What are common networking commands?

Here are some common networking commands used in the terminal to manage and troubleshoot network connections:

Basic Networking Commands:

1. ping:

   • Tests connectivity to a host by sending ICMP echo requests.

   ping example.com           # Ping a website

2. ifconfig (or ip a):

   • Displays network interface configuration (use ip a for modern systems).

   ifconfig                   # Show network interfaces and their configurations
   ip a                       # Show network interfaces using the ip command

3. netstat:

   • Displays network connections, routing tables, and interface statistics.

   netstat -tuln              # Show listening ports and their status

4. traceroute (or tracert on Windows):

   • Traces the route packets take to a network host.

   traceroute example.com     # Trace the route to a website

5. nslookup:

   • Queries the DNS to obtain domain name or IP address mapping.

   nslookup example.com       # Get the IP address of a domain

Advanced Networking Commands:

6. curl:

   • Transfers data from or to a server using various protocols (HTTP, FTP, etc.).

   curl http://example.com    # Fetch the content of a webpage

7. wget:

   • Downloads files from the web.

   wget http://example.com/file.zip  # Download a file

8. ssh:

   • Securely connects to a remote server via SSH.

   ssh user@example.com       # Connect to a remote server

9. scp:

   • Securely copies files between hosts on a network.

   scp localfile.txt user@example.com:/path/to/destination/  # Copy a file to a remote server

10. iptables:

    • Configures the Linux kernel firewall.

    sudo iptables -L           # List current firewall rules

Network Troubleshooting Commands:

11. dig:

    • Performs DNS lookups and displays detailed information.

    dig example.com            # Get DNS information for a domain

12. route:

    • Displays or modifies the IP routing table.

    route -n                   # Show the routing table

13. hostname:

    • Displays or sets the system's hostname.

    hostname                   # Show the current hostname

Additional Useful Commands:

• whois: Retrieves domain registration information.
• iperf: Measures network bandwidth between two hosts.

These commands are fundamental for managing and troubleshooting network connections in Linux and other Unix-like operating systems. If you have any specific commands you'd like to learn more about, feel free to ask!