It seems to me that a lot of computers have the ability to boot from a LAN, but I can't ever recall reading about someone actually using it.
Has anyone here ever used a "boot from LAN" feature?
Usually used for imaging computers or to use a computer as a terminal.
Nope never personally used it except for testing.
I did look into it at one stage, but I believe you needed additional (server) software. Definitely something I couldn't get my hands on back then, it was usually some kind of enterprise level stuff.
Just once to be able to install another OS on an old Sun Ultra 1 that didn't have a CD drive.
Nope, never used it and never tried. I never had a need for it.
Btw, whats the role the(often empty) BIOS(?) sockets in this matter that many NIC's have?
Not at home, but in know that some of my clients are using it to distribute and install Ghost images, to servers or terminals.
I have traveled across the universe and through the years to find Her.
Sometimes going all the way is just a start...
Btw, whats the role the(often empty) BIOS(?) sockets in this matter that many NIC's have?
Just that: boot ROM. Something has to tell the computer to boot from the network, and also tell the network card what crap to load off the network in order to make the boot happen.
The function is generally integrated into the main BIOS nowadays, but it used to be that it was neither common nor entirely standardized, so if you needed to boot from a network, you'd usually be on your own to pop in a chip with whatever net-boot ROM you wanted to use.
Ten years or more ago I booted Win95 over LAN from NT4 server, a few years ago Linux to install the operating system (image copy) to computers without CDROM drives.
1+1=10
I've used it to install linux in one of these puppies:
http://www.soekris.com/net5501.htm
I've installed it to one of my clients recently. I convinced them to buy a Soekris instead of purchasing a proprietary PBX.
Asterisk is nowadays more than enough for a small business office. They saved almost 2000 euros by not buying a PBX!
