How to Configure and Manage Network Connections on Linux?

The Linux operating system provides a wide range of tools and utilities for managing network connections, and this article will cover some of the most commonly used ones.

In this article, we will discuss how to configure and manage network connections on Linux.

ifconfig

The ifconfig command is used to configure and display information about network interfaces. It is commonly used to configure IP addresses, netmasks, and other network settings.

ifconfig eth0 192.168.1.100 netmask 255.255.255.0

This command sets the IP address of the eth0 interface to 192.168.1.100 and the netmask to 255.255.255.0.

ip

The ip command is a more recent tool that has replaced ifconfig in many Linux distributions. It provides similar functionality to ifconfig but with a more consistent syntax across different types of interfaces.

ip addr add 192.168.1.100/24 dev eth0

This command adds the IP address 192.168.1.100/24 to the eth0 interface.

route

The route command is used to view and configure the routing table. The routing table is used by the Linux kernel to determine the next hop for a packet based on its destination IP address.

route add default gw 192.168.1.1

This command adds a default route through the gateway 192.168.1.1.

NetworkManager

NetworkManager is a service that runs on most Linux distributions and is responsible for managing network connections. It provides a graphical user interface (GUI) for configuring network settings and can automatically switch between different network connections based on availability.

systemd-networkd

systemd-networkd is a service that can be used to configure and manage network connections on Linux systems that use the systemd init system. It is a simple and lightweight alternative to NetworkManager and is particularly useful for servers and other headless systems.

In this article, we have discussed some of the most commonly used tools and utilities for configuring and managing network connections on Linux. Whether you are a system administrator or a power user, understanding how to manage network connections is an essential skill for working with Linux. By understanding the basics of ifconfig, ip, route, NetworkManager and systemd-networkd, you will be able to troubleshoot and resolve network issues on your Linux system with ease.