whatis network-interface
Network Interface
Also known as: NIC, eth0, enp3s0, wlan0
A named network device, physical or virtual, such as enp3s0, wlan0, lo, wg0, or docker0, that sends and receives packets.
What Is a Network Interface in Linux?
Modern distros use predictable names based on hardware location (enp3s0, wlp2s0) instead of the old eth0. Virtual interfaces include the loopback lo, bridges, VLANs, WireGuard tunnels, and container veth pairs.
ip link lists interfaces and their state. NetworkManager, systemd-networkd, or netplan configure them persistently depending on the distro.
Example
ip -br link
nmcli device statusLearn more about Network Interface
- Linux Networking Basics Understanding how Linux handles networking -- interfaces, IP addresses, routing, DNS, and the tools to inspect all of it -- is foundational for anyone administering a Linux system or working with servers.
- VLANs and Bridges on Linux: Segmenting a Network on One Cable A bridge is a software switch and a VLAN tags traffic so one physical link carries several logical networks. Together they are how virtual machines and containers reach a real network.
- Network Bonding on Linux: Combining Interfaces for Redundancy or Speed Bonding aggregates several network interfaces into one. Some modes give failover with no switch configuration, others give more bandwidth and need the switch to cooperate.
- Checking Network Connections: ss and nmcli Explained ss inspects active sockets and connections, and nmcli configures and queries NetworkManager. Together they cover the two most common modern network troubleshooting and configuration tasks on Linux.