LFCS Networking Practice Question
A network engineer needs to temporarily disable a network interface eth1 without bringing it down permanently. Which command?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to confuse `ifdown eth1` as a temporary disable, but it can trigger persistent configuration changes or rely on deprecated tools, whereas `ip link set eth1 down` is the modern, stateless method for a temporary interface shutdown.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
ip link set eth1 down
The `ip link set eth1 down` command temporarily disables the eth1 interface by changing its state to DOWN at the kernel level, without making any persistent changes to configuration files. This is the correct approach for a temporary disable because the interface can be re-enabled with `ip link set eth1 up` and will revert to its configured state upon reboot.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
systemctl stop network
Why it's wrong here
This stops the entire network service, affecting all interfaces.
- ✓
ip link set eth1 down
Why this is correct
This temporarily brings the interface down until manually brought up or reboot.
- ✗
nmcli device disconnect eth1
Why it's wrong here
This disconnects the interface but does not set it administratively down.
- ✗
ifdown eth1
Why it's wrong here
ifdown is network-scripts specific and may not be temporary if managed by NetworkManager.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This LFCS practice question is part of Courseiva's free Linux Foundation certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the LFCS exam.