Upgrading flash/dram, rom upgrade needed?

My 3640 came with 64/16 config and I would like to max it out to 128/32 per Upgrading System Memory in Cisco 3600 Series Routers [Cisco 3600 Series Multiservice Platforms] - Cisco Systems

My question is about the ROM chip, when do these have to be replaced/upgraded?

Can I look at it's version # and tell if the current ROM chip will support more flash/dram or if I have to replace it as well?

thanks!

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Comments

Greenmet29

I'm not sure about the 3640, but when I bought my first router, it was a 2501 and I didn't really know what to look for or anything. I plugged it in, plugged in the console cable, it worked so I paid the guy like 20 bucks. When I got it home I realized I needed to upgrade the ram. I looked on ebay and bought the cheapest ram I could for it, about 7 dollars. There was another kind of ram, but that was like 15 dollars and why would I need that, right? Well, come to find out the ram that I bought only works with the upgraded ROM, which was expensive at the time, if you could find it at all. I eventually lucked out and found someone selling it cheap in an auction (no buy it now). I got it, replaced it, and I still use the router in my lab.

Moral of the story: Check the ROM version and what memory it will support. Chances are that you can spend a few extra dollars on the ram and not have to mess with the ROM.

JeanM

Greenmet29 wrote: »

Moral of the story: Check the ROM version and what memory it will support. Chances are that you can spend a few extra dollars on the ram and not have to mess with the ROM.

Thanks, thats basically what I want to know how to do (check what memory any given ROM / version will support). Is there a guide / link you have on this?

Greenmet29

I would try googling the rom version that you have. The way I figured it out is just googling the errors that I got after I installed the new ram. I would imagine that there is documentation somewhere but since these routers are EOL (and have been for some time), it may be hard to find.

JeanM

Alright, I'll look again on the cisco site, I don't have any errors yet as I haven't purchased the upgrade ram. I am trying to confirm what is the correct way to go about this, if I can plan it correctly to avoid any errors that would be nice

alxx

what is the system boot strap version of the router ?

e.g for one of my 3640's
System Bootstrap, Version 11.1(19)AA, EARLY DEPLOYMENT RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1)
Copyright (c) 1998 by cisco Systems, Inc.
C3600 processor with 32768 Kbytes of main memory
Main memory is configured to 64 bit mode with parity disabled

program load complete, entry point: 0x80008000, size: 0x7c37d8
Self decompressing the image :
############################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################## [OK]

Restricted Rights Legend

Use, duplication, or disclosure by the Government is
subject to restrictions as set forth in subparagraph
(c) of the Commercial Computer Software - Restricted
Rights clause at FAR sec. 52.227-19 and subparagraph
(c) (1) (ii) of the Rights in Technical Data and Computer
Software clause at DFARS sec. 252.227-7013.

cisco Systems, Inc.
170 West Tasman Drive
San Jose, California 95134-1706

Cisco Internetwork Operating System Software
IOS (tm) 3600 Software (C3640-IS-M), Version 12.0(7)T, RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc2)
Copyright (c) 1986-1999 by cisco Systems, Inc.
Compiled Wed 08-Dec-99 01:53 by phanguye
Image text-base: 0x600088F0, data-base: 0x60E02000

cisco 3640 (R4700) processor (revision 0x00) with 28672K/4096K bytes of memory.
Processor board ID 11907410
R4700 CPU at 100Mhz, Implementation 33, Rev 1.0
Bridging software.
X.25 software, Version 3.0.0.
SuperLAT software (copyright 1990 by Meridian Technology Corp).
3 Ethernet/IEEE 802.3 interface(s)
1 Serial network interface(s)
DRAM configuration is 64 bits wide with parity disabled.
125K bytes of non-volatile configuration memory.
8192K bytes of processor board System flash (Read/Write)

Press RETURN to get started!

alxx

Its not so much about errors but also being able to use the newest ios possible with the features needed for ccna/ccnp etc

Greenmet29

alxx wrote: »

System Bootstrap, Version 11.1(19)AA, EARLY DEPLOYMENT RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1)

Bootstrap is the ROM version. Check around and see if you can find a newer one or what memory/ios version this one supports. I actually didn't know that the rom version had anything to do with what IOS it could support.