Device firmware update techniques

Examples described herein relate to a network interface receiving a firmware update from one or more packets. In some examples, the one or more packets indicate a start of a firmware update. In some examples, the network interface can also perform authenticating the start of firmware update indication and based on authentication of the firmware update, permit a firmware update of a device. In some examples, the device is one or more of: Board Management Controller (BMC), central processing unit (CPU), network interface, Ethernet controller, storage controller, memory controller, display engine, graphics processing unit (GPU), accelerator device, or peripheral device. In some examples, an end of firmware update indicator is received in the one or more packets. In some examples, communications are maintained through a port during a firmware change.