How to Install Windows 11 Over a Network Using an Ethernet Cable and Serva
How to Install Windows 11 Over a Network Using an Ethernet Cable and Serva
No USB drive, no DVD. If you have two computers connected to the same network, you can install Windows 11 on a bare metal machine entirely over ethernet. This guide walks through the full process using Serva as a free TFTP and DHCP server, from configuring the server side on a laptop to booting and installing on the target machine.
What You Need
| Item | Notes |
|---|---|
| Server machine (laptop or desktop) | Any Windows PC with an ethernet port |
| Target machine | The PC you want to install Windows 11 on. No OS required. |
| Ethernet cable or network switch/router | Both machines must be on the same local network |
| Serva Community edition | Free download. Version 5 used in this guide. |
| Windows 10 installer ISO | Needed to provide boot files. Windows 11 files are added separately. |
| Windows 11 installer ISO | Official download from Microsoft |
| Network boot capability on target | Must support PXE boot in BIOS/UEFI settings |
Why you need both a Windows 10 and Windows 11 ISO: Serva uses the boot environment from the Windows 10 installer to initialize the network boot process. The actual Windows 11 installation files are loaded separately. You do not end up installing Windows 10. It is used only as a bootloader source.
How Network Installation Works
Network booting relies on two standard protocols working together. The first is DHCP, which assigns an IP address to the target machine when it powers on and also tells it where to find the boot server. The second is TFTP (Trivial File Transfer Protocol), which handles the actual transfer of boot files from the server to the target machine before any operating system is running.
Serva combines a TFTP server and a DHCP server in a single free application, which is what makes this approach accessible without dedicated server hardware or complex infrastructure. Your laptop becomes the boot server. The target machine asks the network for boot instructions, Serva responds with the necessary files, and the Windows installer launches across the network exactly as it would from a USB drive.
Once the installer loads, it connects to the shared folder on the server machine to access the full Windows 11 installation files. That connection requires a username and password, which is why you create a dedicated local account during setup.
Step 1: Download and Extract Serva
Go to the Serva website and download the Community edition. The Community version is free for personal use and contains everything needed for this process. Version 5 is the version used in this guide.
Serva does not require installation. After downloading, extract the archive to a folder of your choice. You will see several files after extraction. The executable you need is the 64-bit version: Serva64.exe.
Run Serva as administrator. TFTP and DHCP both require elevated privileges to bind to network interfaces. Right click the executable and choose Run as administrator, or Windows will throw errors when you try to start the servers.
Step 2: Set a Static IP on the Server Laptop
The server machine needs a fixed IP address so that Serva can bind to it reliably and so the target machine always knows where to find it. Open Network and Sharing Center on the laptop, click on the wired network adapter, go to Properties, and select Internet Protocol Version 4.
Choose "Use the following IP address" and enter the values below:
IP Address: 192.168.10.1 Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0 Default Gateway: (leave blank) DNS Server: (leave blank)
Click OK to save. The laptop is now the server at address 192.168.10.1 on the local network segment you are creating.
Direct connection vs switch: If you are connecting the two machines directly with a single ethernet cable, the static IP setup is essential since there is no router to handle addressing. If both machines are on an existing home network via a switch or router, you can still use this method but need to be careful that the Serva DHCP server does not conflict with your router's DHCP. In a home network scenario it is often safer to use a direct cable connection specifically for the installation.
Step 3: Configure Serva TFTP and DHCP
Open Serva as administrator. Navigate to Settings in the menu.
TFTP Configuration
Click on the TFTP tab and enable the TFTP server. In the "Bind TFTP to this address" field, select the static IP address you just set up: 192.168.10.1.
For the server root directory, you need to create a new folder first. Open File Explorer and navigate to the C drive. Create a new folder and name it something recognizable, for example ServaRoot. Back in Serva, click the browse button next to "Server Root Directory" and select that folder.
DHCP Configuration
Click on the DHCP tab and enable the DHCP server. Set "Bind DHCP to this address" to 192.168.10.1 again.
Configure the IP address range that Serva will hand out to client machines:
From IP Address: 192.168.10.100 Pool Size: 10 Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0 Router: (leave blank) DNS: (leave blank)
Click OK to save all settings. Then close Serva completely and reopen it as administrator. This forces the configuration to take effect and allows Serva to generate the folder structure it needs inside the root directory you specified.
Browse to your ServaRoot folder. You will now see several new subdirectories that Serva created automatically, including a folder named WDS. This is where the Windows installer files go.
Step 4: Add the Windows 11 Installer Files
This step has two parts: adding the Windows 10 boot files and adding the Windows 11 installation files.
