proxy - 5 Feb 16:53:26 ntpdate[414]: no server suitable for synchronization found

I am using Ubuntu as the host machine for my embedded Linux board with the tftp-hpa service. I can boot just fine using the u-boot bootloader while passing the local ( 192.168.1.10 ) ip address of the TFTP server running on the host to the target board ( which has ip address 192.168.1.3 ). This is the case where both server and client are behind the router and on the 192.168.1.x network.

I want to be able to export my directory beyond my router to the external network. My TFTP Server is configured ( via the /etc/default/tftp-hpa ) as follows:

user@ubuntu:~$ cat /etc/default/tftpd-hpa

RUN_DAEMON="yes"

TFTP_USERNAME="tftp"

TFTP_DIRECTORY="/home/user/exported-nfs"

TFTP_ADDRESS="0.0.0.0:69"

TFTP_OPTIONS="-l --secure"

I have forwarded port 69 ( UDP ) to my server at 192.168.1.10 within the router config as shown here:

I also setup my router to use the server ( 192.168.1.10 ) as the DMZ:

This works:

user@ubuntu:~$ tftp
tftp> trace
Packet tracing on.
tftp> connect 192.168.1.10
tftp> get /boot/uImage
sent RRQ <file=/boot/uImage, mode=netascii>
received DATA <block=1, 512 bytes>
sent ACK <block=1>
received DATA <block=2, 512 bytes>
sent ACK <block=2>
received DATA <block=3, 512 bytes>
...
sent ACK <block=4465>
received DATA <block=4466, 343 bytes>
Received 2286423 bytes in 0.5 seconds
tftp>

And this does NOT work:

user@ubuntu:~$ tftp
tftp> trace
Packet tracing on.
tftp> connect 129.196.194.210
tftp> 
tftp> get /boot/uImage
sent RRQ <file=/boot/uImage, mode=netascii>
sent RRQ <file=/boot/uImage, mode=netascii>
sent RRQ <file=/boot/uImage, mode=netascii>
sent RRQ <file=/boot/uImage, mode=netascii>
sent RRQ <file=/boot/uImage, mode=netascii>
Transfer timed out.

I can successfully SSH ( port 22 ) to my 192.168.1.10 server using the external router ip ( 129.196.194.210 ) so my port forwarding is working.

user@ubuntu:~$ ifconfig
eth0      Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 0a:0c:c9:b1:fa:43  
          inet addr:192.168.1.10  Bcast:192.168.1.255  Mask:255.255.255.0
          inet6 addr: fe80::20c:29ff:feb1:da43/64 Scope:Link
          UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
          RX packets:174803 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:155485 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000 
          RX bytes:32417220 (32.4 MB)  TX bytes:94986400 (94.9 MB)
          Interrupt:19 Base address:0x2024 

lo        Link encap:Local Loopback  
          inet addr:127.0.0.1  Mask:255.0.0.0
          inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host
          UP LOOPBACK RUNNING  MTU:16436  Metric:1
          RX packets:45130 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:45130 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:0 
          RX bytes:12913549 (12.9 MB)  TX bytes:12913549 (12.9 MB)

user@ubuntu:~$ ssh [email protected]
[email protected]'s password: 
Linux ubuntu 2.6.32-42-generic #96-Ubuntu SMP Wed Aug 15 18:57:09 UTC 2012 i686 GNU/Linux
Ubuntu 10.04.4 LTS

Welcome to Ubuntu!
 * Documentation:  https://help.ubuntu.com/

New release 'precise' available.
Run 'do-release-upgrade' to upgrade to it.

Last login: Tue Sep 11 07:55:30 2012 from 129.196.194.210
user@ubuntu:~$ 

But the TFTP access from outside the router is constantly failing and timing out. What am I doing wrong? How can I fix this? Thanks -

TFTP through NAT is very problematic since it uses UDP, not TCP for the data transfer. You'll need to set have your router act as a TFTP proxy, which most home routers won't be able to do (but I know that pfSense has this feature).