Managing your network interface with ethtool
NIC Check
© Lead Image © Sean Gladwell, Fotolia.com
If ping won't solve your network configuration issues, try ethtool, a powerful utility that lets you manage configuration settings for your network interface card.
The sheer volume of traffic on a super-busy and ever-changing production network makes any oddities very tricky to diagnose. Many of the more serious networking headaches are devastatingly disruptive to business operations. Additionally, the constantly changing nature of busy networks, coupled with the 24/7 attacks of varying competency, mean you need to know your stuff and maintain eagle-eyed diligence in order to catch issues.
If you're like me, though, you probably try to solve these kinds of issues in a simple and elegant way. To alter the network settings on a NIC (Network Interface Card), you have almost certainly used the now deprecated ifconfig command and its successor the ip command.
Another useful utility you can use to troubleshoot network problems is ethtool. The malleable ethtool isn't concerned with IP addresses, VLANs, and subnets. Instead, ethtool lets you manage and configure software drivers and hardware settings that control network interfaces.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Digital Autonomy
• The Answer Was Already on the Shelf
• Changing the Chip Industry: How Public Investment Has Grown Open Silicon
• United Nations Open Source Portal Goes Live
• EU Open Source Strategy Plays Key Role in Tech Sovereignty Package
• France Says “Au Revoir” to Microsoft
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Linux Mint Shares a Possible Kernel Cleanup Solution
For those on Linux Mint who like to keep multiple kernels around but don't want them to take up too much space, you might be getting a new automated tool.
-
CachyOS Gets an Update
CachyOS August 2026 release is now available with the latest version of KDE, some new features, and plenty of improvements.
-
The Linux Kernel Dev Staging Area Now Rejects AI-Generated Patches
Unless a kernel patch is a valid security fix, it will be rejected if it was created using AI.
-
Linux Surpasses Double-Digit Market Share
According to two sources, the Linux operating system has hit a major milestone in market share that naysayers thought would never happen.
-
AI Helped Develop a Linux Exploit
A use-after-free race exploit was discovered and exploited on CentOS Stream 9.
-
Yet Another Linux Kernel Vulnerability Discovered
Affecting millions of systems, a kernel flaw discovered by Qualys could allow users to gain root privileges.
-
Ubuntu 26.10 to Include Ubuntu Certified Hardware Check
If you've ever wondered if your laptop or PC is officially certified to run Ubuntu, that curiosity will soon be met.
-
Substantial Update to IPFire Now Available
The lastest version of IPFire features a fundamental change to how the system handles DNS.
-
Gnome Working on Test Center App to Make Testing Easier
It's now possible to test experimental features on the Gnome desktop without worrying that you'll break things.
-
New Vulnerability Discovered in Linux Kernel
Hiding out for nearly 15 years, the Ghostlock vulnerability allows a standard logged-in user to gain root privileges.