There are basic Windows 10 network commands, typed from the command prompt, that anyone can use to troubleshoot network connectivity issues.
>> Top 10 best free computer uninstall software
Living and working in an always-connected world means that the quality and reliability of your network connection is crucial to practically everything you do on your computer or mobile device. Maintaining a quality network connection and troubleshooting failed connections are basic skills that everyone should at least be familiar with.
This article lists 10 basic Windows 10 network commands that users can use to troubleshoot network connectivity issues.
Windows 10 Basic Network Commands Everyone Should Know
The fastest way to access the command prompt in Windows 10 is to use the Windows Key + R keyboard combination to access the Run dialog box. Type “cmd” and press Enter to load the command prompt.
1. Ping
Of all the network commands of Windows 10, Ping is probably the one that almost everyone knows and has used before. The Ping command allows you to check the accessibility of a device on the network. Pinging a host will return four packets, if the packets are not returned you know there is a problem with your network connection.
To run a basic command, at the prompt enter:
ping [host]
In there, [host] is the name or IP address of the public host (google.com, techrepublic.com, etc.). Figure A below shows you what happens when the author pings the TechRepublic server.
2. IPConfig
The IPConfig command is one of the useful basic Windows network commands that everyone should know and use to troubleshoot. The IPConfig command displays basic IP address configuration information for the Windows device you are working on. In fact, the command will display information for every network adapter that has ever been installed on your Windows 10 computer.
To run a basic command, at the prompt enter:
ipconfig
General information includes IP Addresses for both IPv4 and IPv6, Default Gateway, and Subnet Mask. Adding the /all parameter to the command will display the DNS Server information and details related to renting the IP Address.
Check out Microsoft Docs for a more advanced look at the IP Config command and its variables and switches.
3. Getmac
Every network-capable device on the internet has a unique identifier called its MAC address. The number is assigned during the manufacturing process and is set in the hardware of the device.
Using the Getmac command, users can determine the MAC addresses of their various network devices. Some administrators will use the unique MAC addresses of devices to limit what can and cannot connect to the network.
To run a basic command, at the prompt enter:
getmac
Check out Microsoft Docs for a more advanced look at the Getmac command and its variables and switches.
4. HostName
The Windows 10 HostName network command will only display the current name of your Windows 10 computer (Figure B). This is the name your computer uses to identify itself to other devices and servers on your local network. You can find this name in the System Information screen in the GUI, but this command is faster.
To run a basic command, at the prompt enter:
hostname
Check out Microsoft Docs for a more advanced look at the HostName command and its variables and switches.
5. NSLookUp
The NSLookUp Windows 10 network command displays information that you can use to diagnose Domain Name System (DNS) infrastructure.
Using NSLookUp without parameters displays the DNS server your PC is currently using to resolve domain names to IP addresses.
As you can see in Figure C, the author is using Google’s DNS service because the server provided by the author’s ISP is slow and prone to problems.
To run a basic command, at the prompt enter:
nslookup
Check out Microsoft Docs for a more advanced look at the NSLookUp command and its variables and switches.
6. Tracert
Another useful tool for troubleshooting network connectivity issues in Windows 10 is the Tracert command. This command will track the route a data packet takes before reaching its destination, displaying information on each hop along the route.
Each route hop will show the delay between your device and that particular hop and the hop’s IP address, as shown in Figure D below.
To run a basic command, at the prompt enter:
tracert [host]
In there, [host] is the name or IP address of the public host (google.com, techrepublic.com, etc.).
Check out the Microsoft Docs for a more advanced look at the Tracert command and its variables and switches.
7. Netstat
The Netstat command displays active TCP connections, ports on which the computer is listening, Ethernet statistics, IP routing tables, IPv4 statistics, and IPv6 statistics.
When used without parameters, this command displays active TCP connections. The information this command provides can be helpful in identifying problems with your network connection.
To run a basic command, at the prompt enter:
netstat
Check out the Microsoft Docs for a more advanced look at the Netstat command and its variables and switches.
8. Arp
The Windows 10 Arp network command shows entries in the Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) cache, which contains one or more tables used to store IP addresses and their resolved Ethernet physical addresses.
To get useful information from the Arp command, you must provide a parameter. The most common parameter is /a, which shows the current Arp cache tables for all interfaces.
To run a basic command, at the prompt enter:
arp / a
Check out Microsoft Docs for a more advanced look at the Arp command and its variables and switches.
9. PathPing
In general, Windows 10’s PathPing network command combines the ping command with the tracert command, providing information about network latency and network loss at intermediate hops between source and destination.
As you can see in Figure E, the PathPing command provides more details than either ping or tracert can provide, such as latency reports and packet loss statistics.
To run a basic command, at the prompt enter:
pathping [host]
In there, [host] is the name or IP address of the public host (google.com, techrepublic.com, etc.).
Check out Microsoft Docs for a more advanced look at the PathPing command and its variables and switches.
10. SystemInfo
The last command on this list is the SystemInfo command, which displays a detailed list of configuration information about your Windows 10 PC.
The information listed by this command is too long to mention exhaustive, but includes the installed version of Windows 10, hostname, product ID, CPU type and number, RAM configuration, network card details, and installed fixes.
To run a basic command, at the prompt enter:
SystemInfo
Check out the Microsoft Docs for a more advanced look at the SystemInfo command and its variables and switches.
The commands above are just basic commands
There are other more advanced Windows 10 network commands available that can help you troubleshoot network problems, but they are beyond the scope of this article. However, the basic commands outlined above will help you narrow down the troubleshooting to just a few possibilities and help you find a solution.
According to TechRepublic
