12 Windows 10 Network Commands Everyone Should Know

Living and working in an always-connected world means the quality and reliability of your network connection are critical to nearly everything you do on your computer or mobile device. maintain quality Internet connection Troubleshooting failed connections is a basic skill that everyone should be at least familiar with.

for Microsoft Windows 10 For users, there are 12 basic network commands you should know and be ready to use when needed. Some of these commands have equivalents in the Windows 10 GUI, but for many commands, the command line structure is more effective and efficient.

In this how-to, we list 10 basic Windows 10 networking commands that users should be able to use to troubleshoot network connection issues.

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Windows 10 networking 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. flat

Of all the Windows 10 network commands, Ping is probably the one that almost everyone knows and has used. The ping command allows you to test the reachability of devices on your network. Pinging the host should return four packets. If the packet is not returned, there is a problem with your network connection.

To perform basic commands, type at the prompt:

flat [host]

Where [host] is the name or IP address of a common hosting server (google.com, techrepublic.com, etc.). The example below shows what happens when we ping the TechRepublic server.

Check out Microsoft Docs for a more in-depth understanding of the Ping command and its variables and switches.

2.IP configuration

The IPConfig command is one of the more useful basic Windows networking commands that everyone should know and use to solve problems. The IPConfig command displays basic IP address configuration information for the Windows device you are using. In fact, this command will display information about every network interface card ever installed on your Windows 10 computer.

To perform basic commands, type at the prompt:

ipconfig

General information includes IPv4 and IPv6 IP addresses, default gateways, and subnet masks. Adding the parameter /all to the command will display DNS server information and details about IP address leasing.

Check out Microsoft Docs for a deeper understanding IP setting command and its variables and switches.

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3.Getmac

Every network-enabled device on the Internet has a unique identification number called a MAC address. This number is assigned during the manufacturing process and is established in the device’s hardware. Using the Getmac command, users can determine the MAC addresses of their various network devices. Some administrators will use a device’s unique MAC address to restrict which devices can and cannot connect to the network.

To perform basic commands, type at the prompt:

getmac

Check out Microsoft Docs for a deeper understanding Getmac command and its variables and switches.

4. Host name

The Windows 10 HostName network command will only display the current name of the Windows 10 computer. This is the name your computer uses to identify itself to other devices and servers on the local network. You can find this name in the System Information screen of the GUI, but this command is faster.

To perform basic commands, type at the prompt:

hostname

Check out Microsoft Docs for a deeper understanding hostname directive and its variables and switches.

5.NSLookUp

The NSLookUp Windows 10 network command displays information that can be used to diagnose your domain’s naming system infrastructure. Using NSLookUp without parameters will display the DNS servers your PC uses to resolve domain names to IP addresses. As shown below, I use Google’s DNS service because the servers provided by my ISP are slow and crash prone.

To perform basic commands, type at the prompt:

nslookup

Check out Microsoft Docs for a deeper understanding NSLookUp directive and its variables and switches.

6. Tracking

Another handy tool for troubleshooting network connections in Windows 10 is the Tracert command. This command will trace the route a packet takes before reaching its destination, displaying information about each hop along the route. Each hop of the route displays the latency between your device and that specific hop, as well as the IP address of that hop, as shown below.

To perform basic commands, type at the prompt:

tracert [host]

Where [host] is the name or IP address of a common hosting server (google.com, techrepublic.com, etc.).

Check out Microsoft Docs for a deeper understanding Trace command and its variables and switches.

7. Internet Statistics

The Netstat command displays active TCP connections, the ports the computer is listening on, Ethernet statistics, IP routing tables, IPv4 statistics, and IPv6 statistics. When used without arguments, this command displays active TCP connections. The information provided by this command is useful for identifying problems with network connections.

To perform basic commands, type at the prompt:

netstat

Check out Microsoft Docs for a deeper understanding network statistics command and its variables and switches.

8. Alp

The Windows 10 Network Command Arp displays entries in the Address Resolution Protocol cache, which contains one or more tables that store IP addresses and their resolved Ethernet entity addresses. To obtain useful information from the Arp command, you must provide an argument. The most common parameter is /a, which displays the current Arp cache for all interfaces.

To perform basic commands, type at the prompt:

arp /a

Check out Microsoft Docs for a deeper understanding ARP command and its variables and switches.

9. Path Ping

Generally speaking, the Windows 10 network command PathPing combines the ping command with the Tracert command to provide information about network delays and network losses in intermediate hops between the source and destination. As shown below, the PathPing command provides more detailed information than ping or Tracert, such as latency reports and packet loss statistics.

To perform basic commands, type at the prompt:

pathping [host]

Where [host] is the name or IP address of a common hosting server (google.com, techrepublic.com, etc.).

Check out Microsoft Docs for a deeper understanding Path Ping command and its variables and switches.

10. System messages

The SystemInfo command displays a detailed list of configuration information about a Windows 10 computer. The information listed in this command is too long to be mentioned in full. Still, it includes the installed version of Windows 10, host name, product ID, CPU type and number, RAM configuration, network card details, and installed patches.

To perform basic commands, type at the prompt:

systeminfo

Check out Microsoft Docs for a deeper understanding system information command and its variables and switches.

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11.Nbtstat

The Nbtstat command uses NetBIOS over the TCP/IP protocol, the NetBIOS name table, and the NetBIOS name cache to display statistics and current TCP/IP connections. NetBIOS over TCP/IP enables legacy applications and services that rely on the NetBIOS API to run on modern TCP/IP networks. This command is useful for diagnosing NetBIOS name resolution problems.

To perform basic commands, type at the prompt:

nbtstat

Check out Microsoft Docs for a deeper understanding Nbtstat command and its variables and switches.

12. Internet

Finally, the Netsh (network shell) command is a network management tool that allows you to display or modify the network configuration of a running computer. It supports tasks such as managing network interfaces, configuring firewall settings, setting up wireless profiles, and troubleshooting connection issues. This command starts an interactive shell where you can issue various network commands.

To perform basic commands, type at the prompt:

netsh

Check out Microsoft Docs for a deeper understanding of Netsh commands

There are other, more advanced Windows 10 networking commands that can help you troubleshoot network issues, but they are beyond the scope of this article. However, the basic commands outlined should help you narrow down your troubleshooting to a few possibilities and help you find a solution.