Ubuntu Linux Toolbox: 1000+ Commands for Power Users, 2nd Edition

11

Managing Network Connections

IN THIS CHAPTER

Using ethtool and mii-tool to work with network interface cards

Getting network statistics with netstat

Starting network devices

Viewing Ethernet information with ifconfig and ip

Managing wireless cards with iwconfig

Checking DNS name resolution with dig, host, and hostname

Checking connectivity with ping and arp

Tracing connections with traceroute, route, and ip

Watching the network with netstat, tcpdump, and nmap

Connecting to a network from Linux is often as easy as turning on your computer. Your wired or wireless network interfaces should just start up and immediately let you connect to other computers on your local network or the Internet. However, if your network interface doesn't come up or requires some manual setup, there are many commands available for configuring network interfaces, checking network connections, and setting up special routing.

This chapter covers many useful commands for configuring and working with your network interface cards (NICs), such as ethtool, mii-tool, and ifconfig. More specifically, it covers ways of configuring wired and wireless Ethernet connections. With your hardware connected and network interfaces in place, the chapter describes commands such as netstat, dig, ip, and ping for getting information about your network.

Configuring Networks from the GUI

When you first install Ubuntu, the installer lets you configure any wired Ethernet cards attached to your computer with the use of a DHCP ...