PXE troubleshooting

Products

• Deployment Solution
• Ghost Solution Suite

Issue/Introduction

Systems are not successfully booting over PXE.  Where do I start investigating?

Environment

Ghost Solution Suite 3.x

Deployment Solution 8.x

Resolution

Troubleshooting steps:

1. (Deployment Solution)  Make sure NBS is installed on a site server local to the client and that services for NBS are started  (Network Boot Services is a Site Service)
2. (Ghost Solution Suite) Make sure PXE server is installed with Ghost Solution Suite or on a separate server connected to the GSS server.
3. Ensure you have created at least one PXE configuration and that settings allow for its selection during boot.
4. Disable the Firewall on the PXE server.  We require ports 67, 69 and 4011 to PXE boot.  The easiest way to check if we're having a network port issue is by disabling the firewall. 
   1. You can also check these ports in Resource Monitor on a Windows OS > Network tab > Listening Ports.  Make sure these ports are Allowed, not restricted.
5. Test booting to PXE with a Client on the same Subnet / VLAN as the PXE server.  PXE uses Broadcast messages (255.255.255.255) and by default these packets do not get routed outside of the current subnet.  IP Helpers are strongly recommended (by Microsoft and Cisco) if Client is on a different Subnet.  DHCP forced mode/DHCP scope options may be used, but IP Helpers are recommended.
6. Gather any PXE errors that occur during an attempted network boot
7. Capture a Wireshark Trace on the PXE Server.  Do we see the messages we expect to?
8. If the Wireshark Trace is empty when filtering on Bootp messages, then there are 2 options:
   1. The PXE Server and Client are in different VLANs. 
      1. Resolution: Configure IP Helpers to the PXE server and DHCP server
   2. The PXE Server are in the same VLAN but we have Layer 3 Switches.
      1. Resolution: We need to Configure IP Helpers to the PXE server and DHCP server

Additional Information

181630 DS 8.x PXE Troubleshooting

181525 Using a Wireshark network trace to troubleshoot PXE boot process issues

152214 PXE not crossing subnets or VLANs