Image shows a grid of four columns and eight rows detailing the difference between four common types of file transfer: tftp, ftp, sftp, and scp; across eight data points: transfer protocol, standard port, speed overview, security overview, authentication support, encryption support, and connection orientation.
- TFTP : UDP, port 69, Fast, Less Secure, No Authentication, No Encryption, and Connection-less
- FTP: TCP, port 20, 21, Slow, Less Secure, Authentication, No Encryption, and Connection-oriented
- SFTP: TCP, Port 22, Slow, Secure, Authentication, Encryption, and Connection-oriented
- SCP: TCP, Port 22, Fast, Secure, Authentication, Encryption, and Connection-oriented
Src: Twitter via LinkedIn.
Is tftp used for anything other than booting disk images?
In the last 10+ years I've only used TFTP with Cisco network appliances.
I'll never stop being fascinated by the niches that some tech is able to find.
I've only really used it for net boot (https://netboot.xyz/) myself. Maybe OOB back in the day with some iLo shenanigans, but otherwise I stick with rsync.
While that is a very common use case (bootp), I've ran across a lot of hardware that use it for config upload and download:
To upload a config to an industrial grade Garettcom switch you need to use tftp. Same goes for firmware updates and config backups.
This Cisco phone I was battling with once tried to download a config vea TFTP feom its DHCP server, assuming its DHCP server was part of the SIP infrastructure. The above mechanism was also used successfully by some other proprietary hardware built inhouse for firmware updates.