Updating the firmware of your MX-2800 ensures that you are using the most recent and stable version of the multiplexer. Adtran releases firmware updates for free and it is definitely worth the time to update your network. The multiplexer firmware can be downloaded directly from the Adtran website.

Before continuing, the following is required to complete this process.

• A populated MX2800 chassis (1200290L1)

• A DB9 to RJ-45 serial cable to console the MX-2800

• A network switch to connect your MX-2800 chassis and your PC to the same network.

• A TFTP program to transfer the .bin file from your PC to the multiplexer. We use SolarWinds TFTP as it is free and easy to navigate.

• A program to console yourself on the multiplexer and send it commands. We use PuTTY for its versatility

Start by running the serial cable from your computer’s COM port to the multiplexer’s console port. Connect the LAN port of your MX-2800 to the network switch you are using. The PC must also be connected to the same switch.

Move the .bin file you downloaded from Adtran (in our example it is 1205288L1a_342a_1f5f.bin) to your TFTP-Root folder and make sure your TFTP server is up and running. Also take this time to find out the IP address of your computer. You will also need this information when transferring the firmware update to your multiplexer.

Once you have that information and your TFTP server is running, you will want to start PuTTY. Select the connection type ‘Serial’ and specify a 9600 baud rate. Once you are at the console, press Enter until you see a screen asking for your username and password. Enter your username and password combination. If you don’t know this, the default answers are written below:

Username? adtran

Password? adtran

Once you have logged into the multiplexer, you will want to enter 3 for configuration. Press ‘Enter’ to go to the configuration page. Here you will want hit 3 again to get system management. You will need to enter an IP address and a gateway IP address for your MX-2800. We configure our IP address to 192.168.1.26 and the gateway address to 192.168.1.1 but you’ll want to set these values ​​to whatever is appropriate for your network.

To enter the IP address, select 1 and then enter the IP address you are using. The same is done for the gateway address by selecting the option 2. Once you have entered your code, return to the settings page by pressing the button ESC wrench.

Now select option 4 (Utilities) from the Setup menu to access the System Utilities screen. Here you will see the two system controller cards loaded in your system. We will want to update these mx-2800 system controller cards to version 3.42A.

To start, press 2 for ‘Update FLASH software’ and press 2 again for “Update via TFTP server”. Enter the IP address of your PC and type the server file name of the .bin file you want to transfer from. Once these values ​​are correct enter 3 to be the transfer.

** Warning ** Do not unplug the MX2800 at all during this process. Any sudden loss of power or change of state can cause irreparable damage.

Once you are done, go back to the ‘System Utilities’. Now you will want to load the default settings using Option 1. This will take you to the ‘Load Default Settings’ screen. Please select option 3 to reset your multiplexer to defaults. Confirmed by entering 1. Once done, go back by pressing ESC twice.

You will know that you are done when both installed cards are configured with code version 3.42A. One of the cards may not be displayed correctly. This may take a few minutes to update, so be patient. Once both cards are displayed correctly, you will know that you are done. Feel free to shut down the system or resume use as before.