Common Networking Commands - Online Computer Tips

When it comes to network administration, you need to know some of the more common networking commands to successfully manage your network. Sure, there are plenty of built in Windows tools that can be accessed from the Windows settings app or even Control Panel, but they are not as powerful as the task specific Windows networking commands that you can also use.

Even though there are many networking commands you can use, we have put together a list of the most commonly used commands so you can see what each one of them does and then use these commands for your own network administration or troubleshooting.

Ipconfig

Ipconfig is a command-line utility in Microsoft Windows used to display and manage the network configuration of a computer. It provides information about the computer’s current IP (Internet Protocol) configuration, including details about the network interfaces, IP addresses, subnet masks, default gateways, and DNS (Domain Name System) servers. Most people use the /all switch to get extra information about their network configuration.

Ping

The ping command is a network utility used to test the reachability of a host (a computer or network device) on an Internet Protocol (IP) network. The command sends a series of Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) Echo Request messages to the destination host and waits for corresponding Echo Reply messages. The time taken for the round trip and any potential packet loss are indicators of the host’s responsiveness and network connectivity.

Examples:

Ping win10

Ping google.com

Ping 192.168.236.1

PathPing

PathPing is a network utility command available in Microsoft Windows operating systems that combines features of both the ping and tracert (traceroute) commands. It provides a more comprehensive analysis of network latency and packet loss along a network path to a destination host. The PathPing command is particularly useful for diagnosing and identifying network issues by tracing the route to a target host while collecting additional statistical data.

Example:

Pathping win11

Tracert

The tracert (traceroute) command is a network utility tool available in various operating systems, including Microsoft Windows, Linux, and macOS. Its primary purpose is to trace the route that packets take from a source host to a destination host on an Internet Protocol (IP) network. By sending a series of Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) Echo Request messages to the target host with increasing Time-to-Live (TTL) values, tracert identifies and displays the routers or network devices (hops) that the packets traverse.

Examples:

Tracert win11

Tracert 192.168.2.241

Nslookup

Nslookup, which stands for “Name Server Lookup,” is a command-line tool used for querying Domain Name System (DNS) servers to obtain domain name or IP address mapping information. It is available on various operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and macOS. Nslookup is a valuable tool for troubleshooting network-related issues, verifying DNS configurations, and obtaining information about domain names and their associated IP addresses.

Examples:

Nslookup win11

Nslookup 192.168.236.1

Nslookup google.com 8.8.8.8

Netstat

netstat, short for “network statistics,” is a command-line network utility tool available in various operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and Unix-based systems. The primary purpose of the netstat command is to display information about network connections, routing tables, interface statistics, masquerade connections, and multicast memberships on a computer. It provides a snapshot of the network-related activities and helps administrators and users diagnose networking issues, monitor network performance, and troubleshoot connectivity problems.

Examples:

Netstat

Netstat -an – displays all active connections and listening ports.

Netstat -r – displays the routing table.

Getmac

The getmac command is a Windows command-line utility that is used to retrieve the Media Access Control (MAC) addresses of network adapters (both physical and virtual) installed on a computer.

Route print

The route print command is a network utility command used in Microsoft Windows operating systems to display the IP routing table on a computer. The IP routing table is a set of rules that dictate how network traffic should be directed or routed between different network interfaces on the system. The route print command provides a detailed view of the routing table, including information about network destinations, netmasks, gateways, and interface indexes.

When you execute the route print command, the output typically includes information such as:

Network Destination: The destination IP address or network for which routing information is displayed.
Netmask: The subnet mask associated with the destination network.
Gateway: The IP address of the next-hop router or gateway used to reach the specified destination.
Interface: The network interface through which traffic is routed to reach the destination.

Example:

Route print -4

Arp

The arp command is a network utility available in various operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and macOS. The acronym “ARP” stands for Address Resolution Protocol, and the arp command is used to display and manipulate the ARP cache, which is a table that maps IP addresses to physical MAC (Media Access Control) addresses on a local network.

Arp -a (Display ARP Cache): Displays the current contents of the ARP cache, showing the mappings between IP addresses and corresponding MAC addresses.