LFCS Networking Practice Question
Which TWO commands can be used to display the routing table on a Linux system?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse `ip addr show` (which displays interface addresses) with `ip route show` (which displays routes), or mistake `arp -a` for a routing command because both involve network layer information.
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
✓
route -n
The `route -n` command displays the kernel IP routing table with numeric addresses, showing destination, gateway, netmask, and interface. The `ip route show` command is the modern equivalent from the iproute2 suite, which also displays the routing table with more detailed information. Both are standard tools for viewing routing decisions on a Linux system.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
route -n
Why this is correct
This is the traditional command to show routing table.
- ✓
ip route show
Why this is correct
This is the modern command to show routing table.
- ✗
ip addr show
Why it's wrong here
This shows IP addresses, not routes.
- ✗
arp -a
Why it's wrong here
This shows ARP cache.
- ✗
ss -tln
Why it's wrong here
This shows listening TCP ports.
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JA
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.