Скачать tftp сервер для windows 10

TFTP is critical in maintaining embedded device patches and configurations and will be around for a long time to come. We show you the best TFTP servers for both Windows and Linux systems.

There is a wide variety of File Transfer Protocols (FTP) in use on the internet today.

One of the most basic, and therefore most widely used to perform low-level single file transfers, is the Trivial FTP or Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP).

The protocol is frequently found in multiple devices like routers, media streamers, and mobile phones. It is the main way in which firmware update files are pushed to these devices to upgrade or patch them.

TFTP is not suitable for use over the internet because of its lack of security. FTP is more common for use over the internet, and the more secure SFTP is growing in popularity for secure internet file transfers.

Here’s our list of the best free TFTP server software:

1. SolarWinds Free TFTP server EDITOR’S CHOICE This tool runs on Windows and includes an IP-range lock-down and can transfer files up to 4GB in size. It is 100% free to download and use today.
2. Windows TFTP utility Lightweight – free TFTP server with the advantage of being fast at transferring small files.
3. TFTPD64 A package of useful network monitors that includes a DHCP server monitor, a DNS monitor, and a Syslog server as well as a TFTP server software.
4. haneWIN TFTP server 32-bit and 64-bit TFTP server for Windows environments that can be restricted in operations to IP address or directory.
5. Pinkie A bundle of tools delivered in a tabbed interface that runs on Windows systems and includes a TFTP server.
6. atftpd Linux command-line utility that is fast at transferring files but has no inherent network security.
7. tftpd-hpa Straightforward Linux command line TFTP system.
8. macOS TFTP server Simple command line TFTP server for macOS.

What is TFTP?

Current FTP sessions support a lot of different commands. While logged in to an FTP server, users can usually list, delete, rename, upload, or download files and change directories. In contrast, TFTP offers only the ability to upload or download a file and uses UDP over IP instead of the more standard TCP/IP stack.

The protocol is not capable of allowing more advanced functionality but compensates by using the lockstep method of fault-tolerance that makes it extremely reliable. Due to this limited functionality, TFTP servers can have an extremely small footprint on the disk as well as in memory, making it ideal for use in embedded network devices.

Caution: TFTP has zero security. There is no concept of user accounts so anyone will be able to connect to your TFTP server. Ensure your server machine is secured in some other way such as with a firewall or by limiting the network interfaces the server listens on.

Linux is far and away the most common operating system on the type of devices where you’re likely to encounter a TFTP server. But, there is also a rich ecosystem of Windows and macOS devices that run device firmware (think Apple TVs and Microsoft Surface for a few examples).

See also:

• Best SCP servers
• Best SFTP servers

Best Free Windows TFTP server software

We also looked at reliability, ease of setup and use, sufficient documentation and support, and tool robustness in diverse industry use.

1. SolarWinds TFTP server (FREE DOWNLOAD)

The TFTP server software offered by SolarWinds is a 100% free version that runs on Windows only. It is not an expiring trial. It offers basic functionality such as IP-range lockdown and can transfer files up to 4GB in size. It runs as a Windows service which makes it easier to manage with native Windows tools.

Key Features:

• Suitable for transferring device configuration images
• Files up to 4 GB
• Concurrent transfers
• Communicates with several devices simultaneously
• Free TFTP server for Windows

Why do we recommend it?

SolarWinds TFTP server is a lightweight file transfer utility, which is exactly what a TFTP server should be. This tool is a fuss-free solution and it is free to use. The program runs on Windows and Windows Server and it can be used to manage the movement of files of u to 4 GB in size, which is large for a TFTP system.

Who is it recommended for?

TFTP lacks security measures so its deployment should be used with caution. Traditionally TFTP is used to move network device images into storage and back again and this is a good use for the SolarWinds system. However, file protection needs to be considered even on a private network.

MORE INFORMATION ON THE OFFICIAL SOLARWINDS SITE: www.solarwinds.com/free-tools/free-tftp-server/

2. Windows TFTP Utility

The Windows TFTP Utility is a bare-bones TFTP server for Windows systems. It is extremely small and has almost no configuration options. On the one hand, that allows the utility to be very small and fast. On the other hand, it means that you’re unable to specify some basic configuration such as which network interface to bind.

Key Features:

• Basic TFTP
• Windows only
• Lightweight
• Small footprint
• Free to use

Why do we recommend it?

Windows TFTP Utility is a free utility for Windows, but its name is a little confusing. To be clear, this isn’t a Microsoft product and it isn’t part of Windows. Rather, it is a third-party enthusiast-developed tool that can be installed on Windows. The big advantage of this tool is that it is very basic, which is what most people want from a TFTP server.

Who is it recommended for?

This utility is only suitable for internal use on a private network because, like any TFTP system, it doesn’t include encryption. An advantage of this tool is that it has almost no features, so it is very straightforward and uses very little memory. A nice feature of this tool is that it can be included into your own programs as a function call, so administrators who like to write their own scripts will like this solution.

