What is a NetBoot?

What is a NetBoot?

Network booting, shortened netboot, is the process of booting a computer from a network rather than a local drive. This method of booting can be used by routers, diskless workstations and centrally managed computers (thin clients) such as public computers at libraries and schools.

How long does Network Boot take?

1. PXE Boot Process Takes To Long. Booting a single machine thats on the same subnet as the ghost servers can take way to long for it to pull the wim file and boot into winPE. It can take ~45min to an hour.

How do I use NetBoot on Mac?

To start your Mac using your NetBoot image:

1. Restart your Mac while holding down the Option key. Holding down the Option key reveals all the drives, including NetInstall images, available for your Mac to startup from.
2. Use the arrow keys to select your NetBoot image.
3. Press the return key.

How do I create a NetBoot image on a Mac?

To create your NetBoot image:

1. Locate the disk image you created last week using AutoDMG and double click it.
2. Open the System Image Utility.
3. Click the Source menu, and select your disk image’s Macintosh HD volume.
4. Click Next.
5. Choose NeBoot Image.
6. Click Next and agree to the software license.

What do I need to set up a NetBoot server?

A gigabit network switch is recommended but not required. Network cables (one for the server and one for each computer) A Thunderbolt to Ethernet or USB to Ethernet adapter for computers that do not have built-in Ethernet ports The number and type of NetBoot images you create depends on the OS X models in your environment.

What are the requirements for creating a NetBoot image?

Typically, a NetBoot image must be created on hardware that matches the target computer. Additionally, each OS X model supports a different range of OS X versions, so you need to make sure that the version in the NetBoot image is supported on the target hardware.

What version of Mac do I need to install NetBoot?

The NetBoot image can be created on any OS X computer, regardless of version. Download AutoCasperNBI from macmule. Note: This requires administrator credentials for the computer or server.

Why does NetBoot fail to install on some devices?

If the netboot installer seeks an old kernel version which is no longer available in the repository, it will fail. — Ryan Stonecipher-Fisher For machines behind DHCP-enabled routers using the etherboot floppy method, the automatic detection of DHCP and TFTP servers may default to the router’s address.