Windows Networking Commands

that you can use for troubleshooting, configuring, and monitoring network-related tasks:

ipconfig

Displays and manages IP configuration of your system.

Common options:

ipconfig /all: Shows detailed IP information.

ipconfig /release: Releases the IP address for the specified adapter.

ipconfig /renew: Renews the IP address for the specified adapter.

ipconfig /flushdns: Clears the DNS cache.

ipconfig command tasks

ping

Tests connectivity between two devices.

Common usage:

ping or ping : Sends ICMP echo requests to test the connection.

ping command tasks

tracert

Traces the route packets take to reach a destination.

Usage:

tracert or tracert

tracert command tasks

nslookup

Queries DNS to obtain the domain name or IP address mapping.

Usage:

nslookup : Displays IP address related to the domain.

nslookup : Displays domain related to the IP address.

nslookup command tasks

’/?’ Parameter

In Windows commands, the /? parameter is commonly used to display help information for a command.

For example, if you use:

nslookup /?

It will display a list of all available options and syntax details for the nslookup command. This command is used to query Internet domain name servers and to obtain details such as IP addresses or DNS records. The /? parameter is helpful if you want to understand how to use the command and what arguments it accepts.

netstat

Displays network statistics, connections, and routing tables.

Common options:

netstat -a: Shows all active connections and listening ports.

netstat -n: Shows connections in numerical format.

netstat -r: Displays the routing table.

netstat -s: Displays statistics by protocol.

netstat command tasks

Displays and modifies the ARP cache (Address Resolution Protocol).

Common options:

arp -a: Shows the ARP cache table.

arp -d : Deletes the ARP entry for the specified IP address.

route

Displays and modifies the routing table.

Common options:

route print: Displays the routing table.

route add mask : Adds a new static route.

route delete : Deletes a route.

netsh

A powerful tool for configuring and displaying network settings.

Common commands:

netsh interface ip show config: Displays IP configuration for all network adapters.

netsh wlan show profiles: Displays saved Wi-Fi profiles.

netsh firewall show state: Displays the current firewall state.

netsh int ip reset: Resets the TCP/IP stack.

telnet

Used to test TCP connections on a specific port (usually requires enabling first).

Usage:

telnet : Tries to establish a connection to a specified host on a particular port.

getmac

Displays the MAC address for network adapters.

Usage:

getmac: Shows MAC addresses of all active network adapters.

hostname

Displays the computer’s hostname.

Usage:

hostname: Shows the name of the machine.

pathping

Combines the functionality of ping and tracert to test connectivity and analyze packet loss.

Usage:

pathping or pathping

Used for network-related tasks such as managing shared resources.

Common usage:

net use : \\\: Maps a network drive.

net share: Displays shared resources on the computer.

net user : Manages user accounts.

net view

Displays a list of shared resources or computers in a network.

Usage:

net view \: Lists shared resources on the specified computer.

nbtstat

Displays protocol statistics and current TCP/IP connections using NetBIOS over TCP/IP.

Common options:

nbtstat -a : Shows NetBIOS table of the remote machine.

nbtstat -n: Lists NetBIOS names on the local machine.

Used to transfer files between a local and remote machine using the File Transfer Protocol.

Usage:

ftp : Starts an FTP session to a remote host.

systeminfo

Provides detailed information about the computer’s network configuration, OS, and more.

Usage:

systeminfo: Displays detailed system information.

These commands can be run directly in the Command Prompt and are useful for diagnosing and managing network issues on Windows systems.