The small size comes from a reliance on the .NET framework. But, if you do not already have the .NET framework installed for some other application, that can result in a heavy installation footprint so this utility may not be optimal for every use-case. In addition, it comes with a .NET class that developers can use to incorporate TFTP into their own applications.

3. TFTPD64

Tftpd64 is a free TFTP server for Windows. The utility also includes a TFTP client, a DNS server, a DHCP server, and a Syslog server. There is also a SNTP receiver in the package to coordinate with the Simple Network Time Protocol.

Key Features:

• Widely used
• DHCP, DNS, SNTP, and Syslog servers included
• Free to use

Why do we recommend it?

TFTPD64 is a package of utilities that includes a TFTP client and a TFTP server. You also get a DHCP server and log management functions in this handy free tool.

It is not only a sleek TFTP server but also bolts on some other features. The list of additional features includes a DHCP server, a DNS server, SNTP (time) server, and a Syslog server, so it will help you manage your IP addresses as well.

Who is it recommended for?

The network administrators of small businesses will enjoy using this utility because it provides a string of useful tools in one interface. Larger networks will need more sophisticated tools.

It’s pretty difficult to come up with a scenario where you’d need that particular set of features in a single application, but using one or two in addition to a TFTP server may fulfill some need. There is also a 32-bit version of this tool, which is called Tftpd32, which is also free to use.

4. haneWIN TFTP server

The haneWIN TFTP server is a full-featured 32-bit and 64-bit TFTP server that runs on Windows XP/VISTA/20xx (servers)/7/8/10. It breaks from the TFTP model a bit by supporting access controls, which are not natively part of TFTP. This TFTP server can restrict IP addresses to only allow downloading or uploading and access to server directories.

Key Features:

• Command line option for scripts
• Includes DHCP server

Why do we recommend it?

The haneWIN TFTP server is a slight improvement on the traditional TFTP server because it adds access control to its procedures and can restrict the IP addresses that it will deal with, which goes some way to reducing the risk of intruder manipulation of the file transfer process.

Who is it recommended for?

Network administrators will appreciate the ability to integrate this TFTP server into a script. That opens up the possibility to include file verification processes and other security measures to strengthen the security of networks using TFTP.

An interesting feature is that it can also be run completely on the command-line which makes it very useful for scripted actions. It also includes a TFTP client that runs as a DLL. HaneWIN Software also produces a DHCP server that has an integrated TFTP server.

5. Pinkie

Pinkie is a free Windows-based network monitoring toolset. The different tools in the utility are accessed through tabs at the top of the main dashboard panel of the user interface. This useful little bundle from IPUptime also includes a DNS server, Ping, and Traceroute. The Pinkie TFTP Server just listens. It will pick up any messages sent to its host on port 69.

Key Features:

• Includes DNS and network utilities
• Lists recent transactions

Why do we recommend it?

Pinkie is a bundle of useful tools and in many ways, it is very similar to TFTPD64. Both of these systems are free and run on Windows. The main tool at the heart of Pinkie is its Ping implementation, which tests connection conditions. Unlike TFTPD64, there is no TFTP client in this package. However, its TFTP server is respectable and fuss-free.

Who is it recommended for?

This TFTP server is a suitable tool for small networks. A little extra security in the tool would be nice. However, TFTP is an insecure protocol and that isn’t Pinkie’s fault.

The settings for the server can be altered through another tabbed window that can be called up from the top menu. It will overlay the server, so you don’t need to turn it off to access the configuration system. This tool is straightforward and easy to use.

The best Free Linux TFTP servers

There are a variety of TFTP servers available for most Linux distributions. A popular one is the Advanced TFTP server that comes in a package named atftpd. The ‘d’ at the end of many Linux packages stands for daemon, which is a Unix-like term for an application that runs in the background. A Linux daemon is akin to a Windows service.

The ATFTP server supports multicast and is multithreaded which makes it a little more flexible to deploy in non-standard network installations. Use apt-get or yum to install it, depending on your Linux distribution.

1. atftpd

$ sudo apt-get install atftpd
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following NEW packages will be installed:
 atftpd

Key Features:

• Command line
• Built into Linux
• Free TFTP Server for Linux

Why do we recommend it?

The atftpd system is a typical command line system that busy network administrators will enjoy. This is a “set it and forget it” utility for receiving files over TFTP and has very few features – not even a GUI interface.

You’ll find the sparse configuration file for atftpd in `/etc/default/atftpd. Set up some quick options such as what ports to listen on, and whether to run as a daemon or via inet.d, and you’re ready to go.

