The ‘ip’ Command: A Beginner’s Guide to Network Configuration on Linux

The ‘ip’ command on Linux is a powerful tool for managing and configuring network interfaces. It can be used to display and modify the configuration of network interfaces, routes, and firewall rules.

When to use the ‘ip’ command:

• To view the current status and configuration of network interfaces
• To add or remove network interfaces
• To configure IP addresses and routes
• To manage firewall rules
• To troubleshoot network issues

Examples of common ‘ip’ command usage:

1. Display information about all network interfaces:

2. Assign a static IP address to a network interface:

3. Delete an IP address from a network interface:

4. Display firewall rules:

5. Add a firewall rule to accept incoming SSH connections:

6. Delete a firewall rule:

More in ‘ip route’

The ip route command is used to manage the routing table on a Linux system. The routing table is used to determine the path that network packets should take to reach their destination.

Examples of common ip route usage:

1. Display the current routing table:

2. Add a route for a specific network:

3. Delete a route:

4. Add a default route to a gateway:

5. Add a route for a specific host:

6. Add a route with a specific metric:

The ip route command allows you to manipulate the routing table on your Linux system. You can add, delete and display routes with different options and parameters. This command is useful when you need to configure static routes, troubleshoot routing issues or manage multiple default gateways.

The ‘ip’ command is a versatile tool that can help you to manage and troubleshoot your Linux network. With the examples above you can start configuring your network interfaces, ip addresses, routes and firewall rules easily. Remember that you can use the man page of the command to see more options and information.