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Networking Basics

5 min read Quiz at the end

ip addr shows IP addresses. ping tests connectivity. dig checks DNS resolution. ss -tlnp shows open ports. curl -I URL tests HTTP responses. traceroute shows the network path to a destination host.

Network Commands

ip addr                 # show IP addresses
ip route                # routing table
curl https://example.com  # HTTP request
wget https://file.tar.gz  # download file

ping google.com         # test connectivity
traceroute google.com   # trace route
nslookup example.com    # DNS lookup
dig example.com         # detailed DNS

ss -tlnp                # listening ports
netstat -tlnp           # (older alternative)

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Topic Quiz · 5 questions

Test your understanding before moving on

1. Which command shows IP addresses?

💡 ip addr (or ip a) shows network interface addresses on modern Linux.

2. ping tests what?

💡 ping sends ICMP packets to test if a host is reachable.

3. Which command shows open listening ports?

💡 ss -tlnp shows TCP listening sockets with process names.

4. curl does what?

💡 curl transfers data from or to a server using various protocols including HTTP.

5. nslookup does what?

💡 nslookup queries DNS servers to find the IP address for a domain.

Quick Access

Networking Basics

Network Commands

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