$catatftpd
USE_INETD=true
OPTIONS="--tftpd-timeout300--retry-timeout5--mcast-port1758--mcast-addr239.239.239.0-255--mcast-ttl1--maxthread100--verbose=5/srv/tftp"

You’ll need a TFTP client. There are many, but the atftp client is a quick and easy command line solution. To install it, use apt-get install atftp. Then connect and upload a file:

$ atftp 192.168.2.146
tftp> put emptyfile
tftp> quit

We can see the emptyfile has been uploaded to the path specified in the config file /srv/tftp

$ ls -l /srv/tftp
-rw-rw-r--1 jdw jdw 0 Nov 510:44 emptyfile

Who is it recommended for?

Network administrators with little time to fiddle with system utilities will appreciate the no-nonsense format of atftpd. There is also an associated free TFTP client available.

2. tftpd-hpa

Another popular TFTP server for Linux is tftpd-hpa. Since the TFTP protocol is so simple, there are no really obvious advantages to choosing one TFTP server over another. However, due to dependencies and documentation deficiencies, sometimes one server will work better than another. If you’re unable to get atftpd working, give tftpd-hpa a try.

Key Features:

• Command-line
• Straightforward

Why do we recommend it?

The free tftpd-hpa is almost identical to atftpd. It would be difficult to recommend one over the other, so both of these command line TFTP servers for Linux are included in this list.

$ sudo apt-get install tftpd-hpa
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following package was automatically installed and is no longer required:
 xinetd
Use 'sudo apt autoremove'to remove it.
Suggested packages:
 pxelinux
The following NEW packages will be installed:
 tftpd-hpa

You’ll find the configuration file in /etc/default/tftpd-hpa:

$ cat /etc/default/tftpd-hpa
 #/etc/default/tftpd-hpa
TFTP_USERNAME="tftp"
TFTP_DIRECTORY="/var/lib/tftpboot"
TFTP_ADDRESS=":69"
TFTP_OPTIONS="--secure"

Modify the settings as desired, then startup the server using sudo service tftpd-hpa restart.

Who is it recommended for?

This TFTP server doesn’t have an associated TFTP client. So, that probably puts this tool in second place behind atftpd. However, if you are having trouble with that other recommended free TFTP server for Linux, try this one.

The best macOS TFTP server

1. macOS TFTP server

macOS has a built-in TFTP server that won’t be loaded by default. The easiest way to get it running is to simply type:

sudo launchctl load -F /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/tftp.plist

Then, provide your password when prompted. You can use something like netstat to confirm it is running:

$ netstat -n | grep *.69
 udp4 0 .69 .*
 udp6 0 .69 .*

The TFTP server is now running on port 69 waiting for connections. You can use any TFTP client to connect to the server and upload or download files. To shut down the TFTP server, simply use the unload command:

sudo launchctl unload -F /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/tftp.plist

Key Features:

• Native to Macs’ operating system
• Command line
• Free TFTP server for macOS

Why do we recommend it?

The macOS TFTP server is built into the macOS operating system. It doesn’t have a GUI, so you need to open a Terminal window to launch it. This is a no-frill receiver of files through the TFTP system.

Who is it recommended for?

Network administrators that use a Mac for managing the system will turn to this command line tool as a first choice.

Final words

Although TFTP does not incorporate any security procedures, this lack of security is not unique among networking administration systems. DHCP and the widely implemented SNMPv2 do not include security measures. Make sure you only implement TFTP on a secured private network.

TFTP Server Software FAQs

config system dhcp server
edit <server ID>
set tftp-server <hostname/IP address> <hostname/IP address>
next
end

netstat -an|more

netstat -an|grep 69

udp <IP address>:69

Are you looking for TFTP Server to transfer configuration files, system images, and OS firmware updates on a larger scale? Your search ends here. 

There are a lot of options available, which makes it challenging to choose the one for you. Therefore, we have analyzed some of the best Windows 10 TFTP servers to download.

What are the advantages of using TFTP servers?

• It is a fast transmission method with low traffic overheads.
• Can work in a virtual environment.
• Transfers files quickly within a local network.
• Helps boot PCs without a disk.
• Transfers files without authentication, which makes transferring data faster.
• It uses User Datagram Protocol to share files between the client and server.
• Can boot a computer remotely without any hassle.

Best free TFTP servers to download on Windows 10

SolarWinds TFTP – comes with high scalability

One of the most robust and straightforward TFTP servers, SolarWinds is an excellent option to download and upload executable images, push OS and firmware updates, and backup network device configuration files.

This TFTP server for Windows 10 has advanced security settings to ensure complete control. In addition, it comes with multi-thread support and can quickly transfer files up to 4 GB.

If we talk about the interface of this TFTP server, it has a simple layout with a clean and minimalist interface.

