Networking Basics Cheat Sheet
Quickly reference essential networking commands and configurations to keep your skills sharp. This guide covers IP configuration, subnetting, DNS setup, and troubleshooting techniques for efficient and reliable network management.
IP Configuration
Learn the basics of configuring IP addresses for devices on your network:
- Static IP: Manually assigned IP addresses. Use for servers and printers.
- DHCP: Automatically assigns IP addresses to devices. Ideal for end-user devices.
- Common Commands:
ipconfig (Windows), ifconfig (Linux), ip a (Linux).
Subnetting
Divide networks into smaller sub-networks to manage IP address space efficiently:
- Subnet Mask: Defines the network and host portions of an IP address.
- Example: A /24 subnet mask provides 256 addresses (e.g., 192.168.1.0/24).
- Common Command:
route print or ip route.
DNS Setup
Translate domain names into IP addresses to allow device communication over the internet:
- Configure DNS Server: Use primary and secondary DNS servers for reliability.
- Commands:
nslookup and dig (Linux).
- Tip: Public DNS servers like Google (8.8.8.8) or Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) are widely used.
Troubleshooting Commands
Quick commands to help identify and resolve network issues:
- Ping: Test connectivity to another IP address. Command:
ping [IP address].
- Traceroute: Shows the path packets take to reach a destination. Commands:
tracert (Windows), traceroute (Linux).
- Netstat: Display active connections and open ports. Command:
netstat -a.