attempt to automatically configure
itself using several dynamic methods, one of which is BOOTP.
BOOTP/TFTP on UNIX
This section describes how to configure the print server using
BOOTP (Bootstrap Protocol) and TFTP (Trivial File Transfer
Protocol) services on UNIX servers. BOOTP and TFTP are
used to download network configuration data from a server to
the HP Jetdirect print server over the network.
Using DHCP).