[Tutorial] Load IOS Router 2620 with XMODEM

Use this xmodem procedure in order to download a Cisco IOS software image onto a Cisco 2620 Router.

1. Launch a terminal emulator program.
   This example Windows HyperTerminal is configured for 8-N-1 at 9600 bps. Connect your PC's serial port to the console port of the router. Once connected, get into the ROMmon prompt (rommon 1>). Typically, if the router's Cisco IOS software image and bootflash image are both corrupt, the router only comes up in ROMmon mode. If the former is not true and you need to get into the ROMmon prompt, then you will need to change the configuration register (typically 0x2102 as given by show version) to 0x0 as follows:
   

   2620#configure terminal   
   Enter configuration commands, one per line.  End with CNTL/Z. 
   2620(config)#con
   2620(config)#conf 
   2620(config)#config-register 0x0
   2620(config)#^Z
   2620#
   5d03h: %SYS-5-CONFIG_I: Configured from console by console
   2620#
   2620#reload
   
   System configuration has been modified. Save? [yes/no]: n 
   Proceed with reload? [confirm]
   
   5d03h: %SYS-5-RELOAD: Reload requested 
   System Bootstrap, Version 11.3(2)XA4, RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1) 
   Copyright (c) 1999 by cisco Systems, Inc. 
   TAC:Home:SW:IOS:Specials for info 
   C2600 platform with 65536 Kbytes of main memory
   
   rommon 1 >

2. Once in ROMmon, change the console baud rate from 9600 bps to 115200 bps to speed up the download time. Use the confreg command and complete the instructions presented on the screen.
   

   rommon 1 >confreg
   Configuration Summary 
   enabled are: 
   break/abort has effect 
   console baud: 9600 
   boot: the ROM Monitor
   
   do you wish to change the configuration? y/n [n]: y
   enable "diagnostic mode"? y/n [n]:
   enable "use net in IP bcast address"? y/n [n]:
   enable "load rom after netboot fails"? y/n [n]:
   enable "use all zero broadcast"? y/n [n]:
   disable "break/abort has effect"? y/n [n]:
   enable "ignore system config info"? y/n [n]:
   change console baud rate? y/n [n]: y
   enter rate: 0 = 9600, 1 = 4800, 2 = 1200, 3 = 2400
   4 = 19200, 5 = 38400, 6 = 57600, 7 = 115200 [0]: 7
   change the boot characteristics? y/n [n]:
              
   Configuration Summary
   enabled are:
   break/abort has effect
   console baud: 115200
   boot: the ROM Monitor
   
   do you wish to change the configuration? y/n [n]:
              
   You must reset or power cycle for new config to take effect.
   
   rommon 2 >

3. Once the router boots up in ROMmon, the HyperTerminal sessions start to display illegible characters. You need to exit the current terminal session and start a new one at a data rate of 115200 bps to match the console rate as in step 2.
4. You are now ready to issue the xmodem command. However, before issuing the xmodem command, ensure that you have the new Cisco IOS software image on your PC.
   

   rommon 1 >
   rommon 1 >xmodem -?
   xmodem: illegal option -- ?
   usage: xmodem [-cyrx] <destination filename>
   -c  CRC-16
   -y  ymodem-batch protocol
   -r  copy image to dram for launch
   -x  do not launch on download completion 
   rommon 2 >
   rommon 2 >
   rommon 2 > xmodem -c c2600-is-mz.122-10a.bin 
   
   !--- Note that [-s datarate] is not available here since you are set for 115200 bps.
   
   Do not start the sending program yet...
          File size           Checksum  File name
   9939820 bytes (0x97ab6c)   0x4991    c2600-is-mz.122-7a.bin

    Warning: 
   

   All existing data in bootflash will be lost!
   Invoke this application only for disaster recovery. Do you wish to continue?
   y/n [n]: y Ready to receive file c2600-is-mz.122-10a.bin ...

5. From the HyperTerminal menu bar, select Transfer > Send and specify the image name/location and xmodem protocol as in steps 3 and 4 and start the transfer.
6. 
7. Once the transfer is complete, these messages appear:
   

   Erasing flash at 0x60fc0000
   program flash location 0x60990000
   
   Download Complete!
   

   Notice how the Flash gets erased towards the end automatically compared to Cisco C1600. Therefore, the reason why the f option is not required here. Finally, ensure that you reset the console speed back to 9600 and change the boot sequence back to default by changing the configuration register back to 0x2102:
   

   rommon 12 > confreg 0x2102
      
   You must reset or power cycle for new config to take effect
   rommon 2 >reset
      
   System Bootstrap, Version 11.3(2)XA4, RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1)
   Copyright (c) 1999 by cisco Systems, Inc.
   TAC:Home:SW:IOS:Specials for info
   C2600 platform with 65536 Kbytes of main memory
    
   program load complete, entry point: 0x80008000, size: 0x995ec8
   Self decompressing the image : ################################
   ##################################################################
   ##################################################################
   ########################    [OK]
   
   ............................
   
   Cisco Internetwork Operating System Software 
   IOS (tm) C2600 Software (C2600-IS-M), Version 12.2(10a), RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1)
   Copyright (c) 1986-2002 by cisco Systems, Inc.
   Compiled Tue 21-May-02 14:16 by pwade
   Image text-base: 0x80008088, data-base: 0x810ABB08
   
   cisco 2620 (MPC860) processor (revision 0x100) with 61440K/4096K bytes of memory.
   Processor board ID JAB03110MUB (3691217154)
   M860 processor: part number 0, mask 49
   Bridging software.
   X.25 software, Version 3.0.0.
   1 FastEthernet/IEEE 802.3 interface(s)
   2 Voice FXS interface(s)
   32K bytes of non-volatile configuration memory.
   16384K bytes of processor board System flash (Read/Write)
   
   Press RETURN to get started!
      
   .........................