The Linux ip command is one of the most useful tools for checking network interfaces, addresses, routes, and neighbors from the terminal. For data-center technicians, server operators, and miners, it is a fast first stop when a machine has lost connectivity.

Start with the interface list

ip addr show

This displays network interfaces and their IPv4/IPv6 addresses. For a shorter view, use:

ip -br addr

Check the physical link

ip link show

Look for the interface state, MTU, and MAC address. An interface that is administratively down can be enabled with sudo ip link set eth0 up. Replace eth0 with the actual interface name.

Check the route to the network

ip route
ip route get 1.1.1.1

ip route shows the routing table and default gateway. ip route get asks the kernel which route it would use for a specific destination. That makes it useful for distinguishing an interface problem from a routing problem.

Check neighboring devices

ip neigh

This displays the neighbor table, including IP-to-MAC mappings learned on the local network. In a rack or mining deployment, it can help confirm whether a server can resolve a nearby gateway or peer at Layer 2.

A practical troubleshooting sequence

ip -br addr
ip link show
ip route
ip neigh
ping -c 4 <gateway-ip>

This sequence answers five basic questions: Does the interface exist? Is it up? Does it have an address? Is there a route? Can the machine reach its gateway?

Video demonstration

Reference

The ip utilities are part of iproute2, the standard Linux networking toolset. The Linux manual documentation for ip route explains that ip route get reports the route to a destination as the kernel sees it.

Linux ip-route manual

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