Dual-mode download manager

1. A customer premise equipment device comprising:

a download manager that enables or disables an automatic mode change feature associated with downloading a trivial file transfer protocol (TFTP) file from a TFTP server based upon a first control attribute, and sets an initial download mode of the download manager based upon a second control attribute, and transmits a timeout option to the TFTP server when the second control attribute is enabled;

wherein the download manager comprises non-transitory computer readable automatic mode change code that automatically changes the mode of download of the download manager, wherein enabling the first control attribute causes the automatic mode change feature to be used based on whether the TFTP server supports long pauses, and enabling the second control attribute causes the download manager to attempt to use long pauses in the download;

wherein the non-transitory computer readable automatic mode change code causes the download mode of the download manager to change to a mode of download which does not support long pauses during the download if an acknowledgement to transmitting a timeout option is not received at the customer premise equipment device.

2. The download manager of claim 1 , wherein the customer premise equipment device comprises at least one of a cable modem.

3. The download manager of claim 1 , wherein the customer premise equipment device comprises an embedded multimedia terminal adapter.

4. The download manager of claim 1 , wherein the customer premise equipment device comprises a set top box.

5. The download manager of claim 1 , wherein the TFTP file comprises a new software image to be loaded and executed by the customer premise equipment device.

6. The download manager of claim 5 , wherein the new software image comprises an embedded service/application functional entity software image for an embedded component within the customer premise equipment device.

7. The download manager of claim 6 , wherein the new software image is downloaded prior to registration of the customer premise equipment device with the network.

8. The download manager of claim 7 , wherein the download manager reboots the customer premise equipment device using the new software image after completing download of the new software image.

9. The download manager of claim 1 , wherein the download manager operates responsive to the device receiving a configuration file and identifying that a configuration file software image filename identified by the configuration file differs from a current software image filename identifying a software image currently being used by the device.

10. A download management system, comprising:

a trivial file transfer protocol (TFTP) server that communicates electronic files to a plurality of customer premise equipment devices, the plurality of customer premise equipment devices comprising respective download managers having a first control attribute used to enable or disable an automatic mode change feature associated with downloading a trivial file transfer protocol (TFTP) file from a TFTP server, and a second control attribute to set an initial download mode of the download manager, wherein the download manager transmits a timeout option to the TFTP server when the second control attribute is enabled, and the TFTP server provides acknowledgement to supported requests and provides no acknowledgement for unsupported requests; and

wherein the respective download managers comprise non-transitory computer readable automatic mode change code operable to automatically change the mode of download of the download manager, wherein the non-transitory computer readable automatic mode change code is operable to cause the download mode of the download manager to change to a mode of download which does not support long pauses during the download if the TFTP server does not communicate an acknowledgement to transmitting a timeout option is not received at the customer premise equipment device.