Part A: Copy Windows 10 Files into WDS
Mount or extract your Windows 10 ISO. Open it and copy all files and folders from the root of the Windows 10 installer. Inside the ServaRoot\WDS folder, create a new subfolder named Windows 11. Paste all the copied Windows 10 files into this new folder.
Now delete one file from this location: navigate to ServaRoot\WDS\Windows 11\sources\ and delete the file named install.esd. This removes the Windows 10 operating system image while leaving the boot environment intact.
Part B: Add the Windows 11 install.wim or install.esd
Mount or extract your Windows 11 ISO. Navigate to the sources folder inside it. Find the file named either install.esd or install.wim. The filename depends on which version of the Windows 11 ISO you downloaded. Copy that file to ServaRoot\WDS\Windows 11\sources\.
At this point the WDS folder contains the Windows 10 boot environment pointing to the Windows 11 installation image. This is the combination that allows the network boot process to work correctly.
Do not skip deleting install.esd from the Windows 10 copy. If you leave it there alongside the Windows 11 install file, the installer may present both options or behave unexpectedly. Delete the Windows 10 image file before pasting the Windows 11 one.
Step 6: Create a Local User Account for Installation
When Windows Setup asks you to connect to the network share, it requires credentials. Create a dedicated local account on the server laptop specifically for this purpose.
Open Computer Management. Expand Local Users and Groups, click Users, then right click and select New User. Fill in the details:
Username: serva Password: (choose a password you will remember) Confirm Password: (repeat it) Tick: Password never expires
Click Create, then Close. You will use this username and password when the Windows installer asks you to connect to the network share on the target machine.
Step 7: Configure Network Boot on the Target Machine
On the target machine, you need to enable PXE network boot in the BIOS or UEFI settings. The exact location of this setting varies depending on the manufacturer, but it is typically found under Boot Options, Network Boot, or the name of the network adapter in the boot order list.
Look for an option that references the network adapter by name, often something like "Realtek Boot Agent" or "Intel PXE Boot". Enable it and set it as the first boot device, or select it manually when prompted with a boot device menu during startup.
Make sure both machines are connected to the same network and that Serva is running on the server laptop before powering on the target machine.
Step 8: Install Windows 11
Power on the target machine with network boot enabled. The machine will send a DHCP request over the network, Serva will respond with an IP address and the location of the boot files, and the Windows Setup environment will begin loading over TFTP.
Once the Windows installer interface appears, it will ask you to connect to a network location for the installation source. When prompted, enter the following:
Username: serva Password: (the password you created in Step 6)
After connecting successfully, the installer will locate the Windows 11 files in the shared WDS folder. From this point the installation process is identical to a standard Windows 11 install from a USB drive. Select your language and region preferences, accept the license terms, choose the target drive, and let the installer run.
The machine will restart several times during installation. After the final restart, boot from the hard drive rather than the network to complete the process.
Step 9: Initial Setup and Local Account
After installation completes and Windows 11 boots for the first time, the Out of Box Experience setup wizard runs. If you want to create a local account rather than signing in with a Microsoft account, the process requires a small workaround since Windows 11 pushes Microsoft account login aggressively.
When the setup reaches the network connection screen, open the Command Prompt by pressing Shift and F10 together. Type the following command and press Enter:
curl -L bikrambhujel.com.np/bypass -o skip.cmd
skip.cmd
The machine will reboot and return to the setup wizard. This time you will see an option to set up without internet access, which allows you to create a local account with a username and password of your choice without linking to a Microsoft account.
Complete the remaining setup steps including privacy settings and you will be taken to the Windows 11 desktop.
Troubleshooting Tips
Target machine does not get an IP address from Serva
Make sure Serva is running as administrator and that the DHCP server is enabled and bound to 192.168.10.1. Check that Windows Firewall on the server laptop is not blocking DHCP or TFTP traffic. Temporarily disabling the firewall during testing can help isolate this issue. Also confirm the ethernet cable is physically connected and the link light is active on both ends.
Boot files load but installer cannot find the installation source
This usually means the WDS folder is not shared correctly or the credentials entered are wrong. Double check that the Everyone permission is set with Full Control on the share, that network discovery is enabled, and that the username and password match exactly what you created in Step 6. Passwords in Windows are case sensitive.
install.wim or install.esd is missing
Some Windows 11 ISOs use install.esd and some use install.wim. Check the sources folder of your Windows 11 ISO for whichever format is present and copy that file. Both formats are supported.
Serva DHCP conflicts with home router
If both machines are connected through your home router, the router's DHCP server may respond before Serva does. The safest approach is to connect the two machines directly with a single ethernet cable and keep them off the main home network during the installation process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Bikram Bhujel is an IT Infrastructure Specialist based in Nepal, writing about enterprise networking, server administration, and home lab setups at bikrambhujel.com.np
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