Abstract: A network device includes: a memory unit including a buffer memory and a read-only memory that has a device firmware stored therein for execution by the network device; a transmission interface unit for establishing connection to a host device via a network; a status-indicating unit; and a firmware-update control unit configured to retrieve firmware-update data from the host device through the network via the transmission interface unit, configured to store the firmware-update data thus retrieved in the buffer memory, and configured to update the device firmware in the read-only memory based on the firmware-update data in the buffer memory, the firmware-update control unit being further configured to control the status-indicating unit for generating a firmware-update-status output corresponding to a state of a firmware update process performed by the firmware-update control unit for user notification.