What You'll Need:
- A Dell Force10 S4810P switch
- A computer with network access to the switch and internet access
- FTP server or USB storage device
- Terminal application (like PuTTY for Windows or Terminal for macOS) or SSH client
- Know the current version of the firmware
Steps:
- Get the latest firmware: Visit the official Dell website to download the latest firmware for your S4810P switch. Dell requires a service tag for firmware downloads, so make sure you have that handy.
- Upload the new firmware to your switch: There are two ways to do this:
- Via FTP: If you have an FTP server, you can upload the firmware to it and then download it to your switch. At the switch's command line, use the
copy ftp://<FTP server IP>/<firmware filename> flash:command, replacing<FTP server IP>with your server's IP and<firmware filename>with the name of the firmware file. - Via USB: If you don't have an FTP server, you can use a USB storage device. First, copy the firmware file to the root directory of the USB device. Then, connect the USB device to the switch and use the
copy usbflash:<firmware filename> flash:command to transfer the firmware to the switch.
- Via FTP: If you have an FTP server, you can upload the firmware to it and then download it to your switch. At the switch's command line, use the
- Set the switch to use the new firmware: After the new firmware is on the switch, use the
boot system flash://<firmware filename>command to instruct the switch to boot using the new firmware. - Reload the switch: To apply the changes and boot the switch into the new firmware, use the
reloadcommand. Confirm the reload operation when prompted. The switch will then reboot, which may take a few minutes.
Congratulations, your Dell Force10 S4810P switch is now updated with the latest firmware! Keeping your switch's firmware up-to-date is vital to ensure that it operates with the latest features, bug fixes, and security patches.
Plan firmware updates like maintenance, not cleanup
A switch firmware update should have a maintenance window, a saved configuration, console access, and a verification plan. Check release notes, confirm the current version, and understand whether the update requires a reboot or changes management behavior.
Before updating, notify affected users or tenants, confirm the upstream and downstream paths, and make sure someone can reach the switch locally or through a trusted remote console. After the update, verify version, port status, VLAN behavior, management access, and any features used for filtering, rate limiting, or monitoring.
Related Force10 guides
Post-change verification checklist
After using this Force10 note, verify the public impact instead of stopping at the admin prompt. Confirm management access still works from the intended network, check that important ports and VLANs are passing traffic, and save a dated copy of the running configuration. For hosting or client networks, also note who was notified, what changed, and what rollback step should be used if monitoring or customer reports show a problem.
Firmware rollback planning
Before a firmware update, know how you would roll back or recover if the switch does not behave as expected. That means current configuration backups, verified console access, maintenance-window ownership, and a short checklist for port, VLAN, uplink, and management validation after the reboot.
