Title: Networking Basics and Commands Cheat Sheet
Introduction:
This quick reference is designed for beginners in networking or cybersecurity.
It includes common concepts, commands, and tools used to analyze and troubleshoot networks.
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1. Network Configuration
ip a – Show IP addresses and interfaces
ifconfig – Legacy IP configuration (still used on some systems)
ip link set eth0 up/down – Enable/disable interface
ip route – Display routing table
hostname – Show system hostname
nmcli dev show – Show network manager details
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2. Connectivity Testing
ping 8.8.8.8 – Test network connectivity to Google DNS
traceroute google.com – Show path to destination
mtr google.com – Real-time traceroute
dig example.com – DNS lookup
nslookup example.com – DNS resolver query
curl ifconfig.me – Get your public IP
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3. Port Scanning & Services
netstat -tuln – Show open ports and services (use sudo)
ss -tuln – Faster alternative to netstat
nmap 192.168.1.1 – Scan a host
lsof -i :80 – See process using port 80
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4. File Transfer
scp file.txt user@host:/path – Secure file copy
rsync -av file user@host:/path – Efficient file sync
wget URL – Download files via HTTP/FTP
curl -O URL – Download using curl
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5. Common Networking Tools
Wireshark – GUI network protocol analyzer
tcpdump – Command-line packet sniffer
Netcat (nc) – Network debug and listener tool
nmap – Network scanner and host discovery tool
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Conclusion:
Understanding basic networking commands is essential for troubleshooting, configuration, and
security testing.
Use this cheat sheet to practice and build your confidence.