Let’s look at the critical features of SolarWinds TFTP:

• Allows you to download and upload images simultaneously from different network devices
• It enables you to authorize a range of IPs or an IP address
• Helps you keep your firewalls, switches, and routers up to date, configured, and backed up
• Comes with an IP restriction feature to avoid unauthorized access requests

⇒ Get SolarWinds TFTP

TFTPD64/32 Server – highly compatible

Another lightweight TFTP server for Windows, TFTPD64/32, is an open-source IPV6-compatible app with TFTP, SNTP, DNS, DHCP, and Syslog servers.

The application comes in two variants, 64-bit and 32-bit. It has extensive features, including security tuning, early acknowledgments, progress bars, directory facility, interface filtering, etc. 

This TFTP server and client are compatible with TFTP option support such as size, timeout, and block size. With all the extensive features available, this application can deliver maximum performance when transferring files.

Let’s look at some of the key features:

• Collects records on configured devices and displays to users
• Comes with a DHCP server, which provides unlimited static or automatic IP address assignment
• Easily transfers messages and backup Syslog
• Allows you to keep track of file transfers with the help of logs

⇒ Get TFTPD64

Spiceworks TFTP server – best for IT professionals

Spiceworks is a visually pleasing network administration app with a TFTP server for Windows 10. This app keeps device settings up to date and ensures that all the network configurations are standard across every network device in an organization.

With its backup and restore feature, one can quickly restore important files if things go awry. In addition, this TFTP server comes with a side-by-side comparison view to check the changes made in configuration files.

One of the best features of this open-source TFTP server is that it excels in saving config files and loading firmware into network devices.

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Let’s look at the key features of Spiceworks TFTP server:

• Ensures all devices can push out updates and are updated
• All available devices are listed, which makes managing them easy
• Can push firmware updates to all compatible devices swiftly
• Keeps track of network activity in real-time and notifies if any change exists

⇒ Get Spiceworks

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haneWIN TFTP server – robust & reliable

haneWin TFTP server, based on RFC 1350, is a shareware available to download for Windows 10. With multi-threaded architecture, it is one of the best TFTP servers for Windows, as it is highly reliable and delivers high performance.

This TFTP server installer file comes in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions. With the pipe option, the received data can be directly fed to the other applications, and the output of an app can be transmitted to a file on the server.

It can implement access control to the server depending on the IP address, server directories, and operation requested for data security. In addition, this free TFTP server can run as a service and doesn’t require a user to log on.

Let’s look at the critical features of haneWin TFTP server:

• Comes with support for Intel/PXE style multicast operation
• Has a control panel applet to monitor and configure with ease
• Can run on the command line, making it useful for scripting
• Has a DHCP server

⇒ Get haneWin TFTP

WinAgents TFTP – designed for admins

A multi-threaded TFTP server, WinAgents TFTP is designed to function 24*7 as a background service.

It has various features such as server port ranges, size, timeout changes, and block number rollover for large files.

WinAgents TFTP server can transmit files using TFTP protocol through firewalls, and routers, where Network Address Translation mode is active.

With high-performance architecture, remote server administration, and a reliable cache system, it is one of the most scalable TFTP servers to download on Windows 10.

The interface of this TFPT server is simple. This tool is free for 30 days and can run on 32-bit and 64-bit systems.

Let’s look at the critical features of WinAgents TFTP:

• Allows using UDP 69 port for transmitting files
• Can create stock copies of flash images, device settings, and config files
• Configures UDP port for connections to send files via firewalls
• Allows managing large intranets seamlessly

⇒ Get WinAgent TFTP

We hope you find an accessible TFTP server for Windows from the list presented in this guide. If you have any other free TFTP servers that you use, feel free to share them in the comments below.

Network admins use TFTP Servers every day to transfer images, configuration files, firmware, etc. to their networking devices.

TFTP is simple on its own and does not need any sophisticated messaging to work.

Of course, having no overhead is terrific, but there is a downside; it does not provide any encryption and authentication mechanisms.

Although TFTP has no built-in security, network admins use it for simple and fast file transfers within LANs.

And best of all, it can be used for remote connections by hardening its security with the right server/client software.

In this step-by-step tutorial, you’ll learn how to set up and configure TFTP on Windows 10.

We’ll learn how TFTP works, and how to set it up on the client and server.

Let’s get started!

What is TFTP?

TFTP (Trivial File Transfer Protocol) is a simple file transferring mechanism developed as a “lighter” version of FTP.

It attempts to over-simplify and downsize the functionality of FTP.

Instead of using the full TCP implementation, TFTP relies on the connectionless and simple UDP transport over port 69.

TFTP only allows unidirectional file transferring.

It provides zero control and has low overhead.

The original idea of creating TFTP was to provide booting for disk-less computers or workstations that didn’t have enough memory or disk.

These disk-less workstations usually do not have access to the full TCP/IP stack, so they need to obtain configuration information such as DHCP or BOOTP from another server.

TFTP uses a client/server communication model.

