How to use the command 'tftp' (with examples)

The ’tftp’ command is a Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) client that allows users to connect to TFTP servers and transfer files to or from the server. It is a simple and lightweight file transfer protocol that is widely used for transferring files over a network.

Use case 1: Connect to a TFTP server specifying its IP address and port

Code:

tftp server_ip port

Motivation: Connecting to a TFTP server using the ’tftp’ command is useful when you want to transfer files to or from a specific TFTP server.

Explanation:

• server_ip: The IP address of the TFTP server you want to connect to.
• port: The port number on which the TFTP server is running.

Example output:

tftp> connect 192.168.0.2 69
Connected to 192.168.0.2 (192.168.0.2), port 69

Use case 2: Connect to a TFTP server and execute a TFTP command

Code:

tftp server_ip -c command

Motivation: Executing a TFTP command on a specific TFTP server can be useful when you want to perform specific operations such as uploading or downloading files.

Explanation:

• server_ip: The IP address of the TFTP server you want to connect to.
• -c command: The TFTP command you want to execute on the server.

Example output:

tftp> connect 192.168.0.2 -c get file.txt
getting from 192.168.0.2:file.txt to file.txt [netascii]

Use case 3: Connect to a TFTP server using IPv6 and force originating port to be in range

Code:

tftp server_ip -6 -R port:port

Motivation: Using IPv6 and specifying a range of originating ports can be helpful in certain network configurations to ensure compatibility and connectivity.

Explanation:

• server_ip: The IP address of the TFTP server you want to connect to.
• -6: Specifies the use of IPv6 for the connection.
• -R port:port: Specifies a range of ports that the TFTP client can use as the originating port for the connection.

Example output:

tftp> connect 2001:db8:0:1234::1 -6 -R 1024:65535
Connected to 2001:db8:0:1234::1 (2001:db8:0:1234::1), port 69

Use case 4: Set the transfer mode to binary or ASCII through the TFTP client

Code:

tftp> mode binary|ascii

Motivation: Setting the transfer mode to either binary or ASCII can ensure that the file being transferred is correctly interpreted by the TFTP client and server.

Explanation:

• binary: Sets the transfer mode to binary, which is used for transferring non-text files.
• ascii: Sets the transfer mode to ASCII, which is used for transferring text files.

Example output:

tftp> mode binary
mode set to octet

Use case 5: Download file from a server through the TFTP client

Code:

tftp> get file

Motivation: Downloading a file from a TFTP server is useful when you want to retrieve a file from the server and save it locally.

Explanation:

• file: The name of the file you want to download from the TFTP server.

Example output:

tftp> get file.txt
getting from 192.168.0.2:file.txt to file.txt [netascii]

Use case 6: Upload file to a server through the TFTP client

Code:

tftp> put file

Motivation: Uploading a file to a TFTP server allows you to transfer a file from your local machine to the server.

Explanation:

• file: The name of the file you want to upload to the TFTP server.

Example output:

tftp> put file.txt
putting file.txt to 192.168.0.2:file.txt [netascii]

Use case 7: Exit the TFTP client

Code:

tftp> quit

Motivation: Exiting the TFTP client is necessary when you no longer need to use the client and want to free up system resources.

Explanation: No arguments are needed for this use case.

Example output:

tftp> quit

Conclusion:

The ’tftp’ command is a versatile tool for transferring files to or from TFTP servers. By following the examples provided in this article, you can make use of the different functionalities offered by the command, such as connecting to a server, executing commands, setting transfer modes, downloading and uploading files, and exiting the client.