Abstract A Network Interface Card (NIC) is a hardware component that connects a computer to a network Provides the physical interface between a computer and the network medium Each NIC has a unique MAC address for identification on the network Modern NICs often support multiple network speeds and protocols Interface Management Commands Basic Interface Information Show all network interfaces and their states ip link show # Output roughly follows the following structure # <index>: <interface_name>: <flags> mtu <size> status <state> # link/<type> <MAC or info> Lists all network interfaces Shows interface states (UP/DOWN) Displays MAC addresses Shows master bridge information Indicates interface type and features IP Configuration Display IP address information ip addr show Shows IP addresses for all interfaces Displays subnet masks Shows broadcast addresses Indicates interface status Lists IPv4 and IPv6 addresses
