How to Use ip Command in Linux: Syntax and Examples

The ip command in Linux is used to show and manipulate routing, devices, and tunnels. You can use it to display network interfaces, assign IP addresses, and manage routes with simple syntax like ip addr or ip route.

Syntax

The basic syntax of the ip command is:

• ip [ OPTIONS ] OBJECT { COMMAND | help }
• OBJECT: The network object to manage, such as addr (addresses), link (interfaces), route (routing table).
• COMMAND: The action to perform, like show, add, del.
• OPTIONS: Optional flags like -4 for IPv4 or -6 for IPv6.

This structure lets you perform many network tasks in a clear way.

bash

ip [ OPTIONS ] OBJECT { COMMAND | help }

Example

This example shows how to display all network interfaces and their IP addresses using ip addr show. It helps you see your current network setup.

bash

ip addr show

Output

1: lo: <LOOPBACK,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 65536 qdisc noqueue state UNKNOWN group default qlen 1000
    link/loopback 00:00:00:00:00:00 brd 00:00:00:00:00:00
    inet 127.0.0.1/8 scope host lo
       valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
    inet6 ::1/128 scope host 
       valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
2: eth0: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc mq state UP group default qlen 1000
    link/ether 01:23:45:67:89:ab brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
    inet 192.168.1.100/24 brd 192.168.1.255 scope global dynamic eth0
       valid_lft 86392sec preferred_lft 86392sec
    inet6 fe80::1234:5678:9abc:def0/64 scope link 
       valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever

Common Pitfalls

Common mistakes when using ip include:

• Trying to use ifconfig commands instead of ip syntax.
• Forgetting to run commands with sudo when changing settings.
• Mixing IPv4 and IPv6 options incorrectly.
• Not specifying the correct interface name.

Always check interface names with ip link show before making changes.

bash

Wrong:
ip addr add 192.168.1.10 dev eth0

Right:
sudo ip addr add 192.168.1.10/24 dev eth0

Quick Reference

Command	Description
ip addr show	Show all IP addresses on all interfaces
ip link show	Show all network interfaces
sudo ip addr add 192.168.1.10/24 dev eth0	Add IP address to interface
sudo ip addr del 192.168.1.10/24 dev eth0	Remove IP address from interface
ip route show	Display routing table
sudo ip route add default via 192.168.1.1	Add default gateway route

Key Takeaways

Use ip command to manage network interfaces, addresses, and routes in Linux.

Always check interface names with ip link show before making changes.

Use sudo when adding or deleting network settings to avoid permission errors.

Remember the syntax: ip [options] object command for clear commands.

Refer to ip addr show and ip route show to view current network configuration.