Testing Linux Network Connections with 10 Essential Commands
In the realm of Linux, a wealth of command-line tools are at your disposal for testing connectivity and connection speeds. Here's a roundup of some essential commands that can help you navigate the intricacies of your network.
Basic Connection Tests
The humble command is a staple for Linux users. It sends packets to a host and measures the time it takes for the response to return, providing valuable information about the connection.
Another simple yet powerful tool is . With the option, it sends null bytes to a specific port on a host, verifying if the corresponding service is available.
Real-time Network Monitoring
When it comes to real-time network monitoring, is a valuable ally. This tool displays network connections along with their current bandwidth usage, providing a live snapshot of your network activity. takes this a step further by displaying the network usage of each process in real-time, grouping bandwidth usage by processes to help identify "slowdowns" in network traffic.
Connection and Speed Testing
For testing the speed of your internet connection, you can rely on the command. Alternatively, the command allows testing the download speed multiple times and calculating an average, using the speed testing service from Netflix (fast.com).
Network Troubleshooting and Insight
When it comes to extracting details about network interfaces, adjusting performance settings, and troubleshooting issues, the command is indispensable. System administrators frequently use this command to gain deeper insights into their network.
Advanced Network Diagnostics
The command, developed by the iproute2 project, offers a comprehensive view of network sockets. It was designed to replace older tools like and first appeared in the iproute2 package around 2003-2004. The command without options displays all sockets that are not "listening". With the option, it lists all sockets, making it an ideal tool for monitoring network connections.
is another valuable tool for network diagnostics. It performs a series of tests to determine the number of hops between the source computer and the destination host, using the Time-to-live (TTL) concept to record the time for each hop.
Lastly, combines the functionality of and , displaying packet loss as a percentage, the number of sent packets, latency of the last sent packet, average latency, fastest response, slowest response, and standard deviation.
Wrapping Up
Linux offers a rich set of command-line tools for network diagnostics and connection testing. From the basic command to the advanced and , these tools provide a wealth of information to help you manage and optimize your network. For more in-depth knowledge, consider reading "Essential Linux Commands for Beginners", "Linux Commands to Combat Speed Issues", and "Linux Commands for Better Server Insight".