Managing network settings and configurations on macOS can be a straightforward process with the right commands. Here’s a detailed guide on essential network commands that can help troubleshoot, configure, and optimise your macOS network settings.
networksetup
The networksetup command is a powerful command-line utility on macOS that allows users to manage and configure network settings. It provides control over network interfaces, locations, and configurations, making it a valuable tool for system administrators and advanced users who need to script or automate network configuration tasks. Visit man networksetup will page for all the attributes for the command.
List Network Services
Display all available network services on the system (e.g., Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Thunderbolt).
$ networksetup -listallnetworkservices
Output:
USB 10/100/1000 LAN
Thunderbolt Bridge
Wi-Fi
Configure Manual IP Address
Set a static IP address, subnet mask, and router for a specific network service.
$ networksetup -setmanual “Wi-Fi” 192.168.1.154 255.255.255.0 192.168.1.1
Configure DHCP
Set a static IP address, subnet mask, and router for a specific network service.
$ networksetup -setdhcp “Wi-Fi”
Set DNS Servers
Specify DNS servers for a network service.
$ networksetup -setdnsservers “Wi-Fi” 8.8.8.8 8.8.4.4
Get MAC Address
Displays ethernet (or Wi-Fi) address for hardware port or device specified.
$ networksetup -getmacaddress “Wi-Fi”
Connect to a Wi-Fi Network
Join a Wi-Fi network with a specified SSID and password.
$ networksetup -setairportnetwork en0 “NetworkName” “Password”
Enable or Disable Network Services
Turn a network service on or off.
$ networksetup -setnetworkserviceenabled “Wi-Fi” on
$ networksetup -setnetworkserviceenabled “Wi-Fi” off
Notes
Administrative Privileges: Many networksetup commands require administrative privileges, so you may need to use sudo.
Scripting: The command is highly useful for scripting network configurations, especially in environments where network settings change frequently or need to be managed across multiple devices.
The networksetup utility is an essential tool for detailed network management on macOS, offering more granular control than the graphical interface in System Preferences.
Get Active Interface Name
activeInterface=$(route get default | grep interface | awk ‘{print $2}’)
echo $activeInterface
Output: (Depends on your active interface)
en0
ifconfig
The ifconfig (interface configuration) command is a network utility in Unix-like operating systems, including macOS, used for configuring, managing, and querying network interfaces. It provides a range of functionalities that help administrators and users control network connections and troubleshoot network issues.
Get Information About the Interface
$ ifconfig en0 #Use variable to pass Active Interface Name (Ex: ifconfig $activeInterface)
Output:
en0: flags=8863<UP,BROADCAST,SMART,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> mtu 1500
options=6460<TSO4,TSO6,CHANNEL_IO,PARTIAL_CSUM,ZEROINVERT_CSUM>
ether 01:b1:f4:c1:70:e4
inet6 fe22::ce6:f8b3:e818:1234%en0 prefixlen 64 secured scopeid 0xe
inet 192.168.4.32 netmask 0xfffff800 broadcast 255.255.0.0
nd6 options=201<PERFORMNUD,DAD>
media: autoselect
status: active
Enable or Disable an Interface
$ sudo ifconfig en0 up
$ sudo ifconfig en0 down
ipconfig
The ipconfig command in macOS is used to manage and retrieve network configuration details for various network interfaces. It is similar in purpose to ifconfig but provides different functionality, particularly around dynamic IP addressing and DHCP information.
Get the IP Address of an Interface
To display the current IP address assigned to a specific interface (e.g., en0):
$ ipconfig getifaddr en0
Get the Subnet Mask
To retrieve the subnet mask for an interface:
$ ipconfig getoption en0 subnet_mask
View DHCP Lease Information
To get detailed information about the DHCP lease for an interface:
$ ipconfig getpacket en0
ping
The ping command in macOS is a network utility used to test the connectivity between your machine and a specified host. It helps in diagnosing network issues by sending a series of ICMP echo requests to the target and waiting for responses.
Continuous ping for a Host
$ ping google.com
Ping a Host with a Delay. (Default Is 1 Sec)
$ ping -i 5 google.com
Ping a Host a Specific Number of Times
$ ping -c 5 google.com
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