Linux Networking Commands

Modern Linux favors ip from iproute2 over legacy ifconfig. ip addr shows addresses, ip route the FIB, and ip neigh the ARP/NDP cache. ss lists sockets—pair with -lptn for listening TCP ports and processes. ping and traceroute test reachability; dig or resolvectl debug DNS. nmcli controls NetworkManager profiles on desktops and servers alike.

Command	Purpose	Example
ip -br a	Brief addresses	Quick host overview
ss -tanp	TCP sockets + processes	Find who listens on 443
ip route get	Path selection	See which iface hits 8.8.8.8

ss and netstat, netstat vs ss, ping vs traceroute vs MTR, DNS troubleshooting, Linux routing tables

ip exposes policy routing, IPv6, and bridge details consistently; ifconfig is often a stub on minimal systems.

Use ip route show default or ip -4 route show default for IPv4-specific gateways.

ss is faster and ships by default; netstat may be omitted unless net-tools is installed.

Use dig +trace for delegation issues or resolvectl status on systemd-resolved hosts.

ICMP may succeed while TCP port 443 is filtered—compare with curl or ss path tests.

Neighbor cache entries mapping IPs to MAC addresses—stale entries hint at L2 issues.

Use nmcli connection reload or distro-specific networking services—avoid killing ssh sessions blindly.

Typically under /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections—edit with nmcli or files carefully.

Command	Purpose	Example
ip -br a	Brief addresses	Quick host overview
ss -tanp	TCP sockets + processes	Find who listens on 443
ip route get	Path selection	See which iface hits 8.8.8.8