Essential Windows 10 Networking Commands
As a network engineer, mastering various Windows 10 networking commands is crucial for effective
network management and troubleshooting. This blog covers essential commands, providing
examples and explanations to help you understand their usage and importance.
1. ipconfig
The ipconfig command displays all current TCP/IP network configuration values and refreshes DHCP
and DNS settings.
• Example:
ipconfig /all
Displays detailed information about all network interfaces.
2. netsh
The netsh command is a versatile tool for network configuration. It allows you to display or modify
the network configuration of a computer.
• Example:
netsh interface ip show config
Shows the IP addresses assigned to network interfaces.
3. route
The route command displays and modifies the IP routing table. It helps in adding or removing routes
and viewing the current routing table.
• Example:
route print
Displays the routing table.
4. ping
The ping command checks the connectivity between your system and another host. It sends ICMP
echo requests and waits for replies, helping diagnose network issues.
• Example:
ping [Link]
Sends ICMP echo requests to [Link].
5. tracert
The tracert command traces the path packets take to reach a destination. It helps identify where
delays or failures occur in the network.
• Example:
tracert [Link]
Traces the route to [Link].
6. netstat
The netstat command displays network connections, routing tables, interface statistics, and more.
• Example:
netstat -a
Lists all active connections and listening ports.
7. nslookup
The nslookup command queries DNS servers for information about host addresses, mail exchanges,
name servers, and related information.
• Example:
nslookup [Link]
Performs a DNS lookup for [Link].
8. getmac
The getmac command displays the MAC address for network adapters on the system.
• Example:
getmac
Displays the MAC addresses of all network interfaces.
9. telnet
The telnet command establishes text-based connections to remote systems. It is used for remote
login and communication but is less secure than SSH.
• Example:
telnet [Link] 80
Connects to the remote host [Link] on port 80.
10. pscp
pscp is a command-line tool from PuTTY for secure file transfer over SSH.
• Example:
1. Download [Link] from PuTTY’s official website.
2. Use the following command:
pscp [Link] user@remotehost:/remote/directory/
Copies [Link] from the local machine to the remote host.
11. nmap
The nmap command is available for Windows and works similarly to the Linux version.
• Example:
1. Download and install nmap from Nmap’s official website.
2. Use the following command:
nmap [Link]
Scans the host with the IP address [Link].
12. arp
The arp command manipulates the ARP cache, mapping IP addresses to MAC addresses.
• Example:
arp -a
Displays all the entries in the ARP cache.
13. net use
The net use command connects or disconnects a computer from a shared resource or displays
information about computer connections.
• Example:
net use <drive letter>: \\<server>\<share>
Maps a network drive.
14. gpupdate
The gpupdate command refreshes Group Policy settings.
• Example:
gpupdate /force
Forces a refresh of Group Policy settings.
15. systeminfo
The systeminfo command displays detailed configuration information about a computer and its
operating system.
• Example:
systeminfo
Displays system information.
16. tasklist
The tasklist command displays a list of currently running processes on the system.
• Example:
tasklist
Lists all running processes.
17. taskkill
The taskkill command terminates tasks by process id (PID) or image name.
• Example:
taskkill /PID <process id> /F
Terminates the specified process.
Using help Command
To dive deeper into the documentation for these commands directly from the command prompt,
you can use the help option. Here’s how you can do it for each command:
• Syntax:
[command] /?
• Examples:
netsh /?