> Date: Fri, 28 Mar 1997 15:49:01 -0500 (EST)
> From: Chris Davis <davis@ecf.utoronto.ca>
> 
> 	Help me please,
> 
> 	I'm trying to boot my sun3 over the network, but it dosen't seem
> to work. This is what happens.
> 
> 	>b
> 	EEPROM boot device..Boot: ie(0,0,0)
> 	Using IP Address 128.100.175.240 = 8064AFF0
> 	Booting from tftp server at 128.100.175.211 = 8064AFD3
> 	Downloaded 14336 bytes from tftp server.
> 
> 	>> NetBSD netboot [$Revision 1.5 $]
> 	Using IP Address 128.100.175.240 = 8064AFF0
> 	boot: client addr: 128.100.175.240
> 	(long pause)
> 	bootparamd: bootparam/whoami RPC failed

That means the server's bootparamd is not responding to the RPC.
Are your sure your server is running a bootparamd?
> --------------------/etc/bootptab 
[...]

Note that bootparamd is entirely different from bootpd.)

> ----------------/etc/bootparam
> tiny	root=ertw.ml.org:/usr/export/128.100.175.100/netbsd_rd
> ------------------------------

That should look like this:

  tiny root=ertw.ml.org:/usr/export/128.100.175.100

Then on the client, say:

  >b le()netbsd_rd

Good luck!