As as you can see from the message exchange below, the TFTP server sends a block of data and waits for the acknowledgment before sending the next one.

A host sends a Request to Write (WRQ), the server responds with an Acknowledgement (ACK), so the host sends data.

The host can also send a Request to Read (RRQ) then the server sends the data and waits for an acknowledgment.

Today TFTP is commonly used for transferring configuration files and firmware images from and to networking devices.

It is also used for network booting by diskless nodes that need booting from the LAN.

TFTP is very easy to implement and use.

But it is not a secured transfer method.

It does not provide a login or access control mechanism, so it is more common in LANs.

Preparing your TFTP Environment

A TFTP server is a must-have piece of software in every network admin’s toolkit.

Cisco, Huawei, Netgear, and many more network appliances use TFTP for upgrading, backing-up, and saving configuration files and firmware.

Fortunately, you can set up and configure a TFTP server on your Windows 10 machine. You’ll need the following post if you’re looking for a TFTP client for Windows 7

SolarWinds Free TFTP Server is lightweight and compatible with Windows 10.

It is a standalone free tool use for fast and easy network file transfers.

Download TFTP Server Free!

Prerequisites Before We Start

When setting up your TFTP server for the first time, consider the following requirements:

1. Download the Free TFTP Server To start, you’ll need to get the software. Download SolarWinds Free TFTP Server from its official site. The software is 100% free.
2. Have Admin Rights Setting a TFTP server requires an administrator account.
3. Have a Root Folder Ready In the end, the idea of using TFTP is to transfer files. Since you are configuring a TFTP server, you’ll need to have a folder storing all transferable files, such as OS firmware, configuration files, DCHP, etc.
4. Port forwarding TFTP clients might be able to access the server within the local network area without any issues, so if you don’t need remote file transfers, skip the port forwarding. But if TFTP clients are located across the WAN, they need their traffic to be forwarded to the correct destination. Port Forwarding is a setting in the local router that redirects requests from IP address and port number from WAN to another service on the LAN. To allow TFTP requests from remote TFTP clients into your LAN, you will need to log into the router and forward the UDP port 69 to the IP address of your server.
5. Configuring Port Forwarding This varies from router to router. Generally, most routers have it under Advanced Setup > NAT > Port Forward. Make a new entry on the list as Port (69) > UDP > IP Address (your IP)
6. Allow local firewall rules The local firewall might block TFTP file transfers. To allow the TFTP client to successfully request data to the TFTP server, avoid any firewall that might be blocking the connection. If possible, configure the firewall inbound/outbound rules to allow TFTP traffic. In the same way, make sure that there are no local firewalls or routers with ACLs blocking the TFTP connection.

Setting up a TFTP Server on Windows 10

So, now you have the TFTP environment ready.

You downloaded the TFTP server software, have admin rights on the server, have the root folder with all files, made the right configurations on the local router, and you are sure that nothing is blocking your TFTP connection.

Let’s go ahead and install the TFTP server:

1. Unpack the zip drive downloaded from the SolarWinds TFTP server and open the executable file. The SolarWinds TFTP Wizard will open, click on “Next”.
   Download Free!
   
2. Click “Browse” to choose a destination location.
3. Once the SolarWinds TFTP Server Setup finishes, click “Finish”.
4. Open the SolarWinds TFTP Server. The console should look something like this…

Configuring Security

TFTP is known for its lack of security. It does not have any encryption mechanism and does not support any client/server authentication methods.

Without encryption and authentication, a hacker could easily spoof the TFTP server and compromise the authenticity of critical files such as routing configuration and DCHP.

But despite that lack of security, TFTP is still the preferred method for quick and easy file sharing on networking devices.

Having no encryption and authentication makes TFTP fast and without much overhead.

Still, some TFTP server software can provide some features that guarantee a certain level of security.

For example:

• Restrict the use of the server to a certain range or single IP addresses.
• Permit or restrict certain types of file transfers. For example, only send, receive, or both.

To configure IP address restriction and file transfer types in the Solarwinds TFTP server

1. Go to File > Configure.
2. Go to the Security tab.
3. By default, SolarWinds TFTP Server will allow all IP addresses to send/receive files. But you may also want to restrict the access to the TFTP server to specific IP addresses. If you want to restrict the server to a few networking devices, go ahead and click on “Only allow the following IP addresses to send/receive files,” then click on “Add”.
4. In the following screen, you can define the IP address or range of addresses. For example, we are restricting access to sending/receiving files to the devices with IP from 192.68.0.100 to 192.168.0.120.
5. In the same Security tab, you can also restrict transfer types. When you restrict IP addresses and transfer types, your security can be dramatically improved. For example, you may only want to allow sending files to a specific router.
6. Click Ok.

Binding the Server to Specific IP addresses, Subnet, or interfaces

The tool we’re using also comes with “Server Bindings,” which is another fantastic feature that can improve security.

