Linux Networking Commands to Master

As a beginner in networking and platform engineering, there are five Linux commands that I must understand deeply: ping ip addr ss curl dig I realized that troubleshooting isn’t about memorizing commands — it’s about understanding where the problem lives. ping — Is the Server Reachable? ping helps answer the most basic question: Can I reach this machine? Example: ping 8.8.8.8 If I get replies, network connectivity exists. If I get timeouts, the issue could be routing, firewall rules, or the server being down. This is usually my first troubleshooting step. ip addr — Who Am I on the Network? Before checking anything else, I need to know: Do I have an IP address? Is my interface up? What subnet am I in? ip addr If there’s no IP address assigned, nothing else will work. This command confirms my server’s identity in the network. ss — Is the Service Listening? Even if the network works, the application might not be running. ss -tuln If I expect a web server on port 80: ss -tuln | grep 80 If