Networking: essential commands

I am getting deeper in networking while building topology for SharePoint 2010.
Here is a quick reminder for everyone who is not a network savy but has to survive.


The following list of the network commands will help to understand where you machine is and how it's routed.
So, run MS-Dos window and enjoy:


1. notorious   - ping - sends out a packet to a designated internet host or network computer and measures its response time. The target computer will return (hopefully) a signal. 


2.  ipconfig  (add /all to get a full picture) -  It is used to display the TCP/IP network configuration values (assigned IP, gateway and DNS server)

3.  tracert - The actual path between two computers on the Internet is not a straight line but consists of numerous segments or "hops" from one intermediate computer to another. Tracert shows each step of the path taken. 

4. pathping -   this command combines functions of Ping and Tracert. Pathping will first list the number of hops required to reach the address you are testing and then send multiple pings to each router between you and the destination. 

5. netstat - displays the active TCP connections and ports on which the computer is listening, Ethernet statistics, the IP routing table, statistics for the IP, ICMP, TCP, and UDP protocols. 

The command "netstat -a" will display all your connections. The command "netstat -b" will show the executable files involved in creating a connection. A figure showing all the switches and syntax is given below

5. nslookup - This command helps diagnose the Domain Name System (DNS) infrastructure.

For more detailed info, TCP/IP and Networking Tools