Network monitoring script in Bash Scripting - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is the main purpose of a network monitoring script?

To automatically check the status and performance of network devices or connections, helping detect issues early.

beginner

Which command is commonly used in bash scripts to check if a host is reachable?

The ping command is used to send ICMP echo requests to test if a host is reachable.

intermediate

In a bash network monitoring script, how can you log the output of a command to a file?

Use the redirection operator > filename to append output or > filename 2>&1 to include errors.

intermediate

What does the following bash snippet do? <br>

if ping -c 1 8.8.8.8 > /dev/null; then echo 'Up'; else echo 'Down'; fi

It sends one ping to 8.8.8.8, suppresses output, and prints 'Up' if reachable or 'Down' if not.

beginner

Why is it useful to run a network monitoring script periodically using cron?

Because it automates regular checks without manual effort, helping catch network problems early and consistently.

Which bash command is best to check if a website is reachable?

A ping

B ls

C cat

D mkdir

The ping command sends network packets to test if a host is reachable.

What does the option '-c 1' do in the ping command?

A Sends one ping packet

B Counts all packets

C Continues pinging forever

D Changes the packet size

The '-c 1' option tells ping to send only one packet.

How can you suppress the output of a command in bash?

A Use the echo command

B Redirect output to /dev/null

C Use the ls command

D Use the mkdir command

Redirecting output to /dev/null discards it, suppressing display.

Which tool can schedule a network monitoring script to run every 5 minutes?

A ssh

B vim

C cron

D scp

cron is used to schedule tasks at regular intervals.

What is a simple way to log the output of a network check to a file?

A Use pwd command

B Use cd command

C Use rm command

D Use >> logfile.txt after the command

Appending >> logfile.txt saves the output to the file.

Describe how you would write a bash script to check if a server is online and log the result.

Think about sending one ping, checking success, and saving the result quietly.

Explain why automating network checks with scripts and scheduling tools is helpful in real life.

Consider how regular checks help avoid surprises.