40 Powerful Linux Networking Commands You Must Know.

Linux networking commands are foundational for effective network management and troubleshooting, particularly in roles like DevOps and Site Reliability Engineering (SRE). This guide introduces 50 essential Linux commands, each designed to make network troubleshooting, monitoring, and configuration straightforward. Mastery of these commands can help you swiftly diagnose network issues, monitor bandwidth, and configure complex network setups with confidence.

Basic Network Information 🌐

These commands help you quickly access network configuration details.

1. ifconfig

Displays network interface information.
Example: ifconfig

2. ip

Shows or manipulates IP addresses, routing, and network devices.
Example: ip address show

3. route

Displays or modifies the IP routing table, useful for managing traffic routes.
Example: route -n

4. hostname

Shows or sets the system’s hostname.
Example: hostname

5. hostnamectl

Controls hostname settings and provides status info.
Example: hostnamectl status

Testing Network Connectivity 🔍

Use these commands to verify connectivity to other hosts and test network routes.

6. ping

Sends packets to a host to check connectivity and response times.
Example: ping google.com

7. traceroute

Traces the path packets take to a host, helping identify delays or connectivity issues.
Example: traceroute google.com

8. mtr

Combines ping and traceroute functionalities, offering real-time network diagnostics.
Example: mtr google.com

9. fping

Pings multiple hosts quickly, useful for network discovery.
Example: fping -a -g 192.168.1.1 192.168.1.254

DNS and Name Resolution 🌍

These commands assist with domain name resolution and troubleshooting DNS issues.

10. dig

Performs DNS lookups, showing detailed information about domain names.
Example: dig google.com

11. nslookup

Interactively queries Internet name servers.
Example: nslookup google.com

12. host

Another utility for DNS lookups.
Example: host google.com

13. resolvconf

Manages DNS information and updates settings.
Example: resolvconf -u

Monitoring Network Connections 📈

These commands provide insights into network traffic and open connections on your system.

14. netstat

Displays network connections, routing tables, and interface statistics.
Example: netstat -an

15. ss

Displays socket statistics, a faster alternative to netstat.
Example: ss -tulpn

16. lsof

Lists open files, showing which files are being accessed over the network.
Example: lsof -i :80

17. iftop

Monitors bandwidth usage in real-time, visualizing data usage per interface.
Example: iftop

18. nload

Visualizes incoming and outgoing network traffic.
Example: nload

Managing Network Interfaces and Routes 🔧

Use these commands to configure network interfaces, routing tables, and traffic flow.

19. iptables

Tool for packet filtering and NAT configuration, used for firewall setup.
Example: iptables -L

20. iptraf

An interactive network monitor, perfect for live traffic analysis.
Example: iptraf

21. ethtool

Displays or modifies settings on Ethernet devices.
Example: ethtool eth0

22. arp

Shows or modifies the Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) cache.
Example: arp -a

23. iwconfig

Configures wireless network interfaces.
Example: iwconfig

24. nmcli

A command-line client for NetworkManager, used to manage connections.
Example: nmcli connection show

25. nmtui

Text-based interface for NetworkManager, making it easy to manage network settings.
Example: nmtui

Data Transfer and Remote Access 🔒

These tools help transfer data and manage files across remote systems securely.

26. scp

Securely copies files between hosts.
Example: scp file.txt user@remote:/path

27. wget

Downloads files from the internet non-interactively.

28. curl

Transfers data to and from servers, great for testing APIs.

29. telnet

Connects to other systems using the TELNET protocol.
Example: telnet google.com 80

30. nc (netcat)

Utility for creating arbitrary TCP and UDP connections.
Example: nc -l 8080

31. ssh-keygen

Generates and manages SSH authentication keys.
Example: ssh-keygen -t rsa

Security and Diagnostics 🔐

Monitor network security, troubleshoot issues, and gather diagnostic information.

32. tcpdump

Captures network packets for analysis.
Example: tcpdump -i eth0

33. nmap

Scans networks for open ports and vulnerabilities.
Example: nmap -sP 192.168.1.0/24

34. iperf

Measures TCP and UDP bandwidth performance, useful for network performance testing.
Example: iperf -c server_ip

35. sshd

Manages the SSH daemon for secure remote access.
Example: service sshd restart

Additional Commands for Network Management ️

These commands cover specific scenarios, from adding routes to checking system stats.

36. route add

Adds a new route to the routing table.
Example: route add -net 192.168.2.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 gw 192.168.1.1

37. route del

Deletes a route from the routing table.
Example: route del -net 192.168.2.0 netmask 255.255.255.0

38. ss -s

Shows summary of socket statistics.
Example: ss -s

These 40 commands provide a solid foundation for effective Linux network management, empowering you to quickly identify and resolve network issues, monitor performance, and configure network settings across multiple systems. By integrating these tools into your troubleshooting process, you’ll be better equipped to maintain reliable and secure network infrastructure.

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