Networking Commands

Essential Linux tools for networking, diagnostics, and connectivity.

1. ping

ping example.com

Sends ICMP requests to test network reachability.

2. curl

curl http://example.com

Transfers data from or to a server using multiple protocols.

3. wget

wget http://example.com/file

Downloads files from the web via HTTP/HTTPS/FTP.

4. ifconfig

ifconfig

Displays or configures network interfaces (older tool).

5. ip

ip addr, ip route

Replaces ifconfig for interface and routing info.

6. netstat

netstat -tulnp

Displays listening ports and active connections.

7. ss

ss -tuln

Faster replacement for netstat.

8. traceroute

traceroute example.com

Shows the route packets take to reach a host.

9. nslookup

nslookup example.com

Performs DNS queries to resolve domain names.

10. dig

dig example.com

Another powerful DNS lookup tool.

11. nmap

nmap -sP 192.168.1.0/24

Scans networks for hosts and open ports.

12. arp

arp -a

Displays the system’s ARP table.

13. hostname

hostname

Shows or sets the system’s hostname.

14. nmcli

nmcli dev status

Command-line tool to control NetworkManager.

15. iperf3

iperf3 -c server

Tests network bandwidth between systems.

16. whois

whois example.com

Retrieves domain registration information.