So yesterday I thought about implementing IPv6. In this process I came across some problems, one of them beeing my cisco switch not supporting IPv6 with the installed version, namely IOS 12. Since this Information wasn’t easy to find, I am writing this post.

Before

Well thanks to cisco I had some problems getting the bin file (I hate licensing agreements). Luckily someone from r/homelab has given me the files over the homelab FTP server. After receiving the files I had to start actually updating my appliance.

#sh ver
Cisco IOS Software, Catalyst 4500 L3 Switch Software (cat4500-ENTSERVICESK9-M), Version 12.2(50)SG, RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc4)
Technical Support: http://www.cisco.com/techsupport
Copyright (c) 1986-2008 by Cisco Systems, Inc.
Compiled Wed 24-Dec-08 17:29 by prod_rel_team
Image text-base: 0x10000000, data-base: 0x11F9A554

ROM: 12.2(31r)SGA1
Dagobah Revision 226, Swamp Revision 5

System returned to ROM by power-on
System image file is "bootflash:cat4500-entservicesk9-mz.122-50.SG.bin"

cisco WS-C4948 (MPC8245) processor (revision 0) with 262144K bytes of memory.
Processor board ID FOX1309HASK
MPC8245 CPU at 266Mhz, Fixed Module
Last reset from PowerUp
1 Virtual Ethernet interface
48 Gigabit Ethernet interfaces
511K bytes of non-volatile configuration memory.

First off, my version before I updated. As you can see my switch is still on version 12.2. After this guide the switch will have IOS 15.0.

Updating the Switch

switch01# copy tftp: bootflash:
Address or name of remote host []? 10.2.0.20
Source filename []? cat4500-entservicesk9-mz.150-2.SG11.bin
Destination filename [cat4500-entservicesk9-mz.150-2.SG11.bin]?
Accessing tftp://10.2.0.20/cat4500-entservicesk9-mz.150-2.SG11.bin...
Loading cat4500-entservicesk9-mz.150-2.SG11.bin from 10.2.0.20 (via Vlan108): !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[OK - 19478268 bytes]
 
switch01# dir bootflash:
Directory of bootflash:/
 
    2  -rwx    17321348  May 26 2009 04:07:54 +00:00  cat4500-entservicesk9-mz.122-50.SG.bin
    3  -rwx    19478268   Nov 1 2017 16:08:38 +00:00  cat4500-entservicesk9-mz.150-2.SG11.bin
 
60817408 bytes total (21861988 bytes free)
 
switch01# verify /md5 bootflash:cat4500-entservicesk9-mz.150-2.SG11.bin
..........................................................Done!
verify /md5 (bootflash:cat4500-entservicesk9-mz.150-2.SG11.bin) = 36fa2e71e83b0a4bf778b883dff566ac
 
switch01# conf t

switch01(config)# no boot system
switch01(config)# boot system bootflash:cat4500-entservicesk9-mz.150-2.SG11.bin
! Old image as backup
switch01(config)# boot system bootflash:bootflash:cat4500-entservicesk9-mz.122-50.SG.bin
switch01(config)# config-register 0x2102
switch01(config)# exit
 
 
switch01# wr                
Building configuration...
Compressed configuration from 10714 bytes to 4028 bytes[OK]
 
Switch01#sh bootvar
! Check that the new ios is first, and the old one is second
BOOT variable = bootflash:cat4500-entservicesk9-mz.150-2.SG11.bin,12;bootflash:bootflash:cat4500-entservicesk9-mz.122-50.SG.bin,12;
CONFIG_FILE variable does not exist
BOOTLDR variable does not exist
Configuration register is 0x2102
switch01# reload
Proceed with reload? [confirm]Connection to 10.2.0.1 closed by remote host.

These are all the steps needed to update the switch to a newer version. You will need a TFTP server for this upgrade, in my case I used the program tftpd32. You can find some good guides online.

After

Switch01>  en
Switch01# sh version
Cisco IOS Software, Catalyst 4500 L3 Switch Software (cat4500-ENTSERVICESK9-M), Version 15.0(2)SG11, RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc2)
Technical Support: http://www.cisco.com/techsupport
Copyright (c) 1986-2016 by Cisco Systems, Inc.
Compiled Mon 24-Oct-16 09:48 by prod_rel_team
Image text-base: 0x10000000, data-base: 0x123AECA8

ROM: 12.2(31r)SGA1
Dagobah Revision 226, Swamp Revision 5

System returned to ROM by reload
System image file is "bootflash:cat4500-entservicesk9-mz.150-2.SG11.bin"

cisco WS-C4948 (MPC8245) processor (revision 0) with 262144K bytes of memory.
Processor board ID FOX1309HASK
MPC8245 CPU at 266Mhz, Fixed Module
Last reset from Reload
2 Virtual Ethernet interfaces
48 Gigabit Ethernet interfaces
511K bytes of non-volatile configuration memory.

Configuration register is 0x2102

Above you can see the version information after the upgrade. The switch now supports some IPv6 features, since it did not before. I hope this will help you as much as it did me.

A big thanks to u/geekthinker who provided me with the commands to upgrade the switch and u/MonsterMufffin for the files.