Server Bindings is similar to restricting IP addresses, except that you can customize this restriction based on your local TFTP server network interfaces.

If your server has more than one interface, you can customize its connectivity based on “source IP” or “subnet.” In other words, you can limit the number of available interfaces that the TFTP server is listening to.

By default, the TFTP server will process the requests from clients received from any network interface

1. If you want to customize the server’s bindings, for example, allow an entire subnet (from an interface) and allow a single IP on another, go to File > Configure > Server Bindings, and click on “Use custom server binding.”
2. You also have the option to bind to all addresses in the list that you provided or go through the list in descending order. Once, you finished, click “OK

Configuring the TFTP Server

First, let’s make sure that the service has started.

If you find the following message: “TFP Server service status: stopped,” try clicking the “Start” button to start the TFTP service in the server application and wait a couple of seconds.

If it goes “stopped” again, try the following.

1. Go to Windows services. Open Windows search bar and type “services”. Or type the Win+R keys to open the Run application and type “services.msc”. Make sure to run “services.msc” as an administrator.
2. Find the service “SolarWinds TFTP Server” and double-click it. Make sure that its Startup Type is “Automatic” and if you see the Service status: Stopped, click the “Start” button.
3. If you still see the service “Stopped,” disable any Antivirus or Firewall and test again. One of these applications might be blocking communication through port 69.

Configuring Other Parameters

1. A useful setting for easier access to the application is to enable “Add TFTP Server to Windows System Tray”.
2. You can leave Timeout and Retry options, with their default settings unless you are testing the TFTP environment
   1. TFTP timeout: This is the TFTP session timeout in seconds.
   2. Retry: The number of times, the server will retry to transmit a packet when the TFTP client doesn’t respond.
3. Finally, let’s set up the “TFTP Server Root Directory”. This is the folder where all your files received from other devices will be stored, or where you will store the files that will be sent to other devices.
   1. Go to “Storage” > “Browse”. Choose a new folder or leave the “C:TFTP-Root” folder created by default.
   2. Click on “Ok”.

Setting up the TFTP Client

The TFTP Client depends on the successful installation and configuration of the TFTP server. The client is probably the one that you will be using the most.

The only task you might need to do with the server is to update the shared files and input/remove some IPs.

When using the TFTP server, don’t forget about the following settings (already mentioned).

1. The TFTP server service has to be up and the application is running.
2. Configure the right TFTP folder.
3. Make sure no Firewall and Antivirus is blocking the application and connection.
4. If you are file sharing to a remote location, don’t forget about port forwarding.
5. Make sure all your TFTP clients can reach your TFTP server.

From the TFTP client

Most networking devices already have TFTP enabled. For example, to transfer a Cisco Switch image from the server to the device, you would have to specify the IP address of the TFTP server on the client (Cisco Switch).

As you can see from the screenshot below, this switch does not have any configuration or image filename.

It does have a default address and a TFTP address. So to receive these missing files, you can use the IOS command “copy tftp startup-config [ip address of the TFTP server]”.

Another example, from a Huawei Switch (screenshot below).

The first line (TFTP get) downloads the files from the TFTP Server (192.168.0.2) to the switch.

The second line (TFTP put) uploads the files from the switch device to the TFTP server.

But networking devices are not the only ones that can run TFTP clients. You can also run the client on a Windows system.

Install TFTP Client on Windows 10

Fortunately, most Windows versions (servers and workstations) come with the TFTP client feature built-in, you only have to enable it.

1. Go to Windows Start and search for “Control Panel”  then click on “Programs”
2. Open Turn Windows features on or off.
3. From the Windows Features list, find the TFTP Client feature and turn it on. Wait for the installation to complete and click “Ok”.

TFTP is considered an unsafe protocol, so Windows does not allow it by default. You will have to either turn off the Windows firewall (which is not recommended) or add an exception on the Firewall for the TFTP Client.

Let’s open the Windows Firewall and configure the rules and exceptions to allow TFTP.

1. Open the Windows Start menu and type “Firewall” > open the “Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security,” and run it as an Administrator.
2. Make sure that the firewall is enabled, and click on “Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall”.
3. Click on “Change Settings,” then “Allow another app”.
4. Click on “Browse” and find the TFTP.exe from the System32 folder and click on Open. Then click on “Add”.
5. You can now, find the application on the Windows Defender Firewall, enable both Private and Public.

Transferring Files with TFTP

Now that you enabled the native TFTP client in Windows, you can use it to transfer files between the TFTP server.

As mentioned before, make sure that the files are present in the root folder and that the client and server can reach each other.

