This may include setting up firewalls, monitoring network activity for potential threats, and performing security audits. A Linux Security Engineer specifically works with Linux-based systems and requires a deep understanding of Linux security features and vulnerabilities. Network Engineers often work in more senior or specialized roles, planning and implementing network systems. They typically handle higher-level tasks such as network architecture design, including Local Area Networks (LANs), Wide Area Networks (WANs), and cloud-based networks. Network engineers might also implement and manage firewalls, routers, and other network-related hardware. While similar to a Network Administrator, a Linux System Administrator focuses on servers running the Linux operating system.
Certifications like the Red Hat Certified Engineer or CompTIA Linux+ can also be beneficial. If you enjoy where you are but want more responsibility, think about aiming for higher positions like a senior engineer or project lead. These roles give you more say in projects and can lead to top jobs like systems director or IT manager, where you oversee teams and make big decisions about technology. Knowledge of networking basics like the OSI model, TCP/IP protocols, DNS, and DHCP will help you troubleshoot problems and keep systems running smoothly. You should know how the physical and software parts of servers work.
View Source
- Work with other server administrators to help identify and refine minimums and maximum outputs.
- You won’t have any trouble installing the right tool for a job with openSUSE’s Zypper package manager.
- When you execute the command without any options, it will display the ARP cache table.
- Below, we have discussed steps that directly help you understand the network engineer roadmap.
- Learn how to get around, inspect system parameters, and make configuration changes.
For example, execute netcat in server mode on a host behind your firewall and then execute netcat in client mode from outside the firewall. If you can read on the server whatever you type on the client, then the firewall is not filtering the connection. Knowing which TCP/IP ports of a host are listening for incoming connections is crucial, especially when you’re hardening a server or locking down network equipment.
- The options parameter control what the command displays, while the name parameter temporarily sets the hostname to the provided name.
- These essential Linux commands help monitor active connections, optimize network performance, reduce latency, and improve security.
- If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.
- In this final week, our focus broadens to encompass a comprehensive container orchestration system, namely Kubernetes.
# ip link subcommandoption/additional commandtarget interface While tracepath is similar to traceroute, it is a simpler command focused primarily on hop latency and total round-trip time.. Iwconfig is a command-line utility used to configure wireless network interfaces. It allows you to view and modify key wireless interface parameters, such as network mode, frequency, quality, and power management. It is commonly used to display device status and change the state of network interfaces (add, delete, activation/deactivation). They often extract specific information to automate network configuration tasks.
They also check network defects, perform troubleshooting, improve data security systems, and install security updates. A network engineer must have excellent knowledge of the technology industry, as well as a broad understanding of system codes, programming languages, and network configurations. Linux rose to fame on servers, and a network engineer’s use of the operating system will typically be within that domain. Some of the more common uses include the foundational elements of server management, monitoring network traffic, and investigating possible security issues.
This includes how to set up and manage different types of server software and hardware configurations like RAID setups and network cards. DevOps engineers are the bridge between the people who write the code and the ones who make sure it works in real life. They use cool tools and ideas to make processes quicker and less buggy. They often work on making sure apps get from the drawing board to the user without any hitches. Their job is to build new apps, make them work well with other systems, and ensure they run smoothly on Linux. In places like hospitals or factories that never close, these engineers might have to work at all hours to help keep everything running smoothly.
This hands-on course provides network engineers with the essential Linux skills required to manage, configure and troubleshoot Linux systems in a networked environment. This 5-day training course teaches network engineers Linux skills through hands-on exercises focused on network tasks. The course progresses from basic Linux commands to more advanced topics like shell scripting and software installation.
Curl is a powerful command-line tool for transferring data between local systems and remote servers using various protocols. It is compatible with numerous protocols, such as FTP, TELNET, SCP, SMTP, and HTTP/HTTPS. The ping command is one of the most essential network diagnostic tools in Linux. Most Linux users are familiar with the ping command, as it is used to test whether a domain or IP address is reachable. However, ping is more than just a simple connectivity tester for the network. Before I move to the Linux network commands, there are a few key things you need to know.
Nmcli (NetworkManager CLI) is the CLI used to manage network interfaces, connections, and device states on systems running NetworkManager. Tcpdump is a powerful command-line packet analyzer used to capture and display network packets in real time. While it is largely replaced by the ip route command in modern systems, it remains available and useful for many administrative tasks. The command is included in the net-tools package but has declined in popularity in favor of modern alternatives like ss and ip. System admins nowadays use the ss command instead and use the ip command for functionalities that ss cannot offer. The netstat linux for network engineers command is used to print network-related statistics to the terminal.
Learning Software Version Control (
In this guide, I will discuss the top 20 Linux network commands that you should know in 2025. This book is for IT and Windows professionals and admins looking for guidance in managing Linux-based networks. Basic knowledge of networking is necessary to get started with this book.
Command #11 dig
The command comes in handy for troubleshooting wireless network issues. Use the command after configuring a network interface with a tool such as the ifconfig command. The tool is part of the iproute2 package and is a faster alternative to the netstat command. The traceroute command is a networking diagnostics tool available for Linux, macOS, and Windows. The command tracks the route that packets take to reach a destination on a TCP/IP network.
Finally, if you’re eyeing a career in cybersecurity, Kali Linux should be your go-to. Kali Linux is widely used for cybersecurity purposes, especially in penetration testing and digital forensics. Learning Kali can provide you with hands-on experience in the tools and techniques used in the field of cybersecurity. While Arch Linux isn’t typically used in enterprise environments, it’s valued by power users and developers who want complete control over their system. Learning Arch can provide deep insights into how Linux works, which is helpful for system engineers and developers.
Step 1: Learn what a Linux engineer does
I’m in aero engineering, hoping to go into either research or designing aircraft. I’ve been playing around with Linux (debian based os’s) for a few years now and im not a power user but i know my way around it. I quite like it, mostly for its speed and the obvious benefits with how updates are done etc. But some things really annoy me about it, mostly the compatibility issues.
End users typically need to know whether their hardware uses the Linux kernel. For example, Android phones use the Linux kernel but leave out many additional software pieces found in traditional distributions. Adding those components to run Linux distros on Android devices is pretty straightforward. Likewise, companies with multiple products using the Linux kernel can often merge functionality. Google, in particular, has often done so with its Android and ChromeOS projects. The company is integrating their build of the Android and ChromeOS Linux kernels more tightly to leverage their work on AI.
Level
But as with any new skill, the hardest part of learning is finding where to start. If you’re new to Linux as a whole, focus on getting comfortable with the command line. Learn how to get around, inspect system parameters, and make configuration changes.
CSS: Formatting Visual Data
I quite like linux so i’d love to use it but it seems windows is the most sensible choice unless i want to keep having to switch OS every time I need to use SolidWorks. Additionally, the content includes the selection and deployment of various propriety and/or open-source network penetration testing tools. We’ve created a handy cheat sheet for Linux networking commands, which features all the commands from this guide. Use the cheat sheet as a reference when working on networking tasks. The ping command is a network utility for testing whether a host is reachable. The command sends ICMP requests to a host (a computer or server) and measures the round-trip time (RTT).
Linux engineer vs network engineer skills
The differences between linux systems engineers and network engineers can be seen in a few details. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a linux systems engineer and a network engineer. Additionally, a linux systems engineer has an average salary of $109,078, which is higher than the $83,557 average annual salary of a network engineer. Ready to embark on a rewarding and challenging career as a network engineer?