Missing ethernet port

[code:1]
RouterA#show run
Building configuration...

Current configuration:
!
version 11.2
no service pad
no service password-encryption
no service udp-small-servers
no service tcp-small-servers
!
hostname RouterA
!
!
no ip domain-lookup
!
interface Serial0
ip address 10.242.202.1 255.255.255.0
!
interface Serial1
no ip address
shutdown
!
no ip classless
!
line con 0
logging synchronous
line aux 0
line vty 0 4
login
!
end
[/code:1]

My router is missing this :

[code:1]
!
interface Ethernet0
[/code:1]

I have a 2501 FRAD-FX it has all the normal PHYSICAL ports on it but for some reason the AUI port(ethernet0) doesn't appear when I do show run. Any ideas on what may be causing this?

hmm. could you show us the output of the show version command? It should show the number/type of interfaces attached there. If it doesn't show them there, then try upgrading your IOS to the latest version.

[code:1] Cisco Internetwork Operating System Software
IOS (tm) 2500 Software (C25FX-F-L), Version 11.2(16)P, RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1)
Copyright (c) 1986-1998 by cisco Systems, Inc.
Compiled Mon 19-Oct-98 11:58 by pwade
Image text-base: 0x03020058, data-base: 0x00001000

ROM: System Bootstrap, Version 11.0(10c)XB1, PLATFORM SPECIFIC RELEASE SOFTWARE
(fc1)
BOOTFLASH: 3000 Bootstrap Software (IGS-BOOT-R), Version 11.0(10c)XB1, PLATFORM
SPECIFIC RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1)

RouterB uptime is 1 day, 7 hours, 19 minutes
System restarted by power-on
System image file is "flash:c25fx-f-l.112-16.P", booted via flash

cisco 2501FRAD-FX (68030) processor (revision N) with 2048K/2048K bytes of memor
y.
Processor board ID 13589274, with hardware revision 00000000
Bridging software.
2 Serial network interface(s)
32K bytes of non-volatile configuration memory.
4096K bytes of processor board System flash (Read ONLY)

Configuration register is 0x2102

[/code:1]

It should show the number/type of interfaces attached there. If it doesn't show them there, then try upgrading your IOS to the latest version.

I'm assuming I have to connect though another router because the normal connection port IS the problem unfortunately all the guides I can find say this: ()
is the normal way to do it. I'm assuming however I can still reach a TFTP server on my pc no problem using my other router serial connection and connecting though it's ethernet port but I'm a little lost as to what an upgrade that may fix this issue would be. What would be an upgrade to the current IOS that would be acceptable for this system?

Show version doesn't show any Ethernet interface!!. This is either an IOS issue or a hardware problem with the AUI interface.

As per Cisco's guides, the latest IOS version for the 2501 router is 12.3.26. The one you have is 11.2. You need one of the following IOS files ( Check this link ):

c2500-is-l.123-26.bin
c2500-i-l.123-26.bin
c2500-c-l.123-26.bin

But I have to say that you have a bit of locked situation here!!. You obviously can't upgrade without a working ethernet interface to connect to a TFTP server. There is another upgrade procedure using Xmodem, you could try it as a last resort, but it's very slow compared to TFTP.

Another thing that might be the cause, there might be a hardware problem with the AUI port itself. Did you connect an Ethernet transceiver to it? Does the LEDs on the transceiver light up when you power on the router?

Show version doesn't show any Ethernet interface!!. This is either an IOS issue or a hardware problem with the AUI interface.

Yeah that's kind of what I was thinking. I'm just hoping it's an IOS issue because thats a "learning experience" which is preferable to a "buying experience"

As per Cisco's guides, the latest IOS version for the 2501 router is 12.3.26. The one you have is 11.2. You need one of the following IOS files (Check this link):

c2500-is-l.123-26.bin
c2500-i-l.123-26.bin
c2500-c-l.123-26.bin

I'll try to get my hands on one.

But I have to say that you have a bit of locked situation here!!. You obviously can't upgrade without a working ethernet interface to connect to a TFTP server. There is another upgrade procedure using Xmodem, you could try it as a last resort, but it's very slow compared to TFTP.

It's worth a shot I'm still kind of worried that it's a hardware issue but to be honest I've not seen this problem before so I have no way of verifying.

Another thing that might be the cause, there might be a hardware problem with the AUI port itself. Did you connect an Ethernet transceiver to it? Does the LEDs on the transceiver light up when you power on the router?

The router does not show the port with/without a transceiver connected. When the transceiver is connected these are the lights which are on:

I can only assume those are the normal lights which should be one because they are the same on my working router. Which by the way I'm wondering if I can use my working router to connect to the TFTP and somehow pull the flash data over the serial connection?

The transceiver you showed is almost the same that I have, and it's showing the same lights up that I have. Hopefully, this is good news from the hardware side.

Since you have another working router, you could indeed as you said connect it to a PC with a TFTP server with the newer IOS on it, then connect the two routers using a serial cable. Ofcourse, After setting up the ip addresses of interfaces correctly, you need to add a static route (on the ill router) pointing to the PC subnet.

Generally, If you can ping your TFTP server PC from the ill router, then you can upgrade the IOS.