The TFTP client runs through the command line interface. The command sytax is:

tftp [-i] [<Host>] [{get | put}] <Source> [<Destination>] 

Where:

s
• – i : Transfer in binary mode [also called octect]. If you don’t specify this parameter, the transfer goes in ASCII mode, which is a regular text file transfer.
• Host: Specifies the local/remote computer (server).
• Put: transfers the source file [on the local computer] to the file on the destination [remote computer]. Use this command to send a file.
• Get: Downloads [transfers] the file from the destination remote computer to the local computer. Use this command to receive a file.
• Source: Specifies the source file [with the path] to transfer.
• Destination: specifies the destination file [with the path] to get.

An example of using the TFTP command on Windows 10:

In this example, we will upload a firmware image file [.bin] to the TFTP server [192.168.1.20]. We will use the TFTP client in Windows and transfer the file using binary mode.

1. Let’s open the Windows command prompt. Open the Windows search and type “cmd,” or press the Win + R > Open the Run and type “cmd”.
2. Go to the directory where the firmware is stored (or specify the entire path).
3. Type the command TFTP -i 192.168.1.20 PUT firmware.bin

Final Words

TFTP is a terrific and often misunderstood transferring method.

Although it has a bad reputation for its lack of security, it doesn’t have much overhead, making it a reliable, quick, and easy transferring mechanism.

You can use it in enclosed LANs or WANs, where speed reigns over security.

Setting up a TFTP server on Windows 10 is straightforward. Just download the SolarWinds Free TFTP Server and configure it, as shown in this tutorial.

If your TFTP client is a networking device, it will likely have the TFTP service already enabled. But if you want to transfer files to a Windows 10 workstation, you can enable the TFTP built-in feature.

We hope that this tutorial was informative.

Please comment if you have any questions about the setup and configuration of the TFTP on your Windows 10.

Setup & Configure TFTP On Windows 10 FAQs

When transferring files across a network then TFTP is a good solution due to its ease of use and easy configuration.

TFTP, or Trivial File Transport Protocol, is a way of sending and receiving files over the internet. It is especially useful in situations where the remote computer that is receiving the file is unmanned.

This makes sending files very easy and does not require human intervention on the other end if configured correctly. The downside is that the protocol is not secure. (If security is a concern then you should look at transfer methods that use encryption.)

If you do a lot of file transfers over your home or business network, then TFTP is a good way to go.

In order to demonstrate this method of file copying and transferring,  we will be using a free TFTP tool provided by SolarWinds TFTP. It is a quick and easy way to get the job done, so we will be downloading it from here.

Best of all is that this app is free, so using it will certainly not break the bank. Let’s get started.

After you download, install the package on your PC and lets get started with the configure.

Before We Begin:

There are a couple of things that we need to do before we can get started. This is all very easy to do so don’t let these steps scare you off. The whole process should only take a few minutes and is very simple to get done. You will therefore need:

• Access to the Administrator account:
  This is easy to do. If you are the only person using your computer then the chances that you are the administrator of your account is pretty high.
• Download and Install SolarWinds TFTP Server:
  In order to use the SolarWinds TFTP Server we will obviously need to download and install it to the computer. The download link can be found above in the intro section.
• You will need Port Forwarding for External Connections:
  If you are planning on using remote connections with your TFTP server then you will need to use port forwarding. UDP Port 69 is the port type and port number that you will need to use. It will need to point to the IP address of your server on your network from your router in order to allow users from outside of the network. If you only need internal connections, then don’t worry about this step as it is not needed.

Now we can get started with the rest of the setup!

What Kind of Connection Do You Need to Configure?

For external connections you will need to ensure that you configure the security settings appropriately in the application. You can select which IP addresses can send and receive files to help specify which valid hosts can transfer and receive.

Basic TFTP Server Setup

These steps will guide you through the setup process of SolarWinds TFTP Server. This will help you get the ball rolling and allow you to eventually make transfers across multiple networks possible.

1. Open the SolarWinds TFTP application
2. Next, click file -> configure.

1. Choose the correct settings as highlighted in the following screen capture labelled 1, 2 and 3.
2. 1 Shows the status of the TFTP service, 2 allows you to set the icon to appear in the taskbar and 3 is where the files will be stored by default. You can choose a different location if you want. We will be leaving ours as the default location but feel free to make any changes if you need to. A popular choice for example is the Downloads folder.

1. The next step is locking down some security items. To do that, we need to go to the, you guessed it, security tab within the SolarWinds TFTP Server.
2. This part is pretty self explanatory, but definitely worth looking into. We need to set the actions that we want this computer to be able to complete. If you are setting up permissions for a file server, then you might not want everyone to have access to send files to it, and instead you might only want it to server files and have them downloadable. If that is the case then you will want to choose send files. If you want to do both then select Send and Receive files.

1. You can further lock down the security of your TFTP server by specifying which IP addresses are allowed to transfer files. You can do this by selecting a range of both IPv4 and IPv6 IP addresses. Our example uses IPv4 and allows 10 IP addresses to send and receive files across the network.

1. We enter the range and then set the changes by clicking the OK button. Easy.

We have now configured our TFTP server in just a few simple clicks.

The Fun Part: Actually Utilizing Our New TFTP Server

The setup was pretty straight forward, and using the application is just as easy. Let’s go through the steps to make using our TFTP server a reality.

Port Forwarding Steps

This part is optional because you might not want to access your files from outside the network. This is understandable, especially because TFTP is not designed to be a secure protocol, just a convenient one. However, you can add mappings to port 69 in your router by either finding the NAT or Port Forwarding sections of your router. Each manufacturer is different, so be sure to consult your user manual when attempting to make changes to your router. If in doubt then contact your manufacturer’s support and see if they can assist you with the changes.
For everyone else, lets carry on with our tutorial!

Installing a suitable TFTP Client for Windows

The easiest way to continue is to use the default Windows TFTP that comes with the Operating System. To access it and install it onto our computer we need to do the following:

1. Open the start menu and search for the control panel.
2. Find Programs and Features and then click on Turn Windows features on or off.
3. Find the TFTP client and click on the tick box so that the tick is visible.
   
4. Next, Click on OK to install the client.
   
5. Once finished, you have installed the client.
   

Important to note that this is the computer without the TFTP server application running, also known as the client PC.

Allow TFTP with a Firewall Configuration Change

There are 2 approaches to getting this right. The first and easiest way is to disable your Windows Firewall. This might be OK in a home setup where you trust all of your devices on the network, or in a corporate environment where management is conducted by the IT department. If you are not willing to do this, then we can create specific rules in our Windows firewall to allow traffic through.

1. Click on the start menu and type in Control Panel, then click on that icon when it appears.
2. Click on Windows Defender Firewall.
3. Next, click on Turn Windows Defender on or off.
4. Tick the boxes as seen below and then click ok
   
5. You have now turned off you firewall.
6. If you don’t feel comfortable turning off Windows Firewall we create an exception instead. To do this, we must click on Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall’ in the Windows Firewall settings.
   
7. Click on the Change settings button to add a program.
8. Next you must click on Allow another appand then hit Browse.
9. Select exein the Windows system32 directory and also TFTPServer in the SolarWinds folder inside Program Files x86.
10. Click open and it has been added.
11. Tick the boxes called Privateand  To finish, click ok.
    

Transferring Files using TFTP

Let us now do some local tests with the following commands.

1. Press the windows key or click on the start menu
2. Type cmd and press enter
3. You will see a black cmd terminal in front of you. This is where we will type in our commands.
4. Change directories to the path where your files are stored for sending and receiving. Let us now send a file. To do this, we use the ‘put’ command.

tftp -i 192.168.31.46 put “Test_File”.mp3

1. If you want to receive a file, then the command we will use is called ‘get’.

tftp -i 192.168.31.46 get “Test_File”.mp3

We can look at our TFTP Server logs that display when we open our server app and we are greeted with the following records:

Conclusion

Transferring files by using TFTP is easy, fun and free. By leveraging the free TFTP server from SolarWinds, we can turn any ordinary PC into a file server with remote access capabilities.

This is useful for many reasons, and we hope that the tutorial will help you to get the correct access levels set for your own specific needs. Be sure to download the app from above so that you can follow along with this tutorial.

Better yet, check out SolarWinds and look at the multitude of monitoring, troubleshooting and control software that they have on offer. You are bound to find the right tool for the job, regardless of what you are trying to achieve!

Happy file transferring, and we’ll see you next time.

TFTP Server FAQs

What is difference between FTP and TFTP?

FTP is the File Transfer Protocol – the original file transfer system for the internet. TFTP is the Trivial File Transfer Protocol. This is a lightweight service that is usually used on private networks for moving small files to devices. Both systems can be used to either send or fetch a file and neither system includes security features, such as data encryption. As such, neither of these systems should be used to send files to remote devices outside a private network – user SFTP or FTPS instead.

Why do we use TFTP?

The Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) is fast and feature-free. It does not include authentication procedures, which means it can be integrated into task automation scripts without the need to store passwords but that also means that it shouldn’t e used to move sensitive data. The access security of private networks provides sufficient protection to make TFTP safe to use. However, even in this location, the protocol isn’t a good option for data movements. TFTP is good for moving configuration files to devices and for gathering log files from endpoints on a network to a central location.

Does TFTP use UDP or TCP?

The Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) is a lightweight file transfer system and as such, can be considered to be a stripped-down version of the File Transfer Protocol (FTP). The lack of features in TFTP makes it quick and also easy to deploy from a script. TFTP lacks authentication and session features, which are hallmarks of UDP. TFTP connections are initially made to port 69. However, continued communication for a transfer is switched to a random ephemeral port – some TFTP implementations choose to use the same ephemeral port number for all of their transactions.