Abstract: A method for providing a distributed TFTP server network among a plurality of IP devices, said method including providing a plurality of IP devices in communication with a central TFTP server, each IP device maintaining a list of available servers with the central TFTP server being at the bottom the list, each IP device selecting and attempting to connect to the TFTP server at the top of the list of available servers, downloading software from the TFTP server and sending a server ready signal over the distributed TFTP server network following successful download, the IP device then being added to the top of the list of available servers and operating as a TFTP server to allow software download to other IP devices in the distributed TFTP server network.