pxe network boot vs usb boot (to install windows 10 or any image really)

[sk3k2k]

hello,

i can't find an answer to this on the internet.

i'm asking because i used to work at a place where they supported pxe booting, and now at a place where they use a usb stick, and nobody can tell me why, they just do it.

why do some laptops use pxe boot to get the image from the pxe server, while other laptops have to have a bootable usb stick to point the uefi/bios to the pxe server? is it only because some laptops don't support network booting (meaning, they don't have that feature installed)? if yes, when did the new laptops start supporting network booting?


thank you kindly.

 

[USAFRet]

If no internal drive to boot from
Or if no USB or DVD to boot from

The system defaults down to trying to boot from a network resource. PXE.

There is no real advantage either way, except for that "the company" can manage what install it wants to use for a new system.

 

[sk3k2k]

isn't the advantage that you don't have to carry around a usb stick to image a ton of laptops?

both of my jobs had laptops that had dvdrw and usb sticks to boot from, but one chose a usb stick and the other chose direct to the pxe server. i'm baffled.

do all laptops, let's say for the past 10 years, have the capability to boot from the network?

 

[USAFRet]

isn't the advantage that you don't have to carry around a usb stick to image a ton of laptops?

both of my jobs had laptops that had dvdrw and usb sticks to boot from, but one chose a usb stick and the other chose direct to the pxe server. i'm baffled.

do all laptops, let's say for the past 10 years, have the capability to boot from the network?

And given a system in a remote location with no current LAN/internet access....USB.
For instance, the originating server system.

Either way has advantages/disadvantages. There is no "best".

Doing "a ton of laptops"...there are multiple ways to do that. And no, that would not be done via individual USB. Not in any IT shop